Italian cars exude class and luxury that is exotic and unmatched by their counterparts globally. Some of the most beautiful cars in the world are made in Italy. And for this reason, these vehicles outsell and sometimes outperform other regional marques. These Italian cars benefit from the design emphasis and innovation from legendary design houses such as Pininfarina and Bertone and revolutionary auto designers like Franco Scaglione and Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Despite their superior aesthetics, Italian sports cars face stiff performance competition from American-made models. The US has delivered impressive performance ranges that create a lethal combination with top-tier Italian design. Although this article delves into the best all-Italian cars, a few examples have dared to incorporate American V8s.
8 All-Italian: Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
The 33 Stradale is one of Alfa Romeo's most impressive projects. The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale sports car was the fastest commercially exhibited car for the standing kilometer upon its debut in 1967. Alfa Romeo built only 18 examples of this beautiful model, making it one of the first and the rarest Italian sports cars ever.
In its neat exterior design, the 33 Stradale uniquely features dihedral doors popularly dubbed butterfly doors. The car also boasts 13-inch Campagnolo magnesium wheels, aluminum tubular chassis and body, twin headlights, front and rear wheel vents, and disc brakes. The 33 Stradale relies on an all-Italian 2.0-liter DOHC V8 that delivers 230 hp and 152 lb-ft peak torque.
7 Powered By American V8: De Tomaso Pantera
De Tomaso's ingenious idea for the Pantera design made it the marque's most popular unit, recording over 7,000 manufactured examples in its 20-year production run. The American Lincoln-Mercury dealers were integral to the De Tomaso Pantera's success, ringing in more than three-quarters of the sales.
Although the Pantera features Italian design from Ghia, De Tomaso's contract with Ford allowed them to fit an American engine under the hood. The 5.8-liter Ford Cleveland V8 engine in this vehicle churns out 330 hp and enough torque to reduce the need for excessive gear changing. De Tomaso stopped sourcing the Ford V8s after disengagement with the company in 1974.
6 All-Italian: Maserati Ghibli Spyder
The Ghibli always stands out with its shark-shaped nose, an iconic design drawn up by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro during his time at Ghia. The 2-seater grand tourer features leather front sport seats, pop-up headlights, and alloy wheels. Maserati fitted the Ghibli with a 4.6-liter DOHC V8 that delivers 306bhp and 290lb-ft maximum torque.
The Ghibli Spyder made its market appearance in 1969 with a convertible top that folded under the tonneau cover behind the car's front seats. Maserati also offered an optional detachable hardtop model. Despite its all-Italian roots, Maserati only produced 125 Ghibli Spyder units.
5 Powered By American V8: Bizzarrini Strada
Giotto Bizzarrini was a talented engineer, and the Bizzarrini Strada is considered his most successful model. Rocking a Giorgetto Giugiaro-inspired aluminum body with Bertone styling, the Bizzarrini Strada was impressive enough to manage 133 examples from 1964 to 1968.
Despite the design accolades, the Strada relied on a 5.4-liter 327 Chevrolet small-block engine for power. This American-sourced V8 produces 365 hp and 284 lb-ft maximum torque, allowing it to clear 0-60 mph in less than seven seconds. The Bizzarrini Strada features Dunlop four-wheel disc brakes, de Dion tube rear suspension, and a BorgWarner T-10 four-speed manual transmission.
4 All-Italian: Ferrari F40
The F40 is a historical model for Ferrari, considering it unveiled it to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The Ferrari F40 is on record as the final model that Enzo Ferrari personally approved. Despite the car's steep retail price estimated at $900k today, the F40 managed over 1,315 auto sales.
The Ferrari F40 is all-Italian with a Pininfarina body designed by Leonardo Fioravanti and Pietro Camardella. The car houses a high-revving 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged and intercooled V8 engine that offers 471 hp and 426 lb-ft maximum torque. Although mixed reviews haunt the F40's reception, it's still a model that appeals to numerous enthusiasts.
3 Powered By American V8: Pininfarina Rondine Corvette
Pininfarina turned many heads at the 1963 Paris Motor Show with their bold redesign of a bespoke Corvette C2 in a uniquely subtle and slim steel layout. Dubbed the Rondine, the Pininfarina Corvette is relatively heavier than the Corvette C2 since the original features a fiberglass body.
Due to its American origins, the Pininfarina Rondine Corvette has a naturally-aspirated 5.4-liter V8 and a four-speed manual transmission. The Rondine stylishly delivers a few intelligent solutions and elegant Italian minimalism with a practical touch of American performance. This blend makes you wonder how admirable a production series Pininfarina Rondine Corvette would have been at the time.
2 All-Italian: Lamborghini Miura
The Miura made a mark as the fastest Lamborghini model in 1966, a feat also accomplished by several predecessors. Despite its company origins, the designers conceived the Miura's profile contrary to Ferruccio Lamborghini's wishes. This all-Italian sports car impressed showgoers and motoring press during its appearance at the 1965 Turin Auto Show.
Lamborghini sold the flagship Miuras with a 3.9-liter Lamborghini V12, also fitted in the 400GT models. The Lamborghini Miura boasted Marcello Gandini's innovatively sleek style and revolutionary mid-engine design. This iconic model appeared in the opening sequence of the 1969 film, The Italian Job, making a convincing testament to its origins and roots.
1 Powered By American V8: Iso Grifo
Between 1965 and 1974, Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A attempted to compete with Maserati and Ferrari with the Iso Grifo model as a Grand Touring option. The Iso Grifo is aesthetically pleasing with Giorgetto Giugiaro styling and mechanically impressive, thanks to Giotto Bizzarrini. Despite its Italian-inspired designs, the Iso Grifo utilized American powertrains from Ford and Chevrolet.
Iso Grifo features four OHV V8 variants: a 5.4-liter Chevrolet 327, 5.8-liter Ford 351, 7.0-liter Chevrolet 427, and 7.4-liter Chevrolet 454. These America-sourced engines performed poorly at the Le Mans races, but the reputation did not cloud the sale of 413 examples.