The 5300 Aperta Lusso is a lost 1960s Italian supercar brought back to life

Welcome to the prettiest new car you’ll see for a while. It’s called the Bizzarrini 5300 Aperta Lusso, and as you can see, there’s nothing really 'new' about it.

Chiefly because it was originally a 1960s concept imagined by Giotto Bizzarrini and Giorgetto Giugiaro – two lightly talented Italians – as an answer to the potentially controversial question ‘what if Bizzarrini 5300 GT but open?’.

Now that Bizzarrini’s back and itself reopen for business – and ahead of its ‘Giotto Hyper GT’ – it delved into the archives to bring back this masterstroke for a run of 10 very special cars.

And in an age of car design summed up by that Jeff Goldblum quote from Jurassic Park – ‘could’, ‘should’, etc – there’s never been a better time to resurrect one of the most beautiful objects to have emerged from human hands.

Take a moment to drink it all in. Amazingly, that 1960s body is a single piece of carbon fibre composite, attached to a semi-monocoque bonded chassis that carries bespoke steel reinforcements to compensate for the ‘but open’ bit of the 5300’s new brief.

You’ll notice that rather than a folding roof, or fabric topper, this 5300 Aperta Lusso comes with a pair of carbon fibre roof panels, “light enough to be removed and stowed in the luggage compartment by one person”.

All the better to hear that 5.3-litre front-mid V8 – “the same proven small block unit Giotto Bizzarrini selected in the 1960s” – developing more than 400 no doubt immaculately groomed horsies, able to charm that five-speed ‘box, limited slip diff and rear wheels to the tune of 175mph. You can opt for a manual six-speeder, if you wish.

There are, however, some sops to the modern world. The 5.3-litre’s Webers have given way to port fuel injection, but even then it’s been made to look like the old carbs are present. A new Inconel exhaust is also fitted. There are adjustable Koni ‘red’ dampers (though valved specifically for this car), ventilated brakes (though unservoed), and a rack and pinion steering setup.

Actually there’s more gaudy modernity thrown into the mix. Modernity like: air conditioning. Gah! Modern weather sealing. Yuck! An adjustable steering column. Bleurgh! Even MagSafe charging and a better stereo have been added. The cheek!

We jest, obviously. It’s a classically finished cabin, replete with materials chosen in collaboration with Italian fashion brand Zegna, and includes much leather, wood, and gold detailing. “The Aperta Lusso was conceived with hidden convenience,” we’re told. “Almost every part is reengineered, but at a glance it looks like it could have just driven out of Giotto’s factory six decades ago”.

And now, six decades later, just 10 will be built by Bizzarrini to each owner’s individual spec: this first one’s called ‘La Dolce Vita’ (bit on the nose, granted), built to “disconnect from the frantic pace of modern life” and whisk its owner away for a spirited, old-fashioned drive to the Italian coast.