After influential roles at Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, where he spearheaded the creation of the iconic 250 GTO, Giotto Bizzarrini embarked on an independent path in 1962. He earned acclaim for his designs at Lamborghini, crafting their potent V12, and at Iso, where he collaborated on the Rivolta before launching his own venture.
The Rivolta, blending Bertone’s aesthetics with a Chevrolet V8 engine, laid the groundwork for his next endeavor: the Grifo. Teaming up once more with Bertone, Bizzarrini created the sleek Iso Grifo, inheriting the Rivolta’s chassis and boasting impressive performance, with top speeds reaching 180mph.
Recognizing its racing potential, Bizzarrini convinced Renzo Rivolta to permit the production of a high-performance variant under his name. The resulting Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300, introduced in 1965 (marketed as the Bizzarrini 5300 America in the USA), retained the race car’s lightweight aluminum body, shedding 400lbs, and enhanced suspension, while elevating interior comforts.
Its 327ci Chevrolet Corvette V8 engine, delivering 310bhp or 365bhp with different carburetion setups, endowed the aerodynamic coupé with remarkable performance, earning it the reputation of being “as fast as a Ferrari, but at half the price.”
A total of 133 A3C and Strada models were produced, with nearly all featuring all-alloy bodies. Production spanned from 1964 to 1968, with only a handful of prototypes emerging post-1969 when the Livorno factory ceased operations, totaling 139 cars across all variants.
Photos by Peter Singhof courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
