Rare Rides: The Bizzarrini BZ 2001, From 1991
Bizzarrini — a name which conjures images of, well, probably nothing for most people. In the Sixties, Bizzarrini was a short-lived auto manufacturer, but after the company’s demise, the name popped up once more in the early Nineties.
Let’s find out a little more about this one-of-one BZ 2001.
First, the brand. Established in 1964, Bizzarrini was founded by engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, who’d previously worked at Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Iso. Headquartered in Livorno, Italy, the company produced three notable models circa 1966: the 5300 Strada, the 1900 GT Europa, and the P538 S. Some were road cars for discerning customers, others were race cars that took part in events like the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
All of the company’s cars were very low-volume. The Strada numbered 133 examples, which made it entirely commonplace compared to the other two’s single- or double-digit production. Perhaps it’s not surprising that by 1969, the company was no more. After the brand went bust, Mr. Bizzarrini continued work on some existing ideas in the Seventies. He notably completed a few examples of a new model called the AMX/3, and a few more of the P538 S.
Cut forward a few years or 20, and in 1990 investor Barry Watkins phoned up Bizzarrini and asked if he’d be interested in designing a new supercar. Bizzarrini agreed, World SuperCars, Inc. was formed, and the project was officially underway. With an eye continually toward lightness, Bizzarrini designed a body composed entirely of carbon fiber. The sleek new design was sponsored by several different parts manufacturers who assisted in its engineering. Underneath, the BZ 2001 used the Ferrari Testarossa’s V12 engine and various other components.
Introduced circa 1993 at various auto shows, World SuperCars planned to sell each BZ 2001 for $250,000 ($450,925 adjusted). The ad’s rambling copy (linked below) attributes the BZ 2001’s failure to fading interest from the Indonesian conglomerate which eventually bought Lamborghini. Other factors might include the extreme pricing, or perhaps a failed test drive by Autoweek where the hood flew off. In any event, the BZ 2001 never progressed past a singular prototype.
Said prototype is for sale presently in Belgium at a price which is available upon request.
[Images: seller]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
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"Underneath, the BZ 2001 used the Ferrari Testarossa’s V12 engine and various other components." I thought the Ferrari Testarossa had a flat 12 engine.
Yeah, these cars are much more Mediterranean. I remember seeing a Bizzaririni Strada (Porsche orange) parked on the street in Nice in the late 60’s or thereabouts. Didn’t know they ever made anything more modern.