Chassis. No.BA4 0106, Red and yellow racing livery Engine: V8, 6,998cc, c450bhp at 5,000rpm; Gearbox: 4 speed manual; Suspension: front and rear independent with unequal length A arms and coil springs, front anti-roll bar; Brakes: four wheel disc. Right hand drive. Giotto Bizzarrini descended from a distinguished line of innovators. His grandfather was a famous biologist who worked with Marconi and his father was an engineer in the construction business. Despite early aspirations to become a footballer, in his late Twenties Giotto graduated from the University of Pisa with a degree in engineering. During his time spent at University he had become interested in motor cars and it was to be in this field where he would go on to shine and his achievements are now historical landmarks in the history of the Italian motoring industry... When the Bizzarrini marque became a separate entity in 1965, the Iso Grifo A3C was renamed the Bizzarrini Strada 5300GT retaining the familiar combination of aluminium body with de Dion layout rear suspension. Additionally, the Bizzarrini America 5300GT was offered with an incredibly lightweight fibreglass body and all-important independent rear suspension. This particular Bizzarrini America 5300GT reputedly commenced production in late 1965. This uniquely scaled 'prototype' is arguably the most distinctive and identifiable of all the race cars, it was the only factory built right hand drive race car and thus has an easily traceable race history. It first competed at the 1,000km of Monza in April 1966, driven by Edgar Berney and Antonio Nieri it qualified 19th (out of 40 entrants) but with no fresh wet weather tyres it was not competitive and thus was not classified in the results. Just two weeks later, BA4 0106 was in Sicily for the Targa Florio, piloted again by Berney and Nieri. Following an unfortunate collision with a Fiat Topolino en route the car was a late starter. In an attempt to recover lost time the car then suffered a blown head gasket and retired from the event on lap two. For Le Mans in 1966 Bizzarrini sent two cars, this and a new P538 (a barchetta-bodied prototype). Substantiated by copies of the period scrutineering records from the A.C.O., BA4 0106 weighed just 1,196kg making it the lightest of the Bizzarrini berlinettas to ever enter Le Mans. Driven by Sam Posey and Massimo Natili, BA4 0106 qualified 36th (four positions ahead of the P538) but just after the three hour mark the car was disqualified for crossing the white line when entering the pits. Christie's have recently been able to make contact with 1966 Le Mans driver Sam Posey who shared his memories of the car; It had no seat belts which frightened him as he recalled it could do 180mph, but it was a wonderful car to drive. 'The driver sat low down on the floor, there was a nice big hood and great power, the car was very predictable with some understeer and the steering effort was very reasonable. Overall it was a damned good car and I would have loved to have driven the car the entire distance in the race. The biggest problem was lack of development and the car really needed a proper team to run it.’ At the end of the 1966 season, the car was fitted with a 7 litre Chevrolet engine (again the only berlinetta to do so). It was entered into the 1967 1,000km of Monza, but unfortunately did not finish. BA4 0106 also went back to Le Mans in 1967 (with the 7 litre engine). Now different in appearance, it sported yellow wheels and tail section, prominent front oil-cooler, and an intricate scoop was incorporated into the bonnet for clearance and to aid airflow to the carburettor. Unfortunately neither of the Bizzarrini entries passed scrutineering and the disconsolate team returned to Livorno. At present it is not known if any other major events were contested with BA4 0106 but it did feature in Italian magazine 'King' where an interview with Giotto Bizzarrini revealed that the car was capable of 340kmh (210mph) thanks to the 550bhp 7 litre engine! The car remained in the ownership of the company until 1971 when Prototipi Bizzarrini S.p.A. filed for bankruptcy. The entire inventory of Prototipi Bizzarrini S.p.A. was thus offered by the Tribune of Pisa in order to recover outstanding debts. By this time the car had been stripped of its running gear (presumably for use in another project) and it was merely a rolling chassis and body still in Le Mans guise. It was purchased direct from the tribune as parts (a copy of the invoice is available) and until earlier this year it remained in long term storage. It must be noted that because the car was sold as parts the invoice does not display a chassis number, furthermore the chassis number on the car was at some point altered and the last two digits are incomplete. After 32 years of hibernation the car is largely complete with the most notable missing items being the perspex rear and side windows, propshaft and the driveshafts. Recently a suitable 7 litre Chevrolet engine has been installed and mated to the gearbox although we are unable to guarantee the working condition of either units. So commonly used, the word patina cannot do this extraordinary car justice. The fibreglass body alone is incredible, thickly coated in its tired original paint. On comparison with the period photos, the location of all ancillary fittings such as mirrors, straps, oil cooler mountings and even the cooling vents can be accurately traced. Whilst the body and doors are made of fibreglass, the boot and the bonnet are constructed from sheet aluminium, the bonnet is especially fascinating in the manner that the simple concept of increased airflow is turned into an aggressive feature by means of the centrally mounted domed vent. When viewed closely from either beneath the car or from the engine bay it is clear that the car is an engineering masterpiece, the chassis is intricately incorporated throughout the body and only then can one fully appreciate the lightweight composition for a vehicle of this magnitude. Also amazing is the focus of ensuring a centred weight distribution; the fact that the body far exceeds the wheelbase greatly misleads the casual onlooker, the engine is recessed so far back in the chassis it could almost be accused of invading the cockpit! To counteract and balance the engine the huge long-distance aluminium fuel tank is positioned directly behind the seats and due to the engine location the gearbox nestles alongside the driver shrouded beneath the understandably vast gearbox tunnel. The interior is largely complete but requires carpeting and trim, again on grounds of weight saving the dashboard is constructed from fibreglass with housing for an array of gauges including the 320kmh speedometer. This truly is a remarkable find with immense historic competition potential. The fact that the car raced in period with both the 5.3 and 7 litre power units gives a choice (depending on eligibility requirements) of guise for the most important historic events across the globe. For further information on these exotic cars visit Wikipedia
