Zagato is an independent

coachbuilding A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily ...

company and total design centre located northwest of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

in Terrazzano, a small village near

Rho, Lombardy Rho (; ; ) is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northwest of Milan. The language spoken in Rho is Italian. Geography Rho is lapped by the river Olona and cro ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. The company's premises occupies an area of 23,000 square metres (250,000 sq ft)- 11,000 of which is covered.

History

The 1910s: Aeronautics

Ugo Zagato Ugo Zagato (25 June 1890, in Gavello – 31 October 1968) was an Italian automobile designer, known for establishing and running the Zagato coachbuilder, famous for its lightweight designs. He had five brothers and lost his father (1905), forcing ...

was an Italian automotive designer and builder. He was born in

Gavello Gavello is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rovigo in the Italian region Veneto, located about southwest of Venice and about southeast of Rovigo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,616 and an area of .All demographics ...

, near

Rovigo Rovigo (, ; egl, Ruig) is a city and ''comune'' in the Veneto region of Northeast Italy, the capital of the eponymous province. Geography Rovigo stands on the low ground known as Polesine, by rail southwest of Venice and south-southwest of P ...

(June 25, 1890). He began his coachbuilding career in 1919 when he left Officine Aeronautiche Pomilio to set up his own business in

. His intent was to transfer sophisticated constructional techniques that combined lightness with strength from aeronautics to the automotive sector. Cars of the time were still bulky and heavy.

conceived them as lightweight structures, with a frame in sheet aluminum similar to an aircraft fuselage.

The 1920s: Classic models

During the 20s

Zagato Zagato is an independent coachbuilding company and total design centre located northwest of Milan in Terrazzano, a small village near Rho, Lombardy, Italy. The company's premises occupies an area of 23,000 square metres (250,000 sq ft)- 11,000 ...

concentrated on racing cars. At the beginning of the decade he was asked by

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." ...

to dress some

G1, RL and RM. But in 1925,

Vittorio Jano Vittorio Jano ( hu, János Viktor; 22 April 1891 – 13 March 1965) was an Italian automobile designer of Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s. Jano was born ''Viktor János'' in San Giorgio Canavese, in Piedmont, to Hungarian immi ...

's Chief Engineer, asked him to create a body for the Alfa 6C 1500, the

Alfa Romeo P2 The Alfa Romeo P2 won the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925, taking victory in two of the four championship rounds when Antonio Ascari drove it in the European Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa and Gastone Brilli-Peri w ...

’s heir, which should be light and fast. Zagato, using his Aeronautics culture, succeeded in creating a sleek and light body for the car, which scored a 2nd place OA at the 1927

Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi, which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before World ...

and it won the 1928 edition. The 6C 1500 technical qualities were also improved on the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750, which was introduced in 1927. It was bodied in several versions (Turismo, Sport or Granturismo, Super Sport or Gran Sport) and achieved overall victories in the Mille Miglia in 1929 (Campari-Ramponi) and 1930 (

Tazio Nuvolari Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari (; 16 November 1892 – 11 August 1953) was an Italian racing driver. He first raced motorcycles and then concentrated on sports cars and single-seaters. A resident of Mantua, he was known as 'Il Mantovano Volante' ( ...

Achille Varzi Achille Varzi (8 August 1904 – 1 July 1948) was an Italian Grand Prix driver. Career Born in Galliate, province of Novara (Piedmont), Achille Varzi was the son of a textile manufacturer. As a young man, he was a successful motorcycle ra ...

Giuseppe Campari Giuseppe Campari (8 June 1892 – 10 September 1933) was an Italian opera singer and Grand Prix motor racing driver. Racing career Born near the city of Lodi southwest of Milan, as a teenager he went to work for the Alfa Romeo automobile compa ...

and

Pietro Ghersi Pietro Ghersi (1899 – 1 January 1972) was an Italian motorcycle racer and, from 1927, also a racecar driver. He was born in Genoa. With his brother Mario Ghersi and Luigi Arcangeli he biked in the 1926 Isle of Man TT and 1930 Isle of Man TT i ...

filled the first four places).

Enzo Ferrari Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (; 20 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italians, Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari ...

