Ever the tornado of creativity and speed, Ferrari ->ke252 was quite a volatile company in the early 1960s. For every race Enzo won, it seems like the Old Man made a few enemies as well. The failed buyout from Ford ->ke31 and the epic “palace revolution” of management resulted in a brain drain at Maranello.

Competing hot-shot engineers would form nearly a dozen competing supercar marques, including: Lamborghini->ke378, De Tomaso->ke27, Iso->ke38, ATS, ASA and Bizzarrini->ke1084.

Each led by a mastermind engineer, stylist, machinest or visionary, only Lamborghini's brand was strong enough to make it to the 1970s and beyond. The Ferrari ->ke252 exodus left all these talented men with huge ideas, but less of a real concept of how to bring the car to market effectively and resolve development problems outside their specialized area of experience.

Giotto Bizzarrini ->ke1084worked with all of the above firms before eventually launching what would be his best-known model: the 1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada Alloy supercar. With all the latest curves, a wide road graphic and a low roof: the Strada was a gorgeous hit right from the start.

Sharing the low nose and mid-engine stance of the Lamborghini Miura->ke378, the Strada is actually a front-engine coupe powered by a reliable and torque-rich 5.3-liter Chevrolet small-block V-8.

That's right, the long history of Chevy small-block V-8 engines in bespoke supercars started well before the 2013 Local Motors Rally Fighter's 6.2-liter LS3 motor.

Click past the jump to read more about the 1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada Alloy, with high-res images and performance details on its proven 161 mph top speed.

1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada Alloy

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada Alloy
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 365
  • Torque: 310
  • Transmission: 4-speed Manual
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

This rag-tag gang of Ferrari refugees was actually almost in lockstep in terms of their style preferences and rapid evolution of proportions and platforms in the 1960s. Wide and low became more and more popular, until reaching its zenith with the reveal of the Lamborghini Miura: a mid-engined hypercar so advanced that that it was the Veneno, or better, of its day.

Launched a year after the Strada in 1966, Miura's low and swoopy side graphics are shared with the Bizzarrini ->ke1084 Strada GT.

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For the Strada to be so on the styling mark is incredible as the Miura instantly made every Ferrari road car, and some race cars, seem hopelessly retro. Lambo's V-12 of the day was shaped like a washing machine, so the Miura actually found the only place it would fit in this low shape: longitudinally, behind the cabin.

Bizzarrini had the same style vision of a low-slung hypercar, but looked abroad from his Iso Revolta GT racing experience to source the new and compact Chevy small-block engine. Without tall carburetor stacks to ruin the nose height, this was space-age packaging and the Strada GT is gorgeous because of it.

Simple and elegant air slashes are carved from the nose, while an integrated chrome bumper is one of the last to be actually mounted to the aluminum body shell. Pending impact regulations ruined the look of decade or more Italian supercars after 1970.

A swooping back glass echoes the flat engine deck of the Miura very nicely, giving the two cars remarkably similar profile appearances.

Styling Comparison Versus 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400S

Interior

The interior looks as wide and versatile as a Corvette->ke1280, with a huge luggage area lined in black leather behind the twin seats. A wide console was very en vogue then as now, while the Strada's door cut-outs might have inspired the decades-later Bristol Fighter.

Simple gauges and trim work shows a bit more amateur construction at Bizzarrini versus the Maserati Ghibli of the day - which was arguably the poshest and swankiest GT supercar interior yet in 1967.

Drivetrain, Suspension and Brakes

In addition to being a packaging marvel, the Chevy small-block was also highly tunable and able to withstand almost any track abuse versus the delicate and temperamental Italian race engines of the day. With 5.3 liters, this size engine is still the sweet spot for millions of Chevy trucks and SUVs every year.

Light alloy bodywork of this car was a revolution versus the fiberglass that was typically employed by these small-volume artisans. (Toxic fiberglass might explain a shorter career for some of these gentlemen, actually.)

Lightweight and also a stressed member of the chassis, the Strada's alloy panels increased rigidity markedly and also the value of this example.

At the time, Bizzarrini claimed that a 5300 GT Strada Alloy hit 180 mph at the Mulsanne straight of Le Mans during testing, but these are generally very 'wink wink' type boasts. Even so, it was much faster and had far more top end potential than any Ferrari models, generally tuned to deal with tight tracks and a gas stop every 30 minutes.

A four-speed box channels the power to the rear wheels, for an estimated 7-second sprint time. This beat the launch Miura, and its front-engine design offered far better stability over 130 mph than the wing-shaped Lambo.

1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada Alloy - Performance Details:

Engine

5.3-liter 16-valve V-8 With OHV

Transmission

4-Speed Manual

Power

365 horsepower

Torque

310 pound-feet, est

0-60 mph

7 seconds, est

Top Speed

180 mph, claimed

Top Speed

161 mph, actual

EPA Fuel Economy (City/Highway/Combined)

12/14/12, est


Note: Actual top speed data from RM Auctions, citing Italian car magazine Quattroruote's fifth-wheel results in the February, 1966 issue.

Pricing

This exact car sold this August at Pebble Beach by RM Auctions for $693,000.

Conclusion

This was a bold car and certainly one that had a direct influence on brands and styling across the world as well as the Tuscan countryside. For his achievement here, Giotto Bizzarrini should be commended and remembered as one of the great pioneers in supercar history.

As an ultimate 'make him suffer' character in the ongoing Scuderia Ferrari telenova, Giotto Bizzarrini's role as a villain to Enzo's angel is nothing more than fiction - or destiny, as Ferrari fans might say...