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alfa zagato

Four Fab Zagatos

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Few of us were lucky enough to own a TZ1 or a SZ Coda Tronca. Al Morrison owned them both at the same time and would later own a Junior Zagato and a Fulvia Zagato. We present all four of his Spada-designed Zagatos in this feature.

Story and photos by Al Morrison
From the Archives, October 20, 2015 and from the archives February 12, 2019

Alfa Romeo GTZ 1

I first laid eyes on a new Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ 1 at the 1965 London International Motor Show when I was working in England as a very young architect. Right then I knew I wanted to own one someday.

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Alfa Romeo and Lancia Zagatos

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Few of us were lucky enough to own a TZ1 or a SZ Coda Tronca. Al Morrison owned them both at the same time and would later own a Junior Zagato and a Fulvia Zagato. We present all four of his Spada-designed Zagatos in this feature.

Story and photos by Al Morrison
From the Archives, October 20, 2015 and from the archives February 12, 2019

Alfa Romeo GTZ 1

I first laid eyes on a new Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ 1 at the 1965 London International Motor Show when I was working in England as a very young architect. Right then I knew I wanted to own one someday. [Read more…] about Alfa Romeo and Lancia Zagatos

Zagato’s Fab Four

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Few of us were lucky enough to own a TZ1 or a SZ Coda Tronca…Al Morrison owned them both at the same time and would later own a Junior Zagato and a Fulvia Zagato. We present all four of his Spada-Zagatos in this feature.

Story and photos by Al Morrison

Alfa Romeo GTZ 1

I first laid eyes on a new Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ 1 at the 1965 London International Motor Show when I was working in England as a very young architect. Right then I knew I wanted to own one someday.

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Morrison sent this photo he took of the TZ as seen at the 1965 London Motor show. He was immediately smitten with the car and knew he’d own one someday, somehow.

Five years later in 1970, after seeing an ad in Competition Press, I decided this was my chance. A few phone calls to the seller and a couple of Polaroid pictures later, a friend and I flew from Atlanta, Georgia to El Paso, Texas armed with a box of tools and a full-purchase-price check in hand. Who but a young Alfa nut would forsake normal automotive due diligence before making such a risky purchase?

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Atlanta-based Morrison went to Texas to pick up this Alfa TZ1 in 1970. It was in remarkably good condition and after a new battery, Morrison hopped in and co-drove it back to Georgia. The chassis number is 750038.

[Read more…] about Zagato’s Fab Four

A Guide to the New Alfa Museum

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A new generation sees the old Alfas in a new light.

All photos by Roberto Motta

Roberto Motta has been to the Alfa Museum hundreds of times; here he discusses the impressive new museum and the differences between the old and the new. Alfa Road cars are featured, click here to see the Alfa Race Cars. Text in Italian below the photos. Ed.

On June 24, with the launch of the new Alfa Romeo Giulia and to celebrate its 105 years, Alfa Romeo inaugurated its new Museum.
Renamed “The Time Machine – Alfa Romeo Historical Museum”, it is the heart of the Alfa Romeo brand and opened its doors to the public June 30, 2015. [Read more…] about A Guide to the New Alfa Museum

New Alfa Romeo Museum: Road Cars

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8C 2900 B Lungo is just one of the Alfas now on display. See below for more.

All photos by Roberto Motta
Click on each to Enlarge

Roberto Motta shows us a few of the road cars displayed at “The Time Machine – Alfa Romeo Historical Museum”. For Museum details, click on “A Guide to the New Alfa Museum”; to see the race cars, click “New Alfa Museum: Race Cars”.

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Experiencing Zagato’s Alfas

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Richard Stafferton's (RIP) TZ and John Winter's Coda Tronca and one of my Coda Tondas taken in Richards driveway in Toronto

Richard Stafferton’s TZ1 S/N 084 and John Winter’s Coda Tronca s/n 00195 and Oliver Collin’s round tail, s/n 00147, taken in Richard’s driveway in Toronto, 1978. See how many Alfas you can identify in Richard’s yard. Photo Oliver Collins collection.

By Pete Vack *

As early as the late 1960s, the Alfa enthusiast instinctively knew that of all the post war Alfas semi production cars, the Zagatos were the most desirable. Alfa Zagatos exemplified the era of the relatively inexpensive, coachbuilt GT car, as did the special bodied Ferraris, Maseratis, and Lancias.