, who started his career at Alfa Romeo, in 1929 founded

Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Società per Azioni, S.p.A. () is the racing division of luxury Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari and the racing team that competes in Formula One racing. The team is also known by the nickname "The Prancing Horse", in refere ...

as the official team for race Alfas. Ugo Zagato was his exclusive partner in the thirties. In those years, even Ansaldo,

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French manufacturer of high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the Italian-born industrial designer Ettore Bugatti. The cars w ...

Diatto Diatto was an Italian manufacturing company founded in 1835 in Turin by Guglielmo Diatto (1804–1864) to make 'carriages for wealthy customers'. In 1874 Guglielmo’s sons, Giovanni and Battista Diatto, began building railway carriages for Comp ...

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...

Isotta Fraschini Isotta Fraschini () was an Italian luxury car manufacturer, also producing trucks, as well as engines for marine and aviation use. Founded in Milan, Italy, in 1900 by Cesare Isotta and the brothers Vincenzo, Antonio, and Oreste Fraschini, in 19 ...

Lancia Lancia () is an Italian car manufacturer and a subsidiary of FCA Italy S.p.A., which is currently a Stellantis division. The present legal entity of Lancia was formed in January 2007 when its corporate parent reorganised its businesses, but it ...

Maserati Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914, in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Ma ...

, OM and even

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

were clients of Zagato.

The 1930s: Aerodynamic models

Zagato continued to build a variety of aerodynamic cars during these decades, adopting inclined windscreens, more aerodynamic headlights, and convex bootlids. He also favored perforated disc wheels that improved brake cooling. All Alfa Romeo 8Cs received coach-work from Zagato. In January 1932, Zagato-bodied cars also began to be built by Carrozzeria Brianza.

Bianchi Bianchi may refer to: Places *Bianchi, Calabria, a ''comune'' in the Province of Cosenza, Italy Manufacturing *Bianchi Bicycles (F.I.V. Edoardo Bianchi S.p.A.), an Italian manufacturer of bicycles, and former manufacturer of motorcycles and a ...

, and OM all experienced the lightweight and aerodynamic Zagato bodies, especially for race cars. The list of victories is impressive, including 8

, 4

Targa Florio The Targa Florio was a public road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near the island's capital of Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 ...

, 4

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...

, and 4

Spa Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has held ...

OA victories. In the 30s, Zagato-bodied models started to compete and dominate in different class/categories. Thirty-six Zagato-bodied cars were at the start of the 1938 Mille Miglia. One third of the participants.

The 1940s: Panoramic Models

At the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Ugo Zagato left Milan and fled to

Lake Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; it, Lago Maggiore ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh Maggior; pms, Lagh Magior; literally 'Greater Lake') or Verbano (; la, Lacus Verbanus) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest la ...

. On 13 August 1943, a

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

bombing raid destroyed his coachworks in Corso Sempione road. He found new premises at

Saronno Saronno (; lmo, Saronn ) is a ''comune'' of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Varese. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree in 1960. With an estimated population of 39,351 inhabitants, it is the most densely populated ...

, alongside the

works, on behalf of which he constructed trucks and military vehicles and a futuristic Monterosa. He returned to

at the end of the war and re-established his company at Via Giorgini 16, close to the Alfa Romeo historic home at Portello. He looked for more spacious and more comfortable car greenhouses, which were eventually crystallised in a new type-form characterized by airiness and visibility thanks to large glazed areas made in plexiglass, a new material which replaced the traditional heavy glass. This “Panoramica” body, as it was called, would mark the rebirth of his coachwork:

and MG were “dressed” with this innovative body. In 1949 he built a Panoramic body for the Ferrari 166 Mille Miglia, belonging to Antonio Stagnoli - this was the first Ferrari coupé for a client ever. The Panoramic concept was an invention of Vieri Rapi, chief Zagato stylist at that time.

The 1950s: Gran Turismo Models

In 1947, as a gift for his graduation at

Bocconi University Bocconi University ( it, Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, ) is a private university in Milan, Italy. Bocconi provides education in the fields of economics, finance, law, management, political science, public administration and computer sci ...

of Milan,

Elio Zagato Elio Zagato (27 February 192114 September 2009) was an Italian automobile designer. Like his brother Gianni Zagato (born 1929), Elio Zagato joined his father Ugo Zagato's design firm Zagato in Milan and, upon the father's death in 1968, took ov ...

