Giotto Bizzarrini

Early life

Bizzarrini was the son of a rich landowner from Livorno. His grandfather, also named Giotto Bizzarrini, was a biologist who had worked with Guglielmo Marconi on his inventions, especially the radio, following which one of the Livorno Library sections was named The Bizzarrini Library.

Bizzarrini received an engineering degree from the University of Pisa in 1953. His design thesis in his senior year was a complete redesign of a used Fiat Topolino, in which he modified the engine for increased power and relocated it in the chassis for improved handling.

Alfa Romeo

After graduation, he taught briefly before joining Alfa Romeo's 'Servizio Esperimenze Principali' unit under Ing. Nicolis in August 1954. He was assigned to the development of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta chassis, which was disappointing, as he aspired to become a powerplant engineer. He was later able to move to the Experimental Department, receiving on-the-job training to become a test driver: "I became a test driver who coincidentally was also an engineer, with mathematical principles. I always needed to know why something fails, so I can invent a solution."

Ferrari

Bizzarrini left Alfa Romeo in 1957 and went to Ferrari when that company needed a test driver. He was quickly promoted to controller of experimental, Sports and GT car development.

He worked five years at Ferrari as chief engineer. He also worked as developer, designer, and skilled test driver. The 250 GT 2+2/GTE, the 3 litre Testa Rossa V12 engine, the 250 TR Testa Rossa, and the 250GT SWB (Short Wheelsbase Berlinetta or Berlinetta Passo Corto) were influenced by his ideas and technical solutions. For one of the most successful Ferrari racing series, the 250, Bizzarrini worked hard to develop the chassis, engines, and advanced dynamic solutions.

Ferrari 250 GTO

His masterpiece at Ferrari was the 1962 250 GTO. He became involved with the project in 1960. Ferrari wanted a GT racer with better aerodynamics than the previous 250 GT SWB. The SWB was a great racer but had considerable aerodynamic drag. Jaguar had just launched the Jaguar E-Type and Ferrari needed a top contender in the tracks, and Enzo Ferrari wanted to ensure that his racing team did not suffer another loss as it had in the 1959 LeMans race.

Tests started secretly with a 250 GT, bodied by Mario Boano, with chassis number #2643GT, Bizzarrini's personal car. This car was developed and was used as a test mule for technical solutions later seen in the GTO. This car was known as the Bizzarrini Ugly Duck. (He said, "We dubbed the car 'Il Monstro'".) Experiments with the SWB chassis indicated considerable speed loss due to aerodynamic drag, so Bizzarrini reduced the frontal area and increased the bonnet length, to reduce both drag and tendency to front lift at high speeds. Bizzarrini moved the engine well back into the chassis and lowered it (by using a dry sump lubrication system) to improve weight distribution and handling. The result was the 250 GTO.

In 1962, when the GTO was launched, it was the ultimate in aerodynamics. Carroll Shelby's 289 AC Cobras had an advantage on slow tracks, but the GTO achieved a superior top speed and dominated the GT class.

Count Volpi, the specials and ATS

In 1961, Bizzarrini was one of the "famous five" engineers who left Ferrari in the so-called "Ferrari night of the Long Knives", provoked by a reorganisation of the engineering staff. With other ex-Ferrari engineers (including Carlo Chiti) Bizzarrini founded the Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS) company to build a Formula 1 single seater and a GT sport car, the ATS Serenissima.

In 1962, Bizzarrini was hired by Count Giovanni Volpi, owner of the SSS, Scuderia Serenissima Republica di Venezia, to upgrade a Ferrari 250 GT SWB (chassis number 2819GT) to GTO specification. Ferrari was upset with Volpi and refused to sell him a GTO, so they had to acquire and modify a used vehicle.

Bizzarrini applied all the ideas from the GTO and developed with Piero Drogo of Carrozzeria Sports Cars in the Modena works an aerodynamically advanced body, even lower than the GTO, with the roof line dramatically extended to the rear end, then abruptly truncated following the Kamm aerodynamic theory. The car was completed in just 14 days. The mechanicals were extensively reformed and the engine set well back into the chassis and lowered, using dry-sump lubrication. This car, chassis number #2819GT was called the Ferrari Breadvan, and is currently raced in vintage Sport Car events. The car was raced at the time with some success, with Carlo Abate and other drivers at the wheel, but could not beat the GTOs because it still had only a four-speed gearbox. At least another two 250GT series cars were developed by Bizzarrini, Piero Drogo and teammates Neri and Bonacini to GTO specifications and received distinctive bodies with similar advanced shapes.

In 1962 Bizzarrini founded Società Autostar, an engineering firm through which he would bid for freelance engineering projects.

Lamborghini engine

Ferruccio Lamborghini commissioned Società Autostar to design an engine for his automaking firm, Lamborghini's, new GT cars. The Lamborghini V12 was first shown in the 350GTV prototype in 1963 and was first manufactured for use in the 350GT in 1964. Variations of the basic design were used in every V-12 Lamborghini until 2010. Originally displacing 3,464 cc (211 cu in) in the 350GT, it had been increased in displacement to 6,496 cc (396 cu in) in the final version of the Murciélago.

Iso Grifo

Società Autostar developed cars for Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A. including the Iso Rivolta IR 300 and the Iso Grifo.

A dispute between Bizzarrini and Iso ended their collaboration, and led to Società Autostar building variants of the Iso Grifo under the Bizzarrini marque. This led Bizzarrini to change the name of Società Autostar first, in 1964, to Società Prototipi Bizzarrini and then in 1966 to Bizzarrini SpA.

5300 GT Strada

Bizzarrini SpA is best known for the sinewy Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, produced between 1965-1968.

The Società Prototipi Bizzarrini was declared bankrupt in 1969, which ended Bizzarrini's days as an automobile manufacturer.

Bizzarrini SpA also developed advanced designs for other companies, including American Motors for which they built prototypes for the AMX/3 project, and as style and technical consultant for GM in Europe and USA, top Japanese motorcycle marques and well-known designers such as Pininfarina.

Bizzarrini today

Bizzarrini is still busy with personal projects and conferences.

At the 2005 Geneva show, the new owner of the marque Bizzarrini showed the new GT Strada 4.1 concept, a two-door GT with a 4.1-litre 550 bhp (410 kW; 558 PS) plant (maximum speed - 360 km/h (220 mph), 0–100 km/h in 3.8 sec.) which was planned for production in 2007.

Giotto Bizzarrini teaches and works with Rome University, developing advanced projects and designing, building and developing his own sport cars. He has often said: "I'm not a car designer, I am a worker".

On October 23, 2012, the occasion of the inauguration of the University of Florence new Design Campus in Calenzano Professor Giotto Bizzarrini was given the Honoris Causa Degree in Industrial Design.