Founded by the gifted engineer and former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari designer Giotto Bizzarrini, the car brand bearing his name made history primarily through its heavily motorized endurance race cars and their road-going derivatives. In the company's final chapter, however, the manufacturer turned to a more practical, family-friendly 2+2 concept. At the 1968 Turin Motor Show, the Italian marque presented a prototype named GT America 2+2, which was mechanically closely related to the 5300 GT, Bizzarrini's most famous model. On the stand, it was parked alongside the Bizzarrini Manta, which Giorgetto Giugiaro had designed for his newly established studio Italdesign.
Beneath the strikingly low hood lies the proven 5.4-liter Chevrolet Corvette V8, whose roughly 355 horsepower gives the touring coupe serious performance. The uniquely shaped pop-up headlights, paired with cooling vents that resemble a stern mouth, give the prototype the appearance of a samurai mask. The grand tourer never entered series production, likely for financial reasons, as Bizzarrini filed for bankruptcy in 1969. In October 1970, the unfinished GT America was sold as part of the liquidation assets to Bizzarrini enthusiast Mauro Chigiotti. Following stays in South Africa and Italy, the car found its way to the United States in 2017. Auction house Broad Arrow will put it up for sale on October 2 at the Audrain Auction in Newport, with an estimate of 400,000 to 500,000 dollars.
Newport, 2 Oct