, Ugo's first-born son, received an open-top sports car based on a Fiat 500 B chassis. This car represented the beginning of his career as a gentleman driver (out of 160 races, Elio earned a place on the podium 83 times) and as a manager of the family company. The birth of the Gran Turismo category, conceived in 1949 by Count Giovanni Lurani, journalist

Giovanni Canestrini Giovanni Canestrini (26 December 1835 – 14 February 1900) was an Italian naturalist and biologist and translator who was a native of Revò. Career He initially studied in Gorizia and Meran, then furthered his education in natural sciences at ...

and Elio himself revolutionised the world of automotive competition: the category comprised cars with sports coachwork and a production chassis or bodyshell. In order to take part in that competitions there should be 30 examples built. AC,

Abarth Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing and road car maker and Car tuning, performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its FCA Italy, Italian subsidiary. Its logo is a ...

Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is an English manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...

, Fraser Nash,

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

, Osca,

Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

wore Zagato GT bodies. In 1955 Elio Zagato scored a victory of the International Granturism Championship at the Avus circuit driving a

Fiat 8V The Fiat 8V (or "Otto Vu") is a V8-engined sports car produced by the Italian car manufacturer Fiat from 1952 to 1954. The car was introduced at the 1952 Geneva Motor Show. The Fiat 8V got its name because at the time of its making, Fiat believed ...

GT Zagato.

The 1960s: Fuoriserie models

The steady higher demand for special bodies required a passage from a handcraft to an industrially-based organization. Elio Zagato found a larger location at 30 Via Arese in Terrazzano (northwest of Milan), very close to Arese where Alfa Romeo as well would soon choose to establish its new plants. In 1960 Ugo Zagato was awarded with the Compasso d’Oro design prize for the design of the

Fiat Abarth Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing and road car maker and performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its Italian subsidiary. Its logo is a shield with a styliz ...

1000 Zagato. In this period the mission of Zagato was to design special bodies to be assembled in series and fitted with mechanical parts and interiors supplied by major constructors. Under the partnership with Alfa Romeo the Giulia SZ, the TZ, TZ2, 2600 SZ, the 1750 4R and the Junior Zagato were born. In partnership with Lancia, Zagato continued the “Sport” series with the Lancia Appia Sport, the Flaminia Sport and Super Sport, the Flavia Sport and Supersport and the Fulvia Sport and Sport Spider. In addition to these some were realized for special customers owners of:

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

Lamborghini Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. () is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi. Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916–1993) ...

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

, Osca,

Rover Rover may refer to: People * Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian * Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer * Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist Places * Rover, Arkansas, US * Rover, Missouri, US ...

and

Volvo The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...

The 1970s: Geometric models

In response to the Oil Crisis and in contrast to the irrational and anti-functionalist trends of the era, Zagato also proposed the production of electric cars. Around 1000 ELCAR Zele were produced and sold in the US. In 1971 a new Ferrari Zagato, called 3Z, came to life thanks to an idea of Luigi Chinetti of Ferrari NART who financed the decidedly angular spider. In the same year it was introduced at the

Turin Motor Show The Turin Motor Show ( it, Salone dell'Automobile di Torino) was an auto show held annually in Turin, Italy. The first official show took place between 21 and 24 April 1900, at the Castle of Valentino, becoming a permanent fixture in Turin from 1 ...

and signalled the definitive departure from Alfa SZ, TZ and

Lancia Flaminia The Lancia Flaminia (Tipo 813/823/824/826) is a luxury car produced by Italian automaker Lancia from 1957 until 1970. It was Lancia's flagship model at that time, replacing the Aurelia. It was available throughout its lifetime as saloon, coupé a ...

and Appia's curvy volumes to embrace the squared volumes of Lancia Fulvia Sport and Alfa Romeo Junior Z. Chinetti himself made a further special order. At that time Zagato started a new project for a different four-seater, mid engined concept which became the Cadillac N.A.R.T. This would be a luxurious, sophisticated, high performance four-seater. The front wheel drive power train of a

Cadillac Eldorado The Cadillac Eldorado is a luxury car manufactured and marketed by Cadillac from 1952 until 2002 over twelve generations. The Eldorado was at or near the top of the Cadillac line. The original 1953 Eldorado convertible and the Eldorado Brougham ...

was relocated to create a mid-engined layout. Zagato was asked to build the prototype from the drawings and a clay model that was conceived in GM's studios. A Fiat, based on 132, and named Aster, was bodied as prototype as well as a

Volvo GTZ The Volvo GTZ and GTZ 3000 are Swedish concept cars built for Volvo. Both were designed by Zagato, with the GTZ debuting at the 1969 Turin Auto Show on the Zagato stand and the GTZ 3000 debuting the following year at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show. ...

