Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada History

Designed by Giotto Bizzarrini in 1963 and launched with the marque in 1964, the 5300 GT shared its basic architecture with the Iso Grifo that Bizzarrini had engineered for Iso Rivolta — a welded unibody platform clothed in aluminium bodywork styled by Bertone under the influence of a young Giorgetto Giugiaro. The result was one of the lowest road cars of its era, standing just 43 inches tall.

Power came from a Chevrolet 327 small-block displacing 5,358 cc (5.4 L), tuned to approximately 365 hp in Strada (road) form and 400 hp in the competition-oriented Corsa variant. Drive went through a BorgWarner T-10 four-speed manual to a De Dion rear axle with limited-slip differential and four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes — a specification that reflected Bizzarrini's racing priorities. A Corsa example placed ninth overall and won the GT class at the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans.

A total of approximately 133 examples were produced across three variants: the aluminium-bodied Strada; the fiberglass-bodied 5300 GT America, a simplified version intended for the U.S. market; and the competition Corsa. Three additional open-top cars were built in 1966 by carrozzeria Stile Italia on Strada chassis as the 5300 GT Spyder S.I. Production ended when the company folded in 1969.