Giotto Bizzarrini may not have the same ring in our imagination and consciousness as Enzo Ferrari and Ferruccio Lamborghini, but the Italian engineer from the Livorno Province left his mark on quite a number of cars, automakers, as well as the automotive industry. For starters, Mr. B was assigned by Alfa Romeo to develop the chassis of the Giulietta.
During his stint with Ferrari, Bizzarrini had the last word in the development of V12 classics that include the GTO, Testa Rossa, and a few other grand tourers from the 250 family. After Maranello, Mr. B headed to Sant’Agata Bolognese to develop the V12 engine that Lamborghini used in pretty much every V12 flagship from the 350 GT to the Murcielago in 2011.
When all was said and done, Bizzarrini wanted to make cars of his own desire and design. Founded in 1964 and folded in 1969, the automaker that bore Giotto’s name made some of the most sought-after road cars and racing cars of the era, including the Chevrolet V8-engined P538.
It’s not known how many P538s were produced, but all parties agree that fewer than 10 are known to exist. Chassis number 003 has resurfaced after 32 years of storage thanks to AMMO NYC, a company that specializes in detailing pretty much everything – both old and new – in great detail.
Larry from AMMO NYC was tasked with getting P538 #003 all clean and shiny after more than three decades of neglect, and right before the detailing video gets to the detailing part, we’re told that the owner of this Bizzarrini also owns chassis 004. The garage where the detailing is done boggles the mind, making men grow weak in the knees thanks to the sheer number of exotics stored there. Highlights include a 288 GTO, a GT40, and a GM Aurora.
The owner didn’t want his identity to be revealed, nor allowed Larry to reveal the location of his three-building garage. These cars are heading to auction, including the P538 we’ve talked about in the previous two paragraphs.
Actually referred to as P538/400/003, this particular example of the breed still features the original small-block V8 and five-speed manual.
Having said these, press play to see how hard and meticulous Larry has to be with the detailing of this Italian masterpiece that is estimated to fetch somewhere between 750 large ones and $1 million at auction.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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