. The Zagato facility in Terrazzano saw also the assembly of Lancia Beta Sport Spider that established Lancia's name in America and Australia and the Bristol 407 convertible, whose design was very similar to the Lancia's one.

The 1980s: Limited Edition models

While the beginning of the 80's was characterized by the introduction of a number of

Concept cars as the Fiat Chicane, the Alfa Romeos rear engine Sprint 6, Zeta 6,

Alfetta The Alfa Romeo Alfetta (Type 116) is a front-engine, five-passenger sedan and fastback coupé manufactured and marketed by Alfa Romeo from 1972 to 1987 with a production total over 400,000. The Alfetta was noted for the rear position of its ...

and

Lancia Thema The Lancia Thema (Type 834) is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia between 1984 and 1994, and one of four cars to share the Type Four platform alongside the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000. The Thema was first shown ...

Station Wagon, and the Alfa Romeo 33 Tempo Libero also in 4x4 hybrid version, the demand for exclusive spiders and coupes led Zagato to the creation of limited, numbered editions. The

Aston Martin Vantage __NOTOC__ Aston Martin has used the Vantage name on a number of vehicles, normally indicating a high-performance version of another model. In one case, during 1972–1973, the Vantage was a distinct model, being a straight-6 The straight-six ...

(50 units) and Volante Zagato (33 units) were the highest expression of this economic and commercial climate. Furthermore, the Milanese coachbuilder bodied the

Maserati Spyder Spyder may refer to: Arts and media * Spyder, a minor Myth Adventures character * ''Spyder'' (film), a Telugu/Tamil bilingual film directed by A. R. Murugadoss starring Mahesh Babu * ''Spyder Games'', an MTV television series * ''Spyder'' (song) ...

and

Maserati Karif The Maserati Karif (''Tipo AM339'') is a luxury coupé produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Maserati between 1988 and 1991. It was designed to be luxurious, but also sporty and agile to allow the driver to "feel like a racing driver again o ...

. Furthermore, the Alfa Romeo SZ (1989) and roadster named RZ (1991) were assembled here for Alfa Romeo. Both cars were born by the first application of CAD process to automobile. The SZ was an experimental coupé that revisited Alfa Romeo's sporting image, a rear-wheel drive Alfa Romeo coupé, a symbol of sporting pedigree. It harks back to the philosophy of the extreme coupés that distinguishes the historic Alfa - Zagato relationship: the 1900 SSZ 1954, the Giulietta SZ 1960, the

Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ The Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ (also known as the Alfa Romeo TZ or Tubolare Zagato) was a sports car and racing car manufactured by Alfa Romeo from 1963 to 1967. It replaced the Giulietta SZ. In 2011, the name was reduced from Giulia TZ to TZ in the n ...

and Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 and the 2600 SZ 1965, Junior Z and Alfa Romeo Zeta 6.

The 1990s: V-Max models

Zagato faced the need to keep up with the new demands of an evolving market: besides organising, from 1993, a one-make race series for Alfa Romeo SZ and RZ so it turned (was no longer just a coachbuilder Atelier tied to the assembly of sports cars) into a Total Design Studio now working in the extended area of transportation design. The company styled and built not only prototypes and show cars on behalf of car manufacturers but also railways and industrial vehicles. In 1991 and 1993, the Design Zagato division introduced two

V-Max models based on the 348 and the

Testarossa The Ferrari Testarossa (Type F110) is a 12-cylinder mid-engine sports car manufactured by Ferrari, which went into production in 1984 as the successor to the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer. The Pininfarina-designed car was originally produced from 1 ...

where styling motifs subsequently adopted on the

F355 The Ferrari F355 (Type F129) is a sports car manufactured by Italian car manufacturer Ferrari produced from May 1994 until 1999. The car is a heavily revised Ferrari 348 with notable exterior and performance changes. The F355 was succeeded by th ...

and 360 Modena and on the

Enzo Enzo is an Italian given name derivative of the German name Heinz. It can be used also as the short form for Lorenzo, Vincenzo, Innocenzo, or Fiorenzo. It is most common in the Romance-speaking world, particularly in Italy and Latin Americ ...