They were also, for most part, aluminum, which beat the ever present rust problem associated with steel bodied cars of the era. Unlike the competition, Alfas were more numerous, less expensive and in general more reliable. They had mechanicals that could be understood, repaired and there were ample parts available. Another part of the lure of Alfas was that the 1300/1600 cars were a joy to drive; some, yes, underpowered, but all were fun and easy to drive. They were small, light, responsive and eager. Many were raced successfully at Le Mans, Sebring, and the Targa Florio.

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Coda Tronca: Fact and Fiction

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Corrado Lopresto's recent find as displayed last weekend at the Wilton Concours. Sharp photo.

Corrado Lopresto’s recent find as displayed last weekend at the Wilton Concours. Jonathan Sharp photo.

Story by Pete Vack

The world of the Internet will likely soon be filled with stories of a particular Alfa Romeo that served as the prototype for a new Alfa Zagato GT, one with a long tail, suddenly clipped off and called the “Coda Tronca”. And so we add to the hoopla, for of course the prototype Coda Tronca as found by the long time and truly enthusiastic Italian collector Corrado Lopresto and introduced at the Wilton Concours last weekend, (see related story) is an important find and a truly significant Alfa Romeo and Zagato. In Part 1 we’ll look at the use of the Kamm effect and why the Alfa SZ Coda Tronca was different.

Winter, 1960

As Ercole Spada would later recall, these were exciting times. In February 1960, The 22 year old ex-soldier, lacking any kind of formal training, had applied for a job at Zagato upon completion of his military service. He brought with him no portfolio, no sketches. But he loved to draw cars. “While my friends were stealing a peak into Playboy, I had my nose deeply into car magazines,” Spada recalled. Elio Zagato asked him if he had a driver’s licenses and could draw on a one to one scale. Spada said yes and Zagato hired him on the spot. Before Spada came onboard, Zagato didn’t have a chief designer. Cars just more or less happened. Life was simpler then.

Spada: the long story of a short tail.

His first assignment was to design a body for Tony Crook’s Bristol 406S, which although high and narrow, was a great improvement over the earlier Zagato effort on the 406. Hot on the heels of the Bristol came the Aston Martin Zagato, and suddenly, with less than a year under his belt, Spada was if not famous, definitely had proven his worth. It was a story out of the dreams of thousands of boys, and Spada was living it.

The rounded shape of the production Alfa SZ 1300. Photo by Bartholomew.

The rounded shape of the production Alfa SZ 1300. Photo by Bartholomew.

[Read more…] about Coda Tronca: Fact and Fiction

Gauld: Martinengo Memories and Gentlemen Drivers

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Regular readers may remember my May 2012 article about the Monaco Historics in which I mentioned meeting Cesare Martinengo, whose father Franco was a typical Italian “Gentleman Driver” throughout the 1940s and ’50s. This sounded interesting and I had to find out more. Cesare then brought his scrapbooks to me in the South of France and I spent a fascinating day going back in time when people raced for the fun of it and enjoyed racing with their friends.

Cesare Martinengo, however, did some racing himself, mainly with small Italian sports cars. It was no surprise that thanks to his father’s long-time friendship with Elio Zagato, Cesare raced a double bubble Fiat 750 Zagato. (In the lead photo, Elio, left, with Franco Martinengo stand next to their Fiat 1100 Zagatos.)

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The TZ3 Stradale: The First American Alfa Romeo?

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Story and photos by Mary Ann Dickinson unless otherwise noted

At the annual convention of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club held in Toronto, the TZ3 Stradale was lovingly presented by Andrea Zagato, third generation CEO of the renowned Italian car design company, Zagato. [Read more…] about The TZ3 Stradale: The First American Alfa Romeo?

What’s in Your Driveway?: Zagato’s Alfa Romeo 2600

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2600 Alfa Zagato in 1970. Credit VeloceToday.com

By Pete Vack

“It looks like a giant praying mantis about to leap.” Kyle Fleming’s assessment of the Alfa 2600 Zagato, was, if not overly kind, at least somewhat accurate. Zagato was never known to be anything but bold about its designs, and the Zagato was big, bold and eye catching. Fleming, used to dealing in Maseratis and Ferraris, couldn’t quite put the Alfa Zagato into focus. Such was the attraction of Zagato. The Big Z was different, rare and unusual at a time and place when the U.S. was a veritable candy store, full of rare and unusual cars at bargain basement prices.
[Read more…] about What’s in Your Driveway?: Zagato’s Alfa Romeo 2600

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