The Racing Dynasties

There was a time when racing was a really expensive hobby that only a few could afford…

Wait, that is still the case today, so, let me start over.

 

There was a time when there weren’t that many sponsors and racing was a hobby that only few could afford, that, or you had to get a bank loan (I’m talking to you Niki Lauda) or find rich people that was willing to give you money just because of the love of the sport (I’m talking to you James Hunt), racing was not a business, racing was a passion.

Those were the times when people like Enzo Ferrari, Bruce McLaren or Carroll Shelby came to be, people that fuel their V8 shaped hearts with dreams, and pushed their passion flat out until they created the racing dynasties we know today.

There were others of course, and some of them might have not created a team that was able to withstand the lunges of time, but they were incredible, and passionate nonetheless, and they also gave everything to build a car, capable of making everyone else eat their dust.

 

An unsung hero

One of these others, was Giotto Bizzarrini, who worked as a Ferrari Chief engineer and was also part of Alfa Romeo and Iso for some time. After these stages in his life, and due to unexpected circumstances with Ferrari, he decided to go solo.

If you have never heard of Bizzarrini, you are not alone, he was one of the behind-the-scenes heroes of the auto industry, a humble man who helped define the Italian supercar, then took on the world’s greatest race.

The 5300 GT, or model "222" is the most successful Bizzarrini of all, their highlight came in 1965 when they won the 5000cc class in the 24hrs of Le Mans and finished 9^th overall.

Chevrolet-engined Bizzarrini A3 Grifo of Pierre Noblet and Edgar Berney taken from https://sportscardigest.com/

Unfortunately, this visionary engineer was not a savvy business man and his company went bankrupt in 1969. There have been some attempts to revive the brand over the years, which brings us to their current owner, Pegasus Brands (owned by Kuwaiti national Rezam Mohamed Al Roumi) and their plans to celebrate the past before looking to the future. Enter the 5300 GT Corsa Revival.

Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival taken from https://robbreport.com/motors/cars

Matchbox efforts

We should applaud with enthusiasm, the fact that Matchbox did their homework and decided to release this model for the first time in 2024.

Which is none other than a model reimagined from the classic race car that won its class all those years ago.

Matchbox put this monster under their Moving Parts batch and they brought it to us with an opening hood, showing a V8 engine that represents the Chevrolet small block the car had at the time. 

 

The Corsa Revival comes with a red racing livery and the number 3, just like the latest model has been presented, this is no doubt a wink to the time when red was the color the Italian cars had to use during international competitions.

 

The influence of the design of that era is clear, as the 5300 GT shares some similarities with the Ferrari 250 LM, no surprise there, considering the fact that Bizzarrini worked in the development of that car, but is easy to see the resemblance with other cars of the time, like the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe.

Defined by its voluptuous curves contrast with flat sides and an abrupt Kamm derriere, all designed with high-speed aerodynamics in mind.

The wheels have a gold lip, that combines perfectly with the engine details and with the tone of red they are using for the livery.

 

Matchbox added full detail on their decals in the back and in the front; and their quality control seems to be on point.

 

So, why is this little, barely known boy making it to the top spot this month?

Well, I choose this one not only because of the execution from Matchbox when producing it (which is impeccable), but also because they are taking the time to bring the revival of a true racing heritage piece from the 60s to us.

Go look for it, get it for your collection, the love the designer did put on this is palpable (both, the real car and the model), and just like in the times when racing was not a business, this baby will make you feel the passion.