. In 1992, as a tribute to the

Lancia Delta Integrale The Lancia Delta is a small family car produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Lancia in three generations. The first generation (1979-1994) debuted at the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show, the second generation (1993-1999) debuted at the 1993 Gen ...

victories, the Hyena V-Max concept was created and a small series of 25 cars were built. Zagato built the

Raptor Raptor or RAPTOR may refer to: Animals The word "raptor" refers to several groups of bird-like dinosaurs which primarily capture and subdue/kill prey with their talons. * Raptor (bird) or bird of prey, a bird that primarily hunts and feeds on ...

and the Superdiablo V-Max concept, both powered by a Lamborghini V12 at the request of Mike Kimberley Sant’Agata Bolognese company's CEO. Elected “Best Concept” at the 1996 edition of the

Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...

, the Raptor was produced in less than 4 months, thanks to the use of integrated technology applied to the CAD/CAM/CAE system that allowed the intermediate styling buck phase to be eliminated. In 1998, Zagato was commissioned by

FIAT Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...

to design and produce three V-Max prototypes with low fuel consumption (3 litres/100 kilometres). The Ecobasic was judged to be the best research V-Max concept.

The 2000s

Special projects created for

Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North ...

Spyker Spyker or Spijker was a Dutch carriage, automobile and aircraft manufacturer, started in 1880 by blacksmiths Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker. Originally located in Hilversum, the company relocated to Trompenburg, Amsterdam in 1898. Notable produ ...

, and

consolidate the brand's business in making custom-built models, almost exclusively coupés with two doors and two seats.

The 2010s

The Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa and Stradale; the race model based on a mono-shell carbon fiber chassis, coupled with a tubular frame and a lightweight aluminium body, the street legal model based on the

Viper The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...

ACR mechanical chassis with its carbon fiber body. Due to the joint venture between the

and the

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

groups the TZ3 Stradale became the first American Alfa Romeo. After Fiat 500 coupé Zagato and AC 378 GTZ, Zagato consolidated its special relationship with

by designing the Centennial V-Max models (as a tribute to AML 100 years), the Vanquish Family and - for the “Cento” years from Zagato foundation – the Pair and the Twins collections. Also

liaison has been revamped with the family of Zagato Carreras as well as

and BMW connection with the 575, the Mostro and the BMW Twins collections. Last but not least Zagato has been supporting – since 2017 - the revamp of the luxury sport Italian Brand:

ISO Rivolta ISO Rivolta is an Italian car and motorbike manufacturer active in the motor vehicle sector since 1938. Over the years, the company has taken various names, including Isothermos, Iso Autoveicoli Spa in 1952, Iso Rivolta in 1962, Iso Motors in 1 ...

. Zagato also designed non-automobile projects such as an automated guided electric commuter train for Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. In 2019, Zagato marked it's centenary.

Timeline

* 1922:

Fiat 501 The Fiat 501 is a car produced by Fiat between 1919 and 1926. The 501 was Fiat's first model after World War I. Fiat introduced the S and SS sports versions of the 501 in 1921. Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica ...

* 1922: Diatto Tipo 25 4DS * 1925:

Lancia Lambda The Lancia Lambda is an innovative automobile produced from 1922 through 1931. It was the first car to feature a load-bearing unitary body, (but without a stressed roof) and it also pioneered the use of an independent suspension (the front slidi ...

* 1929: Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 * 1929: Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS * 1930: Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Testa Fissa * 1932: Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 * 1932: Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 * 1937: Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 * 1938: Fiat 1500 Spider MM * 1938: Fiat 500 Siata * 1938: Lancia Aprilia Sport MM * 1938: Lancia Aprilia Sport Aerodinamica * 1947: Fiat 500 B Panoramica * 1947: Isotta Fraschini 8C Monterosa * 1948: Ferrari 166 MM Panoramica * 1949: Maserati A6 1500 Panoramica * 1952: Fiat 500 "Topolino" CZ * 1952: Fiat 8V Zagato * 1953: Osca 4500 Biondetti * 1954: Maserati A6G/54 2000 Zagato Berlinetta * 1955: Alfa Romeo 1900C SS Zagato Coupe * 1955: Maserati A6G/54 2000 Zagato Spyder (one-off) * 1956: Maserati A6G/54 2000 Zagato Coupé Speciale (one-off) * 1956: Fiat Abarth 750 GT * 1958: AC Ace-Bristol Zagato * 1957:

Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ The Alfa Romeo Giulietta (''Tipo 750'' and ''Tipo 101'', meaning "Type 750" and "Type 101") is a family of automobiles made by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1954 until 1965 which included a 2+2 coupé, four-door saloon, estate, spide ...

