Update on Amelia Island!

[R W Burgess]

I decided it was better to begin a new thread on this so the picture doesn't take so long to download.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <span style="font-weight: bold">Wayne, this creation is a 1969 Bizzarini, MANTA. If you look close you can see the "MANTA" RAY on the hood. I never saw one before this one. I have seen trophies like THAT one before... Did your wife explain the difference?</span> </div></div>

More info on the Manta Ray below.

Gentlemen:

Back on the AACA board there was a discussion of the Bizzarini Manta that appeared at Amelia in March. The text below was the history we wrote to display with the car. I thought you might find it interesting, although nowhere near as interesting as seeing the car in person...

Regards,

Mike Kulina

1969 BIZZARINI MANTA

Bizzarini opened for business in 1962, and completed their first prototype work, the Iso AC3 Grifo, in 1965. After severing relations with Iso, Bizzarini continued building a similar vehicle, the GT Strada 5300, mating exotic european coachwork with Chevrolet engines and transmissions. Bizzarini also produced competition cars, building four mid-engined P538 cars for the 1966 season.

Chassis 003 competed at the 24 Hours of Lemans, but subsequent rule changes excluded these cars from any future competition. This chassis became the basis for the initial project of ItalDesign, Giorgetto Giugiaro?s new design house, the Manta.

As often happens with one offs, restoration is a very tedius and difficult process. The Manta passed from collector to collector prior to it?s purchase by the Spindlers. They brought the car to Los Angeles restorer Rod Drew. And the rest is history?reborn.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Thanks Mike, It was and is a beautiful car.

Wayne </span>