A complete recommission and makeover for the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada

In 1957, Giotto Bizzarrini was a key figure in engineering and testing at Ferrari and was developing a new line of GT racers just a few shorts years after. In the infamous ‘palace revolution’ at Ferrari in 1961, Bizzarrini and a number of key players left the company to form ATS as a rival to Ferrari in sportscar and single seater. Due to conflicting opinions, he shortly left and began consulting.

After a short time consulting and partnering Piero Rivolta, Bizzarrini went out on his own to take the 5300 GT under his own name and brand (Bizzarrini S.p.A), producing the racing Corsa, road-going Strada and later the America. The 5300 GT Strada was launched in 1965 and was the company’s most successful model. The 5.3-litre Chevrolet V8 engine and unique, stylish Italian design marry perfectly for the best of both worlds.

The car has been fully rebuilt by Pursuit to match the specification of the first ISO A3/C Corsa, a car which raced in early 1964, and is now ready to hit the track again at Goodwood or in Peter Auto’s Sixties Endurance series.

The restoration process included a distinct focus on the car’s weight, saving over 30kgs, a full gearbox and diff refresh. As well as, engine dyno testing, damper testing, rebuild of all components including; brakes, bearings seals and more. Detailed fine tuning has also taken places across several test days to hone the configuration so the Bizzarrini is ready to hit the track. The final piece of the puzzle was a complete repaint to bring this Italian classic back period livery that would’ve been right at home on-track in the 60s.

As always, it’s great to see Pursuit-recommissioned cars back out on track, competing in the modern day and we look forward to this racer’s inevitable success. Watch this space for the next big recommission project coming soon…

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