* 1957: Jaguar XK 140 Z * 1957: Lancia Appia GT * 1957:

Maserati 450S The Maserati 450S (Tipo 54) is a racing car made by Italian automobile manufacturer Maserati for participating in FIA's endurance World Sportscar Championship racing. A total of nine were made. Development of the 450S started in 1954 under the ...

Costin Coupé (Zagato bodied) * 1958: Lancia Flaminia Sport * 1960: Fiat Abarth 1000 * 1960: Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato * 1960:

Bristol 406 The Bristol 406 was a luxury car produced between 1958 and 1961 by British manufacturer Bristol Aeroplane Co. Their cars were constructed to very high engineering standards and were intended to be long-lasting to justify their very high price. ...

* 1961:

Bristol 407 The Bristol 407 was a sports tourer car produced by British manufacturer Bristol Cars between 1961 and 1963. It was the first Bristol model to be made by the company after separation from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which had built all previo ...

* 1962: Osca 1600 GTZ * 1962: Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ * 1962: Lancia Flaminia Tubolare * 1962: Lancia Flavia Sport * 1963:

* 1964: Lancia Flaminia Super Sport * 1965: Alfa Romeo Gran Sport Quattroruote * 1965: Lamborghini 3500 GTZ * 1966: Lancia Fulvia Sport * 1967:

Lancia Flavia The Lancia Flavia (Tipo 815/819/820) is an executive car produced by Lancia in Italy from 1961 to 1971. Production continued as the Lancia 2000 from 1971 to 1975. The Flavia was launched with a 1,500 cc engine at the 1960 Turin Motor Sho ...

Super Sport * 1967: Shelby Zagato * 1969: Alfa Romeo Junior Z * 1969:

* 1970: Cadillac Eldorado NART * 1972:

Iso Varedo The Iso Varedo was a concept car produced by Italian car manufacturer Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A. in 1972 styled by Ercole Spada. It was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show#1972, 1972 Turin Motor Show. Only one Varedo was ever built. It currently resides ...

* 1972: Alfa Romeo 1600 Junior Z * 1972: Zagato Aster Coupe * 1974: Zagato Zele 1000 * 1975: Bristol 412 * 1976: Lancia Beta Spider (Designed by Pininfarina, Zagato bodied) * 1984:

* 1986:

Aston Martin V8 Zagato __NOTOC__ The V8 Zagato model Aston Martin was a grand tourer of the 1980s. Just 52 examples of the coupé and 37 of the convertible were built between 1986 and 1990. The coupé was first unveiled at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show, and orders were ...

* 1988: Autech Stelvio * 1988:

(Zagato bodied) * 1989: Alfa Romeo SZ (Zagato bodied) * 1991: Ferrari 348 Zagato Elaborazione * 1991: Nissan Gavia * 1992:

Alfa Romeo RZ Rz or RZ can stand for: People: * Friederike Schwarz, Czech composer and journalist who used rz as a pseudonym) * Robin Zander, American rock singer with Cheap Trick * Richard Zednik, Slovak professional hockey player * Roger Zelazny, American s ...

(Zagato bodied) * 1992: Lancia Hyena * 1992: Fiat 500 Z-ECO * 1993: F.I.V.E Formula Junior Elettrosolare * 1993: Ferrari FZ93 (Renamed ES1) * 1993: Autech Gavia * 1996: Fiat Bravobis * 1996:

Zagato Raptor The Zagato Raptor, sometimes referred to as the Lamborghini Raptor, is a concept car design created in 1996 by Zagato in partnership with Alain Wicki for Lamborghini. The body features the Zagato "double bubble" design and an innovative door design ...

* 1997: Lamborghini Canto * 2001: Alfa Romeo 147 Spider Concept Zagato * 2002:

Alfa Romeo 147 The Alfa Romeo 147 (Type 937) is a small family car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 2000 to 2010. The 147 was voted European Car of the Year in 2001. The 147 was launched at the Turin Motor Show in June 2000 as a replacement fo ...

