The Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa is a lightweight sports car that was built by the Italian automaker in the late 1960s in very limited numbers – just 12 were made in total and the car you’re looking here is the last one manufactured before the factory shut down.
The 1900 GT Europa was the smaller sibling to the larger Bizzarrini 5300 Strada, whereas its more sizable sibling was powered by a fire-breathing V8 the 1900 GT Europa was powered by a 1900cc Opel engine producing 110 bhp. This may not sound like much but the car weighs just 650 kgs (1,433 lbs).
Fast Facts – Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa
- Giotto Bizzarrini, a former engineer for Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, founded Bizzarrini S.p.A in Livorno, Italy in 1964. The goal of his new company was to develop high-performance sports cars, utilizing his extensive experience in the Italian automotive industry.
- Bizzarrini began designing the 1900 GT Europa, with the goal of creating a more accessible sports car that maintained the brand’s signature blend of style, luxury, and performance.
- The Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa was officially launched in 1966, receiving praise for its stunning aesthetics and well-engineered performance. Despite being overshadowed by its more powerful sibling, the 5300 GT, the 1900 GT Europa garnered a loyal following among sports car enthusiasts.
- Due to financial difficulties and limited resources, Bizzarrini produced only 12 examples of the 1900 GT Europa. The car’s rarity, combined with its impressive design, engineering, and heritage have contributed to its status as a highly sought-after collectible.
The Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa
Giotto Bizzarrini, the mastermind behind the Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa, was an accomplished engineer and designer. Before starting his own company, he worked for several prestigious Italian automakers, including Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Iso Rivolta.
This is the first page of the original Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa brochure, it lays out the technical specifications of the car and mentions the close relationship to the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada. Image courtesy of Bizzarrini S.p.A.
His work at these companies, particularly on the iconic Ferrari 250 GTO, laid the foundation for the Bizzarrini brand. In 1964, Bizzarrini founded his own company, Bizzarrini S.p.A., with the aim of producing high-performance sports cars that would rival the best from Ferrari.
The Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa was a significant milestone for the company, as it was their first affordable production model. It was a smaller, more attainable counterpart to the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada. The Europa was powered by a 1.9 liter Opel inline-four cylinder engine, which delivers a respectable 110 horsepower.
With a top speed of 128 mph and a 0-60 time of 10.5 seconds, the Europa offered drivers an exhilarating driving experience thanks in no small part to the impeccable engineering experience of Giotto Bizzarrini. The car was developed with independent front and rear suspension, a front-mid-mounted engine, four wheel disc brakes, a limited slip differential, an integral roll bar, and a well-balanced chassis that was more than a match for its competition in the late 1960s.
The curb weight of the car is remarkably low thanks to its lightweight racing-derived chassis and its fiberglass bodywork. The use of fiberglass instead of hand-formed aluminum allowed the car to be built faster and for a significantly lower cost, which in turn helped keep it competitive cost-wise with its rivals.
This brief bio about Giotto Bizzarrini doesn’t go into a whole lot of detail about just how important he is to the history of high-performance Italian cars. Without Bizzarrini we would have had no Ferrari 250 GTO and no Lamborghini V12 engine. Image courtesy of Bizzarrini S.p.A.
The 1900 GT Europa’s distinctive design was a collaboration between Giotto Bizzarrini and the talented young Italian designer, Pietro Vanni with ample influence taken from the Bizzarrini 5300 GT. The final body shape was honed in the wind tunnel at Pisa University in order to get it as aerodynamically efficient as possible.
The Europa was notable for its low-slung profile, aggressive lines, and a minimalist cockpit designed with racing in mind. Its distinctive design language captured the essence of Italian sports cars in the 1960s, embodying elegance, performance, and outright speed.
The Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa remains an exceedingly rare sports car, with only 12 production models built. This limited production run is due to several factors, including financial constraints and the company’s focus on the more powerful and prestigious 5300 GT Strada.
Consequently, the Europa has become a highly sought-after collector’s item, commanding high prices in the classic car market when they (rarely) come up for public sale.
The 1969 Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa Shown Here
The car you see here is believed to be the final factory-built example of the Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa model run. 12 cars were manufactured by the factory in total, however it’s believed that a small number of cars may have been completed after Bizzarrini shutdown using left over chassis, possibly bringing the total number to 17.
The Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa remains largely unknown due to the low number of cars that were made, but there can be no denying that it’s one of the most beautiful sports cars of its time.
This vehicle is finished in red over a black interior and it’s fitted with gold Campagnolo alloy wheels shod with Michelin tires at all four corners. A comprehensive restoration was undertaken in 2010 and the car has covered just 2,000 kms since this time, approximately 1,242 miles.
Unlike many of its siblings in the 1900 GT Europa model run, this car has been tuned by Conrero, as a result the 1.9 liter Opel engine now produces a claimed 200 bhp instead of the original 110 bhp, vastly improving the performance of the car.
According to the seller the engine was tuned by Conrero specifically for competition, however the car was never actually raced. As a result it’s also been set up with independently adjustable suspension on all four corners which will allow the new owner to have the car dialed in to suit their driving style.
This beautifully presented Bizzarrini is currently being offered for sale on Car & Classic out of the town of Jablonec nad Nisou in the Czech Republic in Central Europe. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Car & Classic
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Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
