This Bizzarrini P538S is a one‑off beauty

The car in question, adorned by that distinctive red crest with gold wings, is a Bizzarrini P538S. As is always the case with Giotto Bizzarrini envisioned pieces of automotive engineering, it’s very pretty. But more than that, we’re fairly confident this is the only race-ready example left anywhere in the world. 

In 1966, a struggling Bizzarrini still held ambitions of competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, so decided on launching a trio of rear-engined racers. Their P538 designation perfectly summarises their form. P for posteriore, or rear. 538 for the 5.3 litre Chevy-V8 engine. And S for spider. 

By this time, the company’s finances were already in trouble. So with a serious lack of investment and development, P538 #001, #002 and #003 were all destined to fall short. 

#001 was fitted with a Lamborghini V12 but crashed during testing. From here, #002 inherited usable parts but wasn’t ready in time to race. while #003 made use of #001’s backend by mounting a Chevrolet V8 in the engine bay. It raced at Le Mans in 1966, but sadly had to retire due to mechanical failure. Following this brief period, an unconfirmed number of extra cars arrived, again using borrowed original parts, including the one before us.

Intrigued to learn more about the curvy, low-profile racer in its gorgeous metallic blue Azzuro livery, we spoke to driver Will Nuthall, whose family company IN Racing Ltd is here looking after the car on behalf of owner ‘Chip’ Fudge.

“Chip only purchased it three months ago from a friend of ours. This is the only one left that’s running properly. Part of the reason why there aren't many of them is because they were built late on by Bizzarrini. The company was starting to fold, but still wanted to try Le Mans.” 

“They looked at the likes of the GT40 and others and wanted to use the same engines and gearboxes in their own cars. Whereas successful cars used monocoques and a tub, this is just a space frame with some fibreglass around it. So it's not very strong. It was a bit of a flop simply because there wasn't any investment.” 

“To race around here, you’ve got to have full confidence in the car. And despite the Chevy-V8 and ZF gearbox being a great package, everything around it is what needs work. They just didn’t have the time or money to develop it properly.” 

Talking to Will, it’s this lack of modern monocoque that added to some braking issues which seem to let the beautiful Bizzarrini down the most. With 500 horsepower, the car is pushing to around 150 mph this weekend. And even back at Le Mans in ‘66, the P538 was said to be one of the most impressive down the Mulsanne Straight. It’s what happens when you attempt to turn into an approaching apex where the problems really begin.

“It's got loads of power, but it certainly doesn't handle like a GT40 or a Lola T 70. Not because of a lack of setup time, it's simply inherent in the structure of the car. The chassis has got way too much flex. It feels like the front's not connected to the back, especially if you lift in the middle of the corner. You can feel the whole car twisting. In qualifying it felt like the stirring wasn't attached at times, but honestly, that had more to do with the slippery track. It was carnage out there.” 

Despite his struggles, Will is clearly thrilled to be sat behind the wheel of such a unique car this weekend. 

“We're driving it here to keep it safe for the owner and add variety to the Whitsun Trophy. Because it's a very, very beautiful car. People rarely get to see and enjoy them. It’s a privilege to look after it here. More than a race car, this is also road registered. So at the end of the day, we can always have an amazing drive to the pub!” 

Photography by Joe Harding