In May 2023, automotive enthusiasts worldwide mourned the loss of Giotto Bizzarrini, a transformative figure in Italian the automotive industry responsible for some of the most influential engines and cars of the 1960s. Initially working with Alfa Romeo and then Ferrari, he played a pivotal role in the creation of the fabled Ferrari 250 GTO, a follow-up to his work on the 250 GT SWB. Despite his significant contributions, Bizzarrini's career at Ferrari ended during Ferrari's “Night of the Long Knives,” which saw Bizzarrini found Società Autostar in 1962 where he continued to innovate. Notably, the firm developed a dual overhead-cam V12 engine for Ferruccio Lamborghini which Sant'Agata would continue to produce for five decades.

Bizzarrini's influence didn't stop there. Iso Autoveicoli Spa Chairman Renzo Rivolta duly enlisted Bizzarrini to design luxury GTs, including the Iso Grifo, which laid the groundwork for the cars that would soon bear his name. Bizzarrini's engine expertise wasn't required, as the company decided to follow the trend set by De Tomaso of combining an American V8 with Italian design. Bizzarrini instead concentrated on developing the cars' advanced pressed-steel chassis, de Dion rear suspension, double-wishbone front suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes. This resulted in the creation of the street-oriented A3/L (Lusso orn luxury) and the race-focused A3/C (Corsa or race) versions, with the aluminum-bodied Iso A3/C racer in particular serving as the foundation for the Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada.

Produced under his own company, Prototipi Bizzarrini S.r.L., the GT 5300 Strada (Street) retained the ultra-wide, low-slung design of the A3/C Grifo originally penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone and featured a front-mid-mounted Corvette-sourced small block engine producing 365 horsepower. Placed as far back over the front axle as possible for near-perfect weight distribution, it was paired with a BorgWarner four-speed manual transmission and a limited slip differential. Lightweight competition variants of the GT 5300 Strada proved highly competitive, claiming second in class at the Nürburgring 1000 Kms and 14th overall at 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1964; however, financial difficulties would prevent Giotto from mounting the full-scale assault on Le Mans that he had envisioned. In 1969, Bizzarrini was forced to declare bankruptcy after producing just 133 examples of the GT 5300 Strada from 1964 to 1968.

According to the seminal registry of Bizzarrinis, Bizzarrini; The Genius Behind Ferrari's Success by marque expert Jack Koobs de Hartog, this enticing recreation of Bizzarrini's eponymous GT was prepared sometime in the early 2000s by Gilberto Panizza in Italy with aluminum coachwork from Protauto of Sorbara, Modena. Correspondence on file suggests that the car was thought to be based on a genuine Bizzarrini with elements of the nose panel, front fenders, dash panel, and chassis plate pointing to a period car. In 2004, the car was race-prepared to lightweight Corsa specification by Don Shead in the U.K., with further preparation rendered by Foxcraft Engineering Ltd. of Stockbridge, Hampshire, England. In this guise, the car featured a 5.3-liter Chevrolet V8 topped with Weber 45 carburetors for upwards of 400 horsepower paired with a Jerico Performance four-speed transmission, a de Dion rear axle, and a limited slip differential. Under the ownership of John Bendall of Easton, Hampshire, the car was then refinished in its present shade of light silver-blue and regularly participated in historic racing events throughout the U.K. from 2003 to 2006.

In 2008, the Bizzarrini passed to its next owner, who continued to campaign the car extensively across Europe alongside Broad Arrow Auctions Director and Head of U.K. & Europe Consignments Joe Twyman with great success. Wins and podiums came in the Masters Historic Racing series, 24 Hours of Le Mans support race, Spa 6 Hours Classic, and the Historic 500-mile race on the Nürburgring Nordschleife among others. Notably, in this ownership, the car has been driven by former Formula One Driver Jonathan Palmer as well as touring car Champions Tim Harvey and Paul Radisich. The car was also accepted and ran at the Goodwood Members Meeting. The car was one of the featured vehicles in several episodes of the GT Racer television series by filmmaker Alexander Davidis, a documentary series following international vintage racing that was shown on UKTV channel Dave where the car was seen running at the Nürburgring and at Portimao in Portugal.

The Bizzarrini currently sits on correct Dunlop Racing tires for historic racing and sounds fantastic running unsilenced on open straight pipes. The cockpit is all you would expect in a race-prepared car with custom race seats, harnesses, Perspex side windows and race switchgear and dials. It is fitted with an FIA roll cage and large capacity race fuel tank, multiple fuel pump setup, and the bodywork still wears race numbers and a large number of stickers from races in which the car competed.

Acquired by the current owner at Broad Arrow's 2024 Monterey Jet Center Auction, this highly competitive GT Strada 5300 is titled as a 1965 model year. This Bizzarrini's next owner will no doubt find it to be an exceptionally prepared track weapon at whichever of the myriad historic events it is eligible to attend, or an exciting and engaging car for road rallies or spirited street use.