GTA.Z * 2002:

Aston Martin DB7 Zagato The Aston Martin DB7 is a grand tourer which was produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2004. The car was available either as a coupé or a convertible (car), convertible. The prototype wa ...

* 2003:

Aston Martin DB AR1 The Aston Martin DB7 is a grand tourer which was produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2004. The car was available either as a coupé or a convertible. The prototype was complete by Novem ...

* 2004: Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Roadster * 2004:

Lancia Fulvia The Lancia Fulvia (Tipo 818) is an automobile produced by Lancia between 1963 and 1976. Named after Via Fulvia, the Roman road leading from Tortona to Turin, it was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963 and manufactured in three variants ...

Sport Concept * 2005: Lancia Ypsilon Sport * 2006: Ferrari 575 GTZ * 2006: Toyota Harrier Zagato * 2007: Maserati GS Zagato * 2007: Zagato 599 GTZ Nibbio * 2007: Zagato 599 GTZ Nibbio Spyder * 2008:

Spyker C12 Zagato The Spyker C12 Zagato is a limited edition, all-aluminium, mid-engine/rear-drive exotic luxury sports car from Dutch automobile manufacturer Spyker. It is based on the C12 platform, alongside the Spyker designed C12 La Turbie which debuted the ...

* 2008: Bentley Continental GTZ * 2008: Diatto Ottovù Zagato * 2008: Perana Z-One * 2009: Ferrari 550 GTZ Barchetta * 2010: Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa * 2011: Fiat 500 Coupe * 2011: Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale * 2011:

Aston Martin V12 Zagato The Aston Martin V12 Zagato is a British sports car/endurance racer made by Aston Martin in collaboration with Zagato to celebrate a fifty-year partnership since the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato. Introduced in Lake Como, Italy at the Concorso d ...

* 2012:

AC 378 GT Zagato The AC 378 GT Zagato is a sports car designed by the Italian design company Zagato and built in South Africa by Hi-Tech Automotive. It was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The design of the 378 GT was previewed in 2009 as the Perana Z- ...

* 2012: BMW Zagato Coupe * 2012: BMW Zagato Roadster * 2013: Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial * 2013: Aston Martin DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial * 2013: Porsche Carrera GTZ * 2014: Lamborghini 5-95 Zagato * 2014: Aston Martin Virage Zagato Shooting Brake * 2015: Thunder Power Sedan * 2015:

Zagato Maserati Mostro The Zagato Maserati Mostro is a limited edition car, produced by Zagato and revealed at the 2015 Villa d'Este Concours d'Elegance. History It was created to celebrate the 100-years anniversary of Maserati. It uses the V8 engine and transmission ...

* 2016: Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato * 2016: MV Agusta F4Z * 2017: IsoRivolta Zagato

Vision Gran Turismo The Vision Gran Turismo program (commonly abbreviated Vision GT or VGT) is a series of concept cars for the Gran Turismo video game series, developed by a cross-section of the world's top automobile manufacturers. These cars appeared originally in ...

* 2017: Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Volante * 2018: Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Speedster * 2018: Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake * 2018: Lamborghini L595 Zagato Roadster * 2020: Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato Centenary * 2020: IsoRivolta GTZ * 2022 : Zagato Maserati Mostro Barchetta * 2023 :

Alfa Romeo Giulia Alfa Romeo Giulia () is the name of three not directly related models by the Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo. The first is a line of sporty four-door compact executive cars (Type 105) produced from 1962 to 1978, the second is an updated, ma ...

SWB Zagato

Notable designers

* Vieri Rapi *

Ercole Spada Ercole Spada (born 26 July 1937 in Busto Arsizio) is an Italian automobile designer. His most notable designs were produced in the 1960s, for the Zagato design studio house, where Spada was chief stylist. During this period some of the most notabl ...

* Giuseppe Mittino * Marco Pedracini * Norihiko Harada

Notes

External links

* http://www.zagato.it/
Coachbuild.com encyclopedia: Zagato
* https://www.flickr.com/groups/zagato/pool/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20090227085303/http://www.zagato-cars.co.uk/ Broughtons Zagato Ambassador UK

- Daily Telegraph obituary {{Authority control Car manufacturers of Italy Coachbuilders of Italy Automobile designers Automotive motorsports and performance companies Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1919 Italian companies established in 1919 Italian brands