Bizzarrini Manta 1968: a masterpiece of Italian wedge-shaped car design (14 photos + 1 video)
The history of automobiles is full of crazy research that first inspired, and then disappeared. Look at the Italian triple a car that brought a completely new style to car design. 
By the early 1960s, more than two dozen firms engaged in design and small-scale production cars. Among them were famous names - this is Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Lancia, De Tomaso, etc. However, there were still a dozen smaller companies, practically unknown to the general public. Take at least the firm Bizzarrini, which in 1968 created a unique wedge-shaped sports car - Bizzarrini Manta.
Giotto Bizzarini 
The future founder of Bizzarrini Spa, Giotto Bizzarini, began his working career in 1954 as an engineer and part-time driver tester at Alfa Romeo. Having accumulated rich experience, three years later he went to work for Ferrari. There he participated in the creation of the Ferrari 250, Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, and the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO. Soon, the difficult nature and working conditions forced Bizzarini to leave Ferrari and found his own company - Societa Autostar (since 1966 Bizzarrini SpA). 
Societa Autostar specialists provided various engineering services, in particular they developed a 12-cylinder engine for Lamborghini 350 GT. This motor is unique in that, having passed a series of upgrades is still being produced! In addition, together with by Iso Autoveicoli, Autostar engineers built a rear-wheel drive coupe GT class - Iso Rivolta IR 300. Styling of this car was carried out by a little-known designer from Bertone at that time - Giorgetto Giugiaro, and Giotto Bizzarini himself was responsible for the mechanics.
Iso Rivolta IR 300 
The car was built on the basis of American components - in In particular, a Chevrolet 327 small-block V8 with 300 hp was used. and 4-speed Borg-Warner manual transmissions. Body and the chassis was original - the suspension of all wheels is independent, disc brakes. Rivolta was assembled by hand and had a very high build quality and luxurious interior design.
In 1963, Bizzarini began designing the Iso Grand Tourer. Grifo with a new body and boosted to 350 hp engine. However, to at that time, the relationship between the head of Iso - Renzo Rivolta and Giotto The Bizzarini have gone bad. As a result, dividing the intellectual property, the companies ceased cooperation.
Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada 
Based on the developments on Iso Grifo, in 1965 Bizzarini built own car - Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada. He attracted to the design old acquaintance - Giorgetto Giugiaro, and the original design of Grifo left virtually unchanged. What can not be said about the lightweight body, created from scratch, which was based on a spatial frame with aluminum body panels. The car came out incredibly elegant, in terms of technical and aesthetic properties not inferior to those of that time Lamborghini and Ferrari.
Bizzarrini P538 
Giotto Bizzarini loved car racing with all his heart and since ancient times dreamed of wiping Enzo Ferrari's nose. In 1965 he set out to build the ultimate sports car capable of fighting on equal terms with eminent competitors in 24 Le Mans races. At the end of 1965, just six months later after the start of work, the first prototype was built - Bizzarrini P538. AT unlike its predecessors, the car received a mid-engine layout with a longitudinally located engine and a drive to the rear axis. 
An American engine was used as a power unit. Chevrolet 327 5.4 L and 5-speed manual transmission ZF. Four Weber 45 carburetors provide maximum engine power at 355 hp All this looked very promising, given that the P538 received an open fiberglass body on a tubular frame. Chassis also featured a very progressive design: front and rear there were independent suspensions on double wishbones and screw springs. The brakes of all wheels were disc, rack and pinion steering. Bizzarrini P538 had a high weight perfection - its mass is not exceeded 950 kg. As a result, from 0-100 km / h autocar was accelerating in just 5.2 seconds, and its maximum speed reached 280 km / h. By In those days it was a real hypercar!
Engine compartment P538. Pay attention to the brake mechanisms taken out of the wheels 
On the P538, Bizzarini made a huge bet. He invested in this car last money hoping to win the prestigious Le Mans race. To Unfortunately, these hopes did not materialize. At the first start there was a technical descent after the breakdown of the cooling system. Team began preparing for the next season, but in 1967 the regulations the competition was changed - banning the participation of cars with an engine capacity of more than 5 liters. In fact, this was the end of the Bizzarini firm, since there was no money to build a new car.
This is how Giorgetto Giugiaro imagined his future masterpiece. Early sketch of Bizzarrini Manta 
Meanwhile, Giorgetto Giugiaro decided to leave Bertone and found own business. In 1968, in Turin, Italy, he registered ItalDesign company. At the top of automotive fashion then were such design patriarchs like Pininfarina, Ghia and Bertone. Therefore Giugiaro a high-profile premiere was required that could outshine eminent competitors. It was up to the small, to find a high-end platform and create on it based racing car. 
Giugiaro knew about the problems of his friend, so he offered to build on based on the Bizzarrini P538 chassis a new car and present it at upcoming auto show in Milan. In case the car succeeds sell, profit divided in half. On this they decided.
In record time, in just 40 days, Giorgetto Giugiaro built a new car in a unique wedge-shaped design - Bizzarrini Manta. Unique is not just a figure of speech. It was then, in 1968 year, there was another turning point in automotive design. For changing classic rounded shapes, a new style has come with solid flat edges and sharp corners.
The body of the Manta was made of aluminum 
Manta received a one-volume (!) two-door body with a lowered silhouette and huge windshield. The absence of a motor in the front allowed radically sharpen the front of the car, giving it a shape close to flat wedge. The slope of the windshield reached 15 °, which is somewhat made it difficult to see. To solve this problem on the front facade of Giugiaro cut through three horizontal slots - loopholes. Futuristic image completed by half-covered headlights, "gills" on the hood and chrome lining on the thresholds.
The car was produced in a single copy and originally had a turquoise color. 
The layout of the cabin was made in an unusual way. Bizzarrini Manta was triple, and all the seats were located in one row with driving in the center. Control devices spread out on both sides from the steering column, and the switches and gear lever were on the right side of the floor. How convenient was it in terms of Ergonomics is a moot point, but it looked impressive. In general, some Salon Bizzarrini Manta did not provide for any special frills. What could count the driver, so it's on sports leather seats and front panel trimmed with soft suede.
In the hands of private collectors Manta repeatedly repainted. In 1988 it was painted silver, and in 2005 year returned the original - turquoise 
Bizzarrini Manta debuted at the 1968 Turin Motor Show came out stunning. The car instantly received public recognition and led the young firm ItalDesign to the camp of the design studios of the first echelon. Orders rained down on Giugiaro's company, and Manta went to tour of various world car dealerships. Where soon it was bought by one of collectors. 
Meanwhile, the Bizzarrini Manta is not the first car with a wedge-shaped design, a month before its premiere, Nuccio Bertone introduced Alfa Romeo Carabo, and a year earlier, the Lamborghini Marzal was born. But this it doesn't matter, what matters is that these cars have ushered in a beautiful new era automotive design.
As for the company Bizzarrini, unfortunately it failed to overcome the consequences of the crisis, even despite the successful sale exclusive concept car. In 1969, Giotto Bizzarini closed his company.
