circa 1959 - Lot 7

Lot n° 7

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Estimation :

40000 - 50000 EUR

Result with fees

Result : 33 000EUR

circa 1959 - Lot 7

circa 1959 LIUZZI Star Type : Runabout Length : 6,02 m Width : 1,92 m Number of seats : 3 Weight : approx. 1200 kg Current engine : Mercruiser Type : 8 cylinders in V Displacement : 5,7 l. Power : 350 hp. In his catalogs and advertisements of the 1950s, Frantz Liuzzi proposed nothing less than "the most luxurious, fastest and strongest sport runabouts in the world". It is worth mentioning that the sporting record of his boats, starting with his own at the wheel of his successive Rexes, and the ever-increasing social level of most of his customers gave him confidence in the achievement of his highest ambitions. The Star model was designed in 1956 by Liuzzi to receive the new 4.5 l. BPM Atlantic V6, then the 5.2 l. Super Atlantic, created by the Milanese engine manufacturer in the mid-1950s and of which the Parisian manufacturer was one of the most loyal customers. For both companies, it is a decisive rise in range and power. After the France-Craft with its rounded rear end, which had been the pride of the shipyard up to that point, the general lines of the Star also represented a major leap towards modernity under the influence of American automobile designers, who themselves guided the architects of the giant Chris-Craft. The "spoiler war" that raged between G.M. and Chrysler across the Atlantic did not fail to have repercussions in Europe, where sharp, chrome-plated appendages soon made their appearance at the leading lights of motorboat design, San Marco in Milan and Liuzzi in Paris. The Star is offered in two versions, aimed at competition enthusiasts who are still doing a lot to promote the shipyard: a 5.40 m version for possible entry into category III runabout or a 6.02 m version for entry into category IV, which would allow the fitting of an engine of more than 5.0 l., in this case the BPM Super Atlantic of 5.2 l. and 255 hp. Always in the spirit of competition/record, the only cockpit of the Star is located at the front. It has a single bench seat, but the luxurious treatment of its dashboard exceeds the expectations of the Federation's technical commissioners. Its rich instrumentation and generous chromes obviously recall all the comfort of a "beautiful American" on four wheels. At the time, as in a fashionable workshop, each Liuzzi was handcrafted in molded wood by a small team of craftsmen, with some variations inevitably occurring from one piece to another. It becomes, by nature, a unique piece. Nowadays, there are only a few left in sailing condition, about twenty of them, all models included. This 6.02 m Star is part of the last evolution of the model, which appeared in 1958 and can be homologated up to class IV. It sailed for several years on Lake Annecy from the turn of the 1960s where its performance and style did not go unnoticed and fed the regional chronicle. Handed over from the 1970s in an important shipyard in Annecy and without its engine, it was found by a collector in the mid-1990s before entering the collection of Jean Van Praet after its complete restoration in Normandy and the installation of a 5.7L V8 Mercruiser engine. This engine is considered to be the closest to the original one in terms of displacement, although significantly more powerful. With almost 100 hp more than the BPM Atlantic, the Mercruiser V8 can therefore claim to exploit the performance potential of a boat designed by Frantz Liuzzi to tackle the world record in its category, without betraying the American design style of the 1950s, dear to its creator.

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circa 1959 - Lot 7

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