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Giotto Bizzarrini's Death Reminds Me of How Important It Is to Learn From the Masters

Anyone who says they love cars may be able to tell the name of thousands of models with just a glimpse. However, those who truly love these machines know the stories of the people who conceived them. They know that the cars are just a symbol of everything that led to their creation. For these folks, May 13 was a sad day: Giotto Bizzarrini stopped telling his stories for good. It is now up to us to tell them.
Giotto Bizzarrini with an A3C at Monza 75 photos
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Giotto Bizzarrini with a A3/C at MonzaIso Grifo A3/C Prototype1964 Iso-Bizzarrini Grifo A3/C1964 Iso-Bizzarrini Grifo A3/C1964 Iso-Bizzarrini Grifo A3/C InteriorBizzarrini 5300 GT StradaBizzarrini 5300 GT StradaBizzarrini 5300 GT StradaBizzarrini 5300 GT StradaBizzarrini 5300 GT StradaBizzarrini 5300 GT StradaBizzarrini 5300 GT StradaBizzarrini 5300 GT CorsaBizzarrini 5300 GT CorsaBizzarrini 5300 GT CorsaBizzarrini 5300 GT Strada Spyder PrototypeGiotto Bizzarrini and his thesis project, the Fiat 500 MachinettaFerrari 250 GTO (#3809GT) '1962Ferrari 250 GTO (#3809GT) '1962Ferrari 250 GTO InteriorFerrari 250 GTO EngineFerrari 250 GTO (#4757GT) '1963Ferrari 250 GTO (#3413GT) '1962Ferrari 250 GTOChassisFerrari 250 GTO (#3647GT) '1962Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"Jose Luiz Vieira and the car magazine he conceived, Motor 31930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum AuctionsA História do Automóvel (The Automobile's History), written by Jose Luiz Vieira
You will be able to read them in any outlet that cared to celebrate this man’s life. Even we have written about him in the past – more than once. What I propose here is to make this more personal. Try to imagine Bizzarrini was a relative, a grandfather, someone close that you admired. If they died, you’d tell their stories almost as a way to keep them alive – both in the memories of those who witnessed their lives or who would have loved to be there. In my case, Bizzarrini reminded me of José Luiz Vieira, one of my godfathers in automotive journalism.

Bizzarrini was born on June 6, 1926, in Quercianella, Italy. Vieira came to the world almost six years later, on January 31, 1932, in São Paulo, Brazil. Both men wanted to be engineers. The Italian master managed to go to the University of Piza, where he graduated in 1953. Brazil did not have an automotive engineering course, so Vieira had to move to the US. He graduated from Indiana Tech in 1957 and soon started working for Ford as a project engineer. He told me it was boring as hell, so he took the first chance he had to become a test driver. So did Bizzarrini.

Giotto Bizzarrini and his thesis project, the Fiat 500 Machinetta
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Italian engineer joined Alfa Romeo soon after graduating. His graduation project was an improved Fiat Topolino. Vieira did several such projects, but only so that he could enjoy them. One of them was a Chevrolet Chepala, a mix of a Chevrolet Chevette with a bigger, 3-liter engine of an Opala. He also created the Koyzyztraña (sounds like Weird Thing in Portuguese), a V8 buggy project for the coolest Brazilian car magazine ever: Motor 3.

At Alfa, Bizzarrini became famous for detecting issues and suggesting sound improvements for developing vehicles. Enzo Ferrari soon learned about him and hired the young talent in the same year Vieira officially became an automotive engineer. It was at Ferrari that Bizzarrini helped develop one of the most iconic cars of all time. Using the Ferrari 250 GT SWB (short wheelbase berlinetta, or berlinetta passo corto in Italian) as a base, Bizzarrini was the man in charge of developing the Ferrari 250 GTO.

Ferrari 250 GTO \(#4757GT\) '1963
Photo: Ferrari N.V.
One of its prototypes was so weird that they called it “Il Mostro” (the monster). Sadly, Bizzarrini did not finish the car: he was fired with several other Ferrari employees due to issues with Enzo’s wife, Laura, in October 1961. At the time, the engineers said that she was just interfering too much with their work. Enzo fired them under the accusation that they were trying to create their own carmaker. I have no idea if they liked the suggestion or if they were really wondering about that, but the irony is that Bizzarrini and Carlo Chiti really did that.

