Bizzarrini is finally building a stunning roadster Giugiaro drew 60 years ago
A beautiful idea that waited six decades for its moment
Some designs are simply too good to stay on paper forever. Back in 1962, a 23-year-old Giorgetto Giugiaro sketched an open-top version of the Bizzarrini 5300, and then, for more than 60 years, nothing happened. Now, at last, Bizzarrini is building it, and the 5300 Aperta Lusso looks every bit worth the wait.
A new dawn for a shelved masterpiece
Bizzarrini calls the project Una Nuova Alba, or A New Dawn, and it is fitting. The name Aperta Lusso simply means open-top luxury, and the car is exactly that: a targa-topped grand tourer whose shape Giugiaro drew while at Bertone, only for it to sit archived for over six decades as the original company chased Le Mans glory instead. Bizzarrini himself left Ferrari in 1961 and founded his own firm in 1964, so this is a design steeped in the golden age of Italian sports cars, finally realised.
Old-school V8, modern engineering
At its heart is a 5.3-litre front-mid-mounted naturally aspirated V8 with over 400 hp, driving the rear wheels through a Tremec five-speed manual, with a six-speed available for easier cruising. Top speed is beyond 280 km/h. There is no turbocharging, no hybrid assistance and no automatic option, just an honest, high-revving V8 and a stick shift, exactly as a car like this should be.
Vintage looks, cutting-edge underneath
The retro silhouette hides genuinely modern hardware. The body is a single-piece carbon-fibre composite, one of the largest of its kind, with aerospace-grade steel reinforcement in the transmission tunnel. There is double-wishbone suspension all round with Koni adjustable dampers, cast magnesium Campagnolo centre-lock wheels, Alcon front and Brembo rear brakes, an Inconel exhaust and electrohydraulic power steering. Two removable carbon roof panels and frameless drop-glass windows complete the targa design.
Ten cars, endless craftsmanship
Only ten will be built, each hand-assembled to the owner's taste, with deliveries starting in 2027. The cabin is a craftsman's playground: a single-piece European maple instrument panel with a hand-painted pinstripe, plus leather and Zegna fabric trim. The very first car, titled La Dolce Vita, was commissioned by an Italian owner wanting to disconnect from modern technology, and wears an Azzurro Gaia pale metallic blue with a gold fleck. Bizzarrini has not disclosed pricing, but a seven-figure sum is a safe bet.
AutoNext Take
We are suckers for a story like this, and the Aperta Lusso is close to perfect. A gorgeous Giugiaro design rescued from six decades in the archive, built around a naturally aspirated V8 and a manual gearbox, with an interior trimmed in maple and Zegna, is about as romantic as modern car-making gets. It taps into the same analogue, screen-free yearning as cars like the Automobili Mignatta Rina, and we love that a corner of the industry still caters to it.
Yes, only ten lucky people will ever own one, and yes, it will cost a fortune. But in an age of ever-heavier, ever-more-digital cars, there is something deeply reassuring about a beautiful Italian roadster built purely for the joy of driving. Sixty years late, and absolutely worth it.
