This Corvette-Powered Italian Exotic Hid In A Michigan Garage For Over 50 Years
There aren’t many cars that can connect Ferrari, Chevrolet and a quiet garage in Michigan quite so neatly. But this Italian-built GT has managed exactly that. It was created by an engineer who played a central role in developing one of Ferrari’s most famous race cars, powered by an American V8, and then hidden away for more than half a century. Now, it’s finally getting some attention again.
This Italian GT Has A Serious Ferrari Connection
The car in question is a 1968-titled Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, created by Italian engineer Giotto Bizzarrini. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, his work at Ferrari might. Bizzarrini was a key figure behind the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO. Yes, that 250 GTO. He left Ferrari in 1961, later working with Iso Rivolta on the Grifo A3/C, pairing Italian engineering with American V8 power. After he and Renzo Rivolta parted ways in 1965, the idea carried on under Bizzarrini’s own name as the 5300 GT. Records are murky, but only around 125 Iso A3/C and Bizzarrini 5300 GT cars are believed to have been built. This one is an alloy-bodied road car.
The Corvette V8 Is The Really Interesting Part
Instead of a bespoke Italian engine, the Bizzarrini ran a good old Chevrolet 327-cubic-inch V8, and this car’s is believed to be original. Even better, this isn’t just any old small-block. Its engine number identifies it as a Flint-built unit in L79 Corvette specification, rated at 350 hp when new. The packaging is wild, too. Bizzarrini mounted the engine so far back that parts of it can be reached through panels in the dashboard. From inside the car. That’s quite a trick, even by the standards of Italian engineering. Period road testers pointed out that Chevy parts could be found practically anywhere, which beat waiting on a crate from Livorno.
How This Bizzarrini Went From Rome To A Michigan Garage
Italian registration records show a glamorous start. It was first registered in May 1968 to Giangiacomo Elia, an actor living in Rome, before passing through three more Italian owners. By late 1971, it was in Pontiac, Michigan, with an owner who kept it for more than 50 years. A Chevy-powered Italian exotic, tucked away in the hometown of Pontiac cars.
Doesn’t get much more General Motors than that. It still wears an Italian parking sticker on the windshield, and there’s another twist beneath its red paint. Traces of green hint that might have been its original color. Gooding Christie’s is offering it at its Rétromobile New York sale later this month, with an estimate of $500,000 to $800,000. That’s for a car with cracked paint, upholstery in tatters and rust nearly everywhere. It’ll need a full restoration before it sees the road again. Still, there’s something rather special about an Italian GT with a Corvette heart that spent five decades hiding just outside the Motor City. Personally, I’d be tempted to leave a few of those garage-find scars visible.
Source: Christie’s Auctions
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments