Video Of The Day - Bruce Meyer's Bizzarrini A3/C

[Steve Holmes]

Brilliant little video here by Petrolicious featuring American classic car collector Bruce Meyer's magnificent Bizzarrini A3/C.

These cars are something of a desired taste. They were designed by Giotto Bizzarrini, who is best known as the designer behind the Ferrari 250 GT SWB and 250 GTO. Bizzarrini was a racer, and the A3/C was designed as an uncompromising GT car, built to compete against the Cobra, Ferrari 250 GTO, lightweight Jaguar E Type etc. Sadly, there weren't enough cars built for it to qualify as a GT, and it was therefore forced to race in the Prototype class. Fortunately, in todays historic racing scene, the A3/C races amongst the GT's, as per its original intention.

These cars are invariably referred to as Bizzarrini's, as I have done in the title of this thread. However, most of them were actually Iso's. Renzo Rivolta was a very successful businessman who made his fortune manufacturing refrigerators under his Iso brand, before expanding into motor scooters and small delivery vans, as were very popular in Italy during the 1950s and '60s. However, it was his dream to build his own GT car.

Rivolta and Bizzarrini teamed up in 1962 to produce the Iso A3/C GT racer, while Iso also went full-steam into producing a series of Chevrolet V8 powered road cars including the Grifo and Rivolta. It was only after Bizzarrini split with Iso in 1966 that he began producing the A3/C under his own name. By now, Rivolta could see the racing program as having little value, and scrapped any plans to try and produce the required 100 cars to homologate the A3/C as a GT.

Anyway, thanks to Bruce Dyer for making me aware of this neat video:

[ERC]

As you know Steve, I'm a huge fan of Iso's and Bizzarinis. Much as I love classic Ferraris, and Aston Martins, I have a soft spot for these cars and the Gordon Keeble - just because they are a little different, even if they do use an off the shelf powerplant.

[Steve Holmes]

As you know Steve, I'm a huge fan of Iso's and Bizzarinis. Much as I love classic Ferraris, and Aston Martins, I have a soft spot for these cars and the Gordon Keeble - just because they are a little different, even if they do use an off the shelf powerplant.

Me too Ray. I like the odd marriage of American V8 engine and Italian style. But I also like the TVR Griffith, Ginetta G10, Sunbeam Tiger, Facel Vega, etc. Perhaps its the fact these cars use an American lump makes them seem somehow more attainable than something like a Ferrari, even though they're all now commanding hefty prices, even the little TVRs.

[BMCBOY]

A 1965 Bizzarrini I found parked in the public carpark at Laguna Seca in 1982. Great looking car.