Hampton Court Palace

AMY SHORE PHOTOGRAPHY

HAMPTON COURT Palace is the perfect venue to celebrate automotive history – after all, with King Henry VIII as one of its former inhabitants, its walls have witnessed as much drama as any iconic motor race.

The first Tudor palace was built by Cardinal Wolsey in the early 1500s, but Henry VIII claimed it for himself, impressed by its ambitious design and lavish flourishes. All six of Henry’s wives lived here, and the Palace would be the location for many extravagant banquets and important court appointments during his eventful reign.

Royalty would be hosted at Hampton Court Palace for many years, but its influence on culture is wider. Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth were first performed in the palace’s Great Hall for King James I in 1603, while the 1604 Hampton Court Conference would instigate the first publication of the King James Bible. With the passage of time, the palace evolved further. Charles II had the Long Water constructed in the late 1600s for his honeymoon, while in 1689 William III and Mary II oversaw the new Sir Christopher Wrendesigned Baroque addition to the palace. William and Mary were also responsible for the palace’s stunning gardens.

George I decided to undertake a number of additions to the palace, beginning in 1714. This was continued by his son George II in 1727. However by 1737, the building and its grounds had fallen out of favour and Hampton Court was no longer used as a Royal Palace.

It did, however, have a new lease of life as an incredible tourist destination, when its gates were opened to the public in 1838.

The demand was such that by 1881 Hampton Court Palace had welcomed more than ten million visitors, helping it to become the internationally renowned destination it is today.

What’s in a name? If it happens to be Bizzarrini then the answer is one of the most mythical marques in automotive history. Thanks to Pegasus Brands it’s a name with renewed relevance and a story with a thrilling plot twist: the return and rebirth of Bizzarrini.

To appreciate the marque you have to understand the man who’s name it bears. As one of the founding fathers of the Italian supercar, Giotto Bizzarrini’s brilliant mind shaped some of the true greats. From development of the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO to designing the magnifi cent V12 engine that would power an iconic series of 12-cylinder Lamborghinis from 350GT to Muciélago.

An instinctive engineer with a passion for racing, he loved to innovate in the pursuit of pace. His work refl ected this, with a pioneering approach that was prescient of principles which have since become the bedrock of modern supercar and race car design. His use of advanced materials and appreciation of low-drag aerodynamics shaped the unmistakable look of his cars. Likewise, the quest for a low centre of gravity and low polar moment of inertia defi ned their dazzling dynamics.

Fittingly, of all his creations the one acknowledged as his masterpiece was the fi rst to bear his name: the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa. Continuing where he had fi nished with the Ferrari 250 GTO, it was the master’s opportunity to evolve his concept into the ultimate front-mid-engined GT racer.

The result was a design so advanced it put its rivals to shame. With a wind-cheating body designed by Giugiaro, refi ned by Drogo and moulded from then state-of-the-art glassfi bre, fully independent suspension at each corner and a powerful, low-slung V8 engine mounted way back in the chassis, the 5300GT Corsa was an extreme expression of engineering genius.

His decision to use a small-block V8 instead of a home-grown V12 might have surprised some, but Bizzarrini knew the American powerplant was perfect for his application. Compact, less complex, blessed with tremendous torque and, in his opinion, superior response to Ferrari’s V12, it gave him the freedom to push his front-mid-engine concept to the limit.

The 5300 GT Corsa’s fi nest hour – its fi nest 24 hours, actually – was at Le Mans in 1965, when French drivers, Régis Fraissinet and Jean de Mortemart drove to a sensational win in the over 5-litre class. As if to underline this stellar feat of endurance, Bizzarrini himself triumphantly drove the victorious car back from Le Mans to Livorno in northern Italy.

It is that very car – chassis 0222 – which the revitalised Bizzarrini marque is honouring with no more than 24 examples of the 5300 GT Corsa Revival 24/65 – a limited series continuation car built to celebrate an extraordinary car and one of the most admired and enigmatic Italian car makers in automotive history.

What do owners of the 5300 GT Corsa Revival 24/65 have to look forward to? A time warp creation crafted with forensic engineering. A car that’s utterly authentic and jaw-droppingly gorgeous, with scintillating curves, waist-high roofl ine and a rakish rear screen melding to create a shape quite unlike any other car from the period. Details authentic only to the Le Manswinner add to the magic. The cockpit is equally period-perfect. Quilted black leather wraps the broad transmission tunnel. Instruments are deployed in eccentric original fashion; temperature and pressure gauges set immediately ahead of you, while the tacho is set to one side in tacit acknowledgment that drivers will soon learn to judge the pounding Chevrolet V8’s rpm by ear alone.

With the engine mounted so far back the driver is positioned closer to the rear axle than the front. It is an evocative place to sit. Especially when you start the engine and become immersed in the chatter of the transmission, thrash of engine pulleys and snorting of hungry 45 DCOE Weber carburettors. It’s a view and soundtrack straight from 1965.

The inherent rightness of Bizzarrini’s design shines in every move the 5300 GT Corsa Revival makes. Precise corner weighting – which sees 25% of the car’s mass sit evenly on each wheel – ensures ideal balance and consistent handling, while a 1250kg kerbweight means this potent machine (with power outputs ranging from 400-480bhp depending on customer specifi cation) pulses with performance to shame many a contemporary sports car.

Given the 5300 GT Corsa’s origins, it was vital that the Revival 24/65 could be built and specifi ed to comply with FIA’s stringent period-specifi c Appendix K historic racing regulations. Such accuracy and authenticity are paramount, hence the only deviation from the original blueprints are in the name of safety, with the integration of a modern roll-cage and safety fuel cell.

These additions are common to all 24 cars, along with a light, strong and perfectly detailed one-piece carbon fi bre body. Use of this modern material is a small departure from the original specifi cation, but true to Bizzarrini’s ethos as he would have unquestionably used the same had it been available in the 1960s. For those who intend to go racing, an alternative glassfi bre bodywork option can be specifi ed where required by regulation.

A celebration of Giotto Bizzarrini’s brilliance, the 5300 GT Corsa Revival 24/65 is also a beacon. One to guide the revitalised Bizzarrini marque on its journey to inspire a fresh generation of enthusiasts and collectors, and in shaping future cars that respect and reimagine the passion and performance for which Bizzarrini has long been synonymous.

For more information please contact us: sales@bizzarrini.com www.bizzarrini.com