This feature is a first for the triad of VeloceToday.com, Coachbuild.com and SportsCarDigest.com.We all had input to this article and feature this article in our respective websites at the same time.
The recent and regrettable passing of Elio Zagato caused us to query a variety of noted car enthusiasts to tell us what is their favorite Zagato bodied car. Sounds easy, right?
Very few of the respondents could claim just one favorite. “Well, it might be the 6C1500 Alfa, but then again maybe the DB4GT, or wait, I forgot about those lovely Maserati Zagatos.” And so it went. It seems that there are so many interesting, unique, and/or beautiful Zagato designs that it is very hard to chose just one.
At the same time, although we tried to avoid it, several enthusiasts chose the same car–the Ferrari Zagatos. And with good reason, as it they be the most clearly stated Zagato effort of all –aggressive, beautiful, sculpted with great art, and of course light and very, very fast.
Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato
Ercole Spada, Zagato designer
“My favorite Zagato model is the Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato. That car might have been too modern for its days, and even in the late eighties the concept was copied by other manufacturers, take the Honda CRX for example.”
Karl Ludvigsen, historian, librarian, author
“I am completely and utterly nuts, nuts, nuts and just comprehensively nuts about the Alfa Junior Zagato. It was first shown at Turin in November of 1969 in 1300 cc form and then upgraded to 1600 cc a couple of year later. Zagato did a wonderful job on this car with its body pared to the minimum and chock full of fascinating details. It’s magnificent. I borrowed one from Alfa on a trip to Italy and found it an absolute hoot. Light, lively and a dream to handle, it is the quintessential sports car.”
Credit Ludvigsen Library
Ferrari 250GT Zagato
Simon Moore, author of “The Immortal Alfa Romeo 2.9”
“The Ferrari 250GT “double bubble” chassis number 0515.”
David Sydorick, collector
“From personal experience, I can certainly second Simon Moore’s choice of the Zagato Ferrari 250GT Zagato, s/n 0515.”
Ferrari 250GT Zagato
Michiel van den Brink, designer, editor for Coachbuild.com
“I go for the Ferrari 250 GT with chassis number 0537GT. Sydorick’s example #0515GT proves that Zagatos are very suitable for both Concours d’Élegance and racing and while #0537GT is practically identical to #0515GT, she’s more purpose built for racing and has some more refined details like the radiator. The fact that this car raced her first race in nothing but primer adds to the story.”
1952 OSCA V12 Coupe Zagato .
Brandes Elitch, contributor, VeloceToday
“I went back to my 2 volume set on Zagato, published by Giorgio Nada in 1989. Volume I, by Michele Marchiano, and while it is a fool’s errand to choose the most desirable car, one did stand out, one I never noticed before. On page 102, there are 2 photos of a 1952 Osca V-12 coupe. The car has an Osca V12 engine of 4500 cc displacement. This car is breathtaking, period.”
Ferrari Tipo 166 Zagato
Michael T. Lynch, author, historian
“A Zagato coupe on a Ferrari 166 chassis that was later rebodied. This is obviously a more sophisticated version of Zagato’s aerodynamica or panoramica coupes on Fiat chassis. Front 3/4 is a little ungainly, but that rear shot just makes you want to pat it on the ass, like that Radcliffe College girlfriend in the 50s. Posed with car is Stagnoli, the owner who enjoyed so much success with Ferrari Gran Turismo coupes in the 50s, before there was a GT class.”
Bandini Zagato GTV
Pete Vack, VeloceToday editor, author
“It may be the most perfectly proportioned and beatiful small car in the world.”
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Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ
Raffi Minasian, designer
“Small cars are extremely difficult to design well. Add to that a very round, full surface theme combined with manufacturing limits to the day-light openings and you can imagine the challenges the SZ package presented Zagato. Yet the execution, proportions, and final form is simply perfection. There has never been a better closed bodied short wheelbase design than the Zagato bodied Alfa Romeo SZ.” Credit Michael T. Lynch