Giorgetto Giugiaro may not be a household name, but his contributions to automotive history definitely are. In his early 20s, he sent the legendary Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta to the pantheon of contenders for the “most beautiful cars in the world” with his one-off, “twin-nostrilled” Competition Berlinetta Speciale variant. But it was Italdesign Giugiaro—the now-legendary design firm he founded in 1968—which birthed seminal models that would earn him the “Michelengo of Motoring” moniker in the Italian press. Among them are the Volkswagen Golf Mk1, Lotus Esprit, DeLorean DMC-12, Fiat Panda, Maserati Ghibli, and the BMW M1.
Shortly after Italdesign’s founding, Giugiaro began a friendly working relationship with Giotto Bizzarrini, a fellow ex-Ferrari employee who had worked on the 250 GTO—the most collectable car in the world—and would go on to create the Lamborghini V12 that, through evolutions, powered the Miura, Espada, Countach, Diablo, and Murciélago. His 5300 GT, an extremely small-volume model bearing the Bizzarrini badge and powered by a Chevrolet small-block V8, won its class at Le Mans in 1965 in its lightweight, Weber-carbureted Corsa racing trim.
Ab open-topped interpretation of the 5300 GT was always part of a plan that was shelved when Bizzarrini’s company shuttered in 1969—until now. Having been purchased by an independent investor in 2020, Bizzarrini is reviving the latent design in the form of the 5300 Aperta Lusso, engineered with modern materials, modern construction methods, subtly incorporated modern tech, and the veritable beauty of its original 1960s-era design.
Almost everything visible on the exterior is carbon fiber, including the gold-flecked blue body—incredibly, a single piece that Bizzarrini says is one of the largest continuous carbon bodies in the world—and the two roof panels, which are light enough to be removed and stowed in the luggage compartment by one person. To ensure perfect fit with the frameless glass windows, the entire sealing system was designed from scratch to be best in class. To ensure the roof panels’ removal didn’t compromise the car’s structural integrity, an in-house-designed steel reinforcement assembly was added to the transmission tunnel, which works in conjunction with a cross-body bar to increase torsional rigidity. Stopping power comes from ventilated discs all round, four-piston Alcon calipers front, two-piston Brembo calipers rear, none of which are triggered by-wire.
A 5.3-liter V8 very similar to the powerplant that helped the original 5300 GT win at Le Mans is optimally positioned entirely behind the front axle centerline, where it sends over 400 horsepower through either a five-speed or six-speed manual transmission—actuated by a short-throw gear lever. Port fuel injection replaces the famous Weber carbs, though Bizzarrini says the system has been carefully designed to resemble a carbureted engine. The valved exhaust is hand-fabricated in Inconel, a high-nickel alloy typically reserved for race engines. While looking exactly like an Italian GT from automotive design’s golden age, the 5300 Aperta Lusso will snarl to 175 mph—faster than anything from its era.
And the interior is every bit as beautiful as its shell. Again, classic Italian styling is blended with modern materials—the seats are trimmed in the finest leather; door panels in leather and fabric by luxury Italian fashion house Zegna; the instrument panel is sculpted from a single piece of wood; and the gear knob is crafted in Italian tortoiseshell inlaid with gold details to create the Bizzarrini logo—a reference to the favorite sunglasses of this car’s Italian commissioner. Air-con, premium frameless windows and modern weather sealing, an adjustable steering column, a MagSaf magnetic device charger, and sound system are discreetly integrated into the cockpit, ensuring the period feel of the car is retained.
Steering is rack and pinion, a significant advance on the original’s steering box, with electrohydraulic power assistance applied to the rack rather than the column to preserve feel. Calibrated to progressively reduce assistance above 40 mph, it delivers light, precise maneuverability at low speeds and proper road weighting on the open road.
Production is limited to 10 examples initially, each of which is personally commissioned. More slots may open in 2027—head to Bizzarrini’s website for more info.