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Bizzarrini was an automotive manufacturer in the 1960s. Founded by former Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and ISO engineer, Giotto Bizzarrini, the company built a small number of highly developed and advanced sport and racing automobiles before failing in 1969. The marque has been revived with a number of concept cars in the 2000s.
Mr. Giotto Bizzarrini was born in Livorno, Italy in 1926. He was the son of a rich landowner and came from a good family with strong roots in Tuscany and the city of 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.
Giotto Bizzarrini graduated as an engineer in the University of Pisa in 1953. He taught briefly before joining Alfa Romeo in 1954. He worked for Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini, ISO and later built cars under his name. He also developed advanced designs for GM like the AMX Sciabola project, and as style and technical consultant for GM in Europe and USA, top Japanese motorcycle marques and well-known designers such as Pininfarina.
Today, he is still very busy, teaching and collaborating with the Roma University developing advanced projects and designing, building and developing his own sport cars. He often said: "I'm not a car designer, I am a worker".
In August 1954 he started as an engineer at the 'Servizio Esperimenze Principali', where worked with Ing. Nicolis. He was assigned to the development of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta chassis.
He left Alfa in 1957 and went to Ferrari. A legend says that Bizzarrini arrived at Maranello to an interview with Enzo Ferrari driving one of his specials, a Fiat 500 based sport car called The Machinetta, that still exists today. Ferrari was truly impressed by the little car, and Bizzarrini intermediately joined Ferrari, were 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 Ferrari 250 GT 2+2/GTE, the 3 litre Testarossa V12 engine, the Ferrari 250 TR or Testarossa and the Ferrari 250 GT 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 Ferrari 250, Bizzarrini worked hard to develop the chassis, engines and advanced dynamic solutions.
His masterpiece at Ferrari was the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. He was first involved with the 250 GTO project in 1960. Ferrari wanted a GT racer with better aerodynamics than the previous 250 GT SWB. The SWB was a great racer but with poor wind penetration coefficient. Jaguar had just launched the Jaguar E-Type and Ferrari need a top contender in the tracks.
Tests started secretly with a Ferrari 250 GT unit, bodied by Mario Boano, with chassis number #2643GT, Mr. 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. Experiments with SWB showed a great loss power due poor aerodynamics. Then Bizzarrini developed a small front surface and longer bonnet to improve speed and reduce front lift tendency at high speeds. Bizzarrini also moved the engine well back into the chassis to improve weight distribution and handling. He also lowered the engine, using a dry sump lubrication system. The result was the Ferrari 250 GTO, one of the greatest sport cars ever.
In 1962, when the GTO was launched, it was the ultimate in aerodynamics. Carroll Shelby 289 AC Shelby Cobra cars were a little faster on slow tracks, but the GTO achieved a superior top speed and dominated the GT class. When Shelby developed the Cobra Shelby Daytona (a car influenced by the GTO shape) it was too late to stop Ferrari victories. And then, Ferrari was ready to fight with the revolutionary Ferrari 250 LM, the first rear engined GT from Maranello.
In 1961, he was one of the "famous five" engineers who left Ferrari. This is known as the "Ferrari night of the Long Knieves" . It was caused because Ferrari wanted to reorganise the engineering staff. Bizzarrini left Ferrari and founded with the rest of ex-Ferrari engineers (Carlo Chiti, and others) ATS, Au 0!‚ 0!‚ 0!‚ 0!‚ 0!‚ 0!‚ /Bizzarrini" title="List of all wiki pages that link here [j]" accesskey="j">What links here
