A 1960s Italian coupe with a savage stance, powered by a big American V8, is about to go under the hammer. And not just any hammer: this is a one-off prototype, never released into production, that could reach as high as $500,000 — about €475,000 — at a highly anticipated auction.
Behind this story stands Bizzarrini, a small marque founded in 1964 and dissolved after only a few years and roughly 140 cars produced. The model at hand is a 1967 Bizzarrini GT America 2+2 prototype, unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in 1968 as a four-seater evolution of the 5300 GT. It will be offered on October 2 at the Audrain Auction hosted by Broad Arrow in Newport, Rhode Island, with an estimate ranging from $400,000 to $500,000 — about €380,000 to €475,000. It remains to be seen how far collectors will push to own this piece of automotive history.
A unique 1967 Bizzarrini GT America 2+2 prototype, born for the Turin Show
In appearance, this prototype looks as if it has just stepped off the Turin stand. Its aluminum body is finished in a sophisticated Champagne Metallic shade, highlighted by chrome bumpers, several metal details, and magnesium wheels. Noticeable cues include air intakes on the front fenders, retractable headlights, round taillights, and a four-exit exhaust, all hinting at the machine’s potential beneath the skin.
The cabin adopts a more restrained mood, featuring brown leather, a clean dashboard, a wood-rimmed steering wheel, and straightforward instrumentation. The car is equipped with power windows, a row of toggle switches, and a handhold for the front passenger. At the rear, two individual seats are separated by a broad central console; legroom appears modest but sufficient for children or short trips. A striking detail: despite its near six-decade age, the odometer shows roughly 5,452 km.
Broad Arrow Auctions: how much will this Bizzarrini GT America 2+2 fetch?
Under the long hood sits a Chevrolet 327 CID 5.4-liter V8, sourced from a Corvette, delivering around 355 horsepower to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox. The chassis is equipped with four-wheel disc brakes, independent front suspension, and a De Dion rear axle—an advanced, refined setup for the era. This blend of a robust American engine with precise Italian engineering was the hallmark of the 5300 GT Strada and GT America. The 2+2 prototype aimed to offer the same recipe to customers seeking a spacious four-seat grand tourer that didn’t sacrifice performance, in the spirit of the Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 or similar Maseratis from the period.
The car’s provenance matches its prototype status. Bizzarrini presented it at the Turin Show in 1968, and it is believed to have been sold incomplete in the early 1970s to Italian collector Mauro Chigiotti, following the brand’s financial troubles. The car later moved to South Africa, changing hands several times before returning to Italy for a complete restoration in 2008 by Reali in Livorno. It was at that moment that it was assigned the chassis number IGM0593VT, used for administrative identification. Imported to the United States in 2017, it now appears for the first time at public sale as the marquee lot of Broad Arrow during the Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week, held at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport.
On the market, the comparison is intriguing. The well-documented, high-quality restorations of the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada commonly fetch between $750,000 and $950,000 — roughly €710,000 to €900,000 — with some approaching the seven-figure mark near $1 million. Yet this singular prototype carries an estimate of only $400,000 to $500,000, or about €380,000 to €475,000. The 2+2 layout tends to attract fewer Bizzarrini enthusiasts than the two-seat, highly track-focused machines; the car was completed outside the factory, and its chassis number was late-stamped in 2008 based on ownership history and paperwork rather than an original factory stamp. These factors lead the auction house to set a cautious range, roughly $400,000–$500,000 (about €380,000–€475,000).
The auction marks a moment of renewed attention for the Bizzarrini name, coming on the heels of Giotto Bizzarrini’s passing in May 2023 at age 96 and the brand’s modern revival with a new model honorifically named “Giotto.” For this GT America 2+2 prototype, long obscured in the shadows, Newport’s sale acts as a rite of passage: a test of value at the intersection of rarity, storied history, and the late-stage prototype status of a car that reimagines a grand Italian GT with a Corvette-heart.
