After the presentation of the 2600 Berlina, Sprint and Spider, the first appearance of a prototype signed by Zagato could be seen in the coachbuilder’s stand at the Turin Motor Show in 1963. The wheelbase is the shortened version of the 2600 Spider and the body is characterized by a streamlined and essential structure, featuring a flashy and slightly recessed Kamm tail, just like in racecars. The front of the vehicle is also very peculiar, featuring a large-sized shield.
The same - yellow - prototype was presented during the following edition at the Alfa Romeo stand, while the final vehicle would be shown for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1965. However, in this case, the coachwork was strongly revisited, especially in the front: the already huge front shield was enlarged even more and placed in a higher position, the headlights made more vertical in shape, the engine bonnet clean and essential - without leather laces nor air intakes (now partially hidden behind the bumper bars).
| Engine | Front, vertical longitudinal, 6 in-line cylinders, cylinder block and head in light-alloy, double overhead camshaft with chain control, 2 valves per cylinder |
| Cylinder capacity | cc 2584 (mm 83x79,6) |
| Maximum power | 145 hp at 5900 rpm |
| Weight | kg 1250 |
| Maximum speed | Km/h 197 |
| Vehicles produced | 1 (105 series-production models) |
Zagato
Ugo, Elio, and now, Andrea: Zagato’s is a true genealogy. A company born in 1919, as a result of the founder’s experience in the aeronautical industry: clear-cut steel structures replace wood, light aluminum paneling instead of metal sheets, and a functional and essential approach to the bodywork, with a strong inclination towards the world of racing. The 6C 1750s became legendary in the 1920s and ‘30s, while the ‘50s and ‘60s were the days of the unforgettable 1900 SZ, Giulietta SZ and Giulia TZ and TZ2. Not only lightness, but also a thorough aerodynamic study. A few decades later, the world had changed and there wasn’t much room left for coachbuilders: Zagato became an “atelier”, devoting its work to unique, tailor-made models, just like in the old days. But before that, it gave birth to the SZ and RZ.
