The Bizzarrini Manta is a concept car designed by Italdesign, which was presented to the public in 1968. The body designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in the so-called one-box style is considered to be groundbreaking for the design of later mid-engine sports cars. According to the manufacturer, the frame and chassis come from a Bizzarrini P538, the engine is a high-volume eight-cylinder Chevrolet.
The P 538-003 chassis used by Bizzarrini’s works team in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans was thus outdated and was up for sale. Giugiaro took over the chassis in the summer of 1968. In 45 days, the specialist Autocostruzioni S.D. the show car, which was not roadworthy at the time. Chassis is Bizzarrini PS38. Engine is 8-cylinder, 5300 ccm. Shown at Geneva International Motor Show 1968. 1st car of Italdesign.
Individual sources doubt that the P538 is the technical basis of the Manta. Some authors see significant technical differences between the P538 chassis and the operational Manta and therefore believe that the Manta cannot be based on the P538 chassis.
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Giugiaro only declared the car as a Bizzarrini in order to have a catchy name for his first show car. On the other hand, Giugiaro explicitly confirmed in 2008 that the Manta was based on a P538 chassis.He pointed out that the Manta was not made roadworthy until decades after it was first shown. Technical deviations could therefore also be due to this work.
