Through the haze of decades, the history of relatively obscure classic motor cars can get sketchified. Especially in the weird world of 1960s European sports cars powered by American V8s. This is where the highly-knowledgeable automotive historian sings for his supper, as it were.
Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe featured a delicious 1967 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, whose small-block 327 Chevy engine causes what professor sirbasilfawlty identifies as an opportunity to apply the scientific method. Or is that scientific madness?
Graverobber missed a bit of history on this car:
About 44 years after its introduction, the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada became known as the "Jalopnikus Paradox". According to the 4th Law of Quantum Jalopnics, no vehicle in which the propulsion charge has switched to SBC can increase in value nor desirability, even though at the same time achieving increased energy levels and higher durability. This law takes a much higher constraint factor when said vehicle is of Italian heritage, and is often the reference for other Jalopnic laws.The Bizzarrini problem is that as a SBC charged Italian it should have lower value and diminished predilection. However because there was no "switch" of the charge; that the vehicle is in its uncommon natural state, it commands a high value and desirability while at the same time exhibiting a rather low top velocity and suspect longevity. Therefore, it defies this 4th Law. Quantum Jalopnics researchers have been studying other examples of this paradox, but to date only a handful have been discovered.
Actually, we kind of agree.