Soon after leaving Ferrari, Bizzarrini was hired by Count Giovanni Volpi to give his team a race car. Ferrari had also fought with Volpi and would not sell him a 250 GTO, which left him with no option but to buy a used 250 GT SWB – with the chassis number 2819GT. The idea was that Bizzarrini could help him turn the 250 GT SWB into a GTO beater. The result of the partnership was the Ferrari 250GT Drogo #2819GT, aka Breadvan. It took the Italian engineer only 14 days to deliver the car, which failed to beat the GTO because it lacked a five-speed transmission.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Breadvan"
Photo: Ferrari
Volpi possibly helped Chiti and Bizzarrini to found Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS), while Bizzarrini also created Società Autostar. Although he was friends with Chiti, their company did not last for long and they have never worked together again. Chiti died on July 7, 1994, after also doing a lot for the automotive world.

Autostar was a more successful endeavor. It created engines and cars, with notable examples of both. Among mills, the Lamborghini V12 lasted almost 50 years. It was fitted to the 350GT – Lamborghini’s very first car – and was only retired after the Murciélago’s production stopped. When it comes to vehicles, Autostar helped to create the Iso Rivolta IR 300 and the Iso Grifo.

1964 Iso\-Bizzarrini Grifo A3/C
Photo: FISKENS
The truth is that Bizzarrini wanted to create race cars, while Renzo Rivolta wanted to sell luxurious grand touring vehicles. That eventually led Bizzarrini to part ways with Iso and to create his own version of the Grifo A3C, called Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, which was followed by some other projects until it declared bankruptcy in 1969. The brand was acquired in 2020 and it planned a new car named after the original founder for 2023. Sadly, Giotto (the man) did not get to see Giotto (the machine) make its premiere.

As for Vieira, he drove Ford trucks before he was hired by Citroën and Mercedes-Benz as their development test driver. That means some of the vehicles you now love as classics from each of these brands have a touch of a certain Brazilian engineer that you have never heard about until now. Yet, Vieira is there. While he lived in several different countries, he also wrote to Brazilian newspapers and car magazines to share what he could see on American and European roads until he founded Motor 3 in 1980.

Jose Luiz Vieira and the car magazine he conceived, Motor 3
Photo: MIAU - MIAU - Museu da Imprensa Automotiva
He also used his talent to write to create titles like Techtalk and Carga & Transporte. Like all Bizzarrini’s companies, Motor 3 was eventually killed. It belonged to a Brazilian publishing house that decided to turn it into a more conventional car magazine. The reasoning was that it would win more readers and bigger advertisement revenues if it was just like all the other titles for sale. It did not last for long in that format.

Despite that, Vieira enjoyed praise throughout his life for having conceived Motor 3, a magazine that celebrated car culture even before we realized it existed. My godfather loved Duesenbergs and managed to drive one once, taking it to 124 miles (200 kph) in third gear and writing about it for the magazine.

1930 Duesenberg Model SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria for sale by Mecum Auctions
Photo: Mecum Auctions
More than the car themselves, Zé (as I called him) loved the stories they had. So much so that Vieira wrote a series of books called "A História do Automóvel" (The Automobile’s History). The funny story behind them is that he had a room full of documents that his wife, Vera, demanded him to organize. She also suggested he turned them into books. Zé did that and donated the documents to a Brazilian automotive engineering university.

I highly recommend you read all three books if you are able to speak Portuguese. Translating it to English would probably be a great idea. Zé would have done that if anyone was interested in publishing the books in English-speaking markets.

A História do Automóvel \(The Automobile's History\), written by Jose Luiz Vieira
Photo: Editora Alaude
As you can see, both Bizzarrini and Vieira led long and fruitful lives. How many people can live 96 years while still being able to say they have helped create some of the most iconic vehicles in the world? The Ferrari 250 GTO was the most expensive car for quite a while and it would not surprise me if one of them beats all previous records.

Vieira lived until he was 88 years old, which is definitely nothing to complain about. He died on May 19, 2020, six days later than Bizzarrini. At 86, he made sure to warn everyone on Facebook he was still on the road, writing for his magazines and websites and translating technical documents. Zé worked until the very end, which only sounds bad for those who do not love what they do. As he once wrote, enthusiasm is a privilege few manage to achieve. Bizzarrini definitely did that, just like Vieira.

Giotto Bizzarrini with a A3/C at Monza
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Unknown Author
The Italian engineer may remind you of someone special, just like he reminded me of one of my masters. Perhaps you can relate their stories as I was able to relate Vieira’s to Bizzarrini’s. Even if you have never connected the Italian engineer to some of the vehicles you cherish, give it a try. Cars are more than steel origamis: they are symbols of how far we can go and how much we can do when love is involved. As the Beatles sang, it is all we need.
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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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