Who is Giotto Bizzarrini?

Don't know lots about Bizzarrini but he definitely built some cars under his own name in the '60s powered by Chevrolet engines. Check out http://www.qv500.com/indexbizzarrini.htm and related pages for some history - he was also involved somehow with the Iso Grifo, I think.

Cheers
Kevin

 

Here is some information about Bizzarrini quoted from the web (typos and all) :

Ing. Giotto Bizzarrini was the responsible of the creation and development of a bunch of the most obscure but greatest sport and race cars.

Mr. Giotto Bizzarrini was born in Livorno, Italy. He was an engineer, graduate of the University of Pisa. He was teaching for a brief period before he joined Alfa Romeo. He worked for Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Iso and later he build 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.

He left Alfa in 1957 and he went to Ferrari.

He worked five years at Ferrari as chief engineer. He also worked as developer and designer. The Ferrari 250 GT 2+2, the 3 litre Testarossa engine and the 250 GT SWB were well influenced by his ideas and technical solutions.

His masterpiece at Ferrari was the GTO. He was involved with the 250 GTO project in 1960 . Ferrari wanted a GT racer with better aerodynamics than the previous 250 GT SWB. 250 GT was a great racer but with poor wind penetration coeficient.

Tests started with a 250 GT SWB This car tested technical solutions later seen in 250 GTO. This car was known as 250 "Experimentale" and still survives.

Experiments gave the evidence of great loss of power due poor aerodynamics. Small front surface and longer bonnet improve speed and reduce front lift tendency at high speeds. Bizzarrini also moved the engine back into the chassis to improve weight and handling. The result was the Ferrari 250 GTO, one of the greatest sport cars ever and a super winner.

Ferrari 250 GTO - In 1962, when GTO was launched, it was the ultimate in aerodynamics. Carrol Shelby's 427 AC Cobras where a little faster on slow tracks, but GTO achieved a superior top speed and dominate the GT class.

When Shelby developed Cobra Daytona (obviously influenced by 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 of Maranello.

In 1961, he was one of the "famous five" engineers who left Ferrari. It was because Ferrari wanted to reorder their engineering.

 

There is a book available on the subject. "Bizzarrini: The Man, His Projects and His Cars." Also subtitled "The Genius behind Ferrari's Success." ISBN 9952-8002-0-7

 

As mentioned above, Mr. Bizzarrini was an automotive engineer. And a good one too! After he worked for Ferrari he had his own cars made for a couple of years, the Bizzarrini Strada. I believe they were powered by Chevy engines.
The 250 GTO was designed in house by the Scuderia itself and is one of the few Ferraris not designed by PF.

 

I believe Richard Merritt has gotten out of Ferraris and owns a couple of 'Bizzas' - how many were made? 23?