Zagato is a

coachbuilding A coachbuilder manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles. The trade of producing coachwork began with bodies for horse-drawn vehicles. Today it includes custom automobiles, buses, motor coaches, and railway carriages. The word ...

company founded by

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), forc ...

in 1919. The design center of the company is located in Terrazzano, a 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, Italy. Geography Rho is lapped by the river Olona and crossed by its tributaries Bozzent ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

History

The 1910s: Aeronautics

was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

automotive

designer A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exper ...

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 demographic ...

near

Rovigo Rovigo (, ; ) is a city and communes of Italy, commune in the region of Veneto, Northeast Italy, the capital of the province of Rovigo, eponymous province. Geography Rovigo stands on the low ground known as Polesine, by rail southwest of Veni ...

on June 25, 1890. He began his coach-building career in 1919 when he left "Officine Aeronautica Pomilio" to set up his own business in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

. He intended to transfer various construction techniques from aeronautics to the

automotive sector The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, repairing, and modification of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industri ...

. Cars of the time were often bulky and heavy; Zagato envisioned them as lightweight structures with a frame in sheet

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

; similar to an aircraft fuselage.

The 1920s: Classic models

During the 1920s, Zagato's focus was on designing

race cars Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

. At the beginning of the decade, he was asked by

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian carmaker known for its sports-oriented vehicles, strong auto racing heritage, and iconic design. Headquartered in Turin, Italy, it is a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe and one of 14 brands of mu ...

to design bodies for some of its G1, RL, and RM models. In 1925

Vittorio Jano Vittorio Jano (; 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 immigrants, who ar ...

, Alfa Romeo's Chief Engineer, asked him to create a body for 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 Spa and Gastone Brilli-Peri won the Italian Grand Pri ...

's heir, the Alfa 6C 1500. Zagato, using his knowledge of aeronautics, designed a sleek, light body for the car. It scored second place overall at the 1927

Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts :it:Franco Mazzotti, Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi. It took place in Italy 24 times f ...

and won the 1928 edition. The 1500's technical qualities were improved upon with the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750, introduced in 1927 with several body styles (Turismo, Sport, Gran Turismo, Super Sport, and Gran Sport). The 1750 would go on to achieve overall victories in the 1929 and 1930 Mille Miglia (Taking the first four spots in the latter date). In 1929,

Enzo Ferrari Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (; ; 18 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italian racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of Scuderia Ferrari in Grand Prix motor racing, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque. Under h ...

, at the time a racing driver for

, founded

Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari (; ), currently racing under Scuderia Ferrari HP, 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 Pranc ...

as the official team for Alfa Romeo's race cars.

The 1930s: Aerodynamic models

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

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...

Isotta Fraschini Isotta Fraschini () is 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 195 ...

Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe, which is the European subsidiary of Stellantis. The present legal entity of Lancia was formed in January 2007 when its corporate parent reorganise ...

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 ...

, and OM all experimented with lightweight and aerodynamic Zagato bodies, especially for race cars. The list of victories includes eight

, four

Targa Florio The Targa Florio was a public road Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near the island's capital of Palermo, Sicily, Palermo. Founded in 1906 Targa Florio, 1906, it was the oldest sports car ra ...

, four

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

, and four

Spa Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), informally referred to as Spa, is a motor-racing circuit located in Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium, about southeast of Spa. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hos ...

OA victories. In the 1930s, Zagato-bodied models began to compete and dominate in different classes and categories. Thirty-six Zagato-bodied cars entered the 1938 Mille Miglia, making up 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Zagato left Milan and fled to

Lake Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; ; ; ; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano (; ) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest lake in Italy and the largest in southern Switzerland. The lake and its shoreline are divided be ...

. On 13 August 1943, an RAF bombing raid destroyed his coachworks on Corso Sempione road. He found new premises at

Saronno Saronno (; ) 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 inhabitants, it is the most densely populated among the big m ...

alongside the

works, on behalf of which he constructed trucks, military vehicles, and a futuristic 8C 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. Zagato wanted to design more spacious and comfortable greenhouse-style cars characterized by airiness and good visibility. Incorporating large, glazed areas made of plexiglass, a lightweight material that replaced heavier traditional glass, the "Panoramic" body style, an invention of Vieri Rapi, chief Zagato stylist at that time, would mark the rebirth of his coachwork. Alfa Romeo,

, and MG employed this innovative body design. In 1949, he built a Panoramic body for the Ferrari 166 Mille Miglia belonging to Antonio Stagnoli, the first Ferrari coupé for a client.

The 1950s: Gran Turismo models

In 1947, Elio Zagato, Ugo's first-born son, received an open-top sports car based on a Fiat 500 B chassis as a gift for his graduation from

Bocconi University Bocconi University or Università Bocconi (formally known in Italian language, Italian as ''Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi'' – Luigi Bocconi Commercial University) is a private university in Milan, Italy. The university is consistently ...

of Milan. This car represented the beginning of his career as a driver, earning 83 podium spots in 160 races. The birth of the Gran Turismo category, conceived in 1949 by Count Giovanni Lurani, journalist Giovanni Canestrini, and Elio himself revolutionized the world of automotive competition. The category comprised cars with sports coachwork and a production chassis or bodyshell. AC,

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. Abarth's logo is a shield with a ...

Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC () is a British manufacturer of Luxury car, luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Headed from 1947 by David Brown (entrepreneur ...

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...

Fraser Nash Frazer Nash was a brand of British sports car manufactured from 1922 first by Frazer Nash Limited founded by engineer Archibald Frazer-Nash. On its financial collapse in 1927 a new company, AFN Limited, was incorporated. Control of AFN passed ...

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...

, Osca,

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

, and

Renault Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...

wore Zagato GT bodies. In 1955, Elio Zagato scored a victory in the International Gran Turismo 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 believ ...

GT Zagato.

The 1960s: Fuoriserie models

The increasing demand for specialized bodies required a change from a handcrafted to an industrial production methods. Elio Zagato found a larger location at 30 Via Arese in Terrazzano (northwest of Milan), close to Arese where Alfa Romeo would soon choose to establish new plants. In this period, Zagato's mission 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, TZ, TZ2, 2600 SZ, 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 Super Sport, and the Fulvia Sport and Sport Spider. In addition to these, some designs were commissioned by special customers, including

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. ( , ), usually referred to as Lamborghini or colloquially Lambo, is an Italian manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its su ...

Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...

, Osca,

Rover Rover may refer to: People Name * Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian * Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer * Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist Stage name * Rover (musician), French singer-songw ...

, and

Volvo The Volvo Group (; 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, distribution and sale of truck ...

vehicles. In 1960 Ugo Zagato was awarded the

Compasso d'Oro The Compasso d'Oro (; ) is an industrial design award originated in Italy in 1954. Initially sponsored by the La Rinascente, a Milanese department store, the award has been organised and managed by the Associazione per il Disegno Industriale (ADI ...

for the design of the Abarth 1000 Bialbero.

The 1970s: Geometric models

In response to the Oil Crisis and in contrast to the anti-functionalist trends of the era, Zagato proposed the production of electric cars such as the

Zagato Zele The Zagato Zele 1000, 1500, 2000 (sold in the United States as the Elcar) is an electric microcar with a fiberglass body manufactured by the Italian design company Zagato. Produced 1974–1976, the Zele was an unusual departure from Zagato's famou ...

two-seater. In 1971, a new Ferrari Zagato, the 3Z, came to life thanks to Luigi Chinetti, who financed the decidedly angular spider. In the same year, it was introduced at the

Turin Motor Show The Turin Motor Show () is 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 1938 having shared it with Milan and Ro ...

and signaled the definitive departure from the SZ, TZ,

Lancia Flaminia The Lancia Flaminia (Tipo 813/823/824/826) is a luxury car produced by Italy, Italian automaker Lancia from 1957 until 1970. It was Lancia's Flagship#Automotive, flagship model at that time, replacing the Lancia Aurelia, Aurelia. It was available t ...

and Appia's curvy lines to embrace the squared design of the Lancia Fulvia Sport and Alfa Romeo Junior Z. Chinetti himself made a further special order. In the 1970s, Zagato also started a new project for a mid-engine concept which became the Cadillac N.A.R.T., a luxurious, sophisticated, high-performance four-seater. The front-wheel-drive powertrain of a

Cadillac Eldorado The Cadillac Eldorado is a luxury car manufactured and marketed by the Cadillac Motor Car Division of General Motors from 1952 until 2002, over twelve generations. The Eldorado was at or near the top of the Cadillac product line. The original ...

was relocated to create a mid-engine layout. Zagato was asked to build the prototype from the drawings and a clay model that was conceived in GM's studios. Other notable projects from this time include the Fiat Aster (Based on the 132) and the

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 also saw the assembly of the Lancia Beta Sport Spider, which established Lancia's name in America and Australia, as well as the Bristol 412 Targa, whose design was very similar to the Lancia's.

The 1980s: Limited Edition models

During the early 1980s, Zagato introduced several concept cars, including the Fiat Chicane, the Lancia Thema Station Wagon, the Alfa Romeo Sprint 6, Zeta 6, Alfetta, and 33 Tempo Libero, also available as a 4x4 hybrid. At the same time, the growing demand for exclusive spiders and coupes led Zagato to produce 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, from 1972–1973, the Vantage was a distinct model, being a straight-6 powered version of th ...

(50 units) and

Volante Zagato Volante (meaning "flying" and "steering wheel" in several languages) may refer to: * Volante (carriage), two-wheeled carriage * Volante, a racehorse, the 1885 American Derby winner * ''The Volante'', newspaper of the University of South Dakota, ...

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

. The Alfa Romeo SZ (1989) and RZ roadster (1991) were assembled here for Alfa Romeo, both designed by the first application of the CAD process to automobiles. The SZ was an experimental, rear-wheel drive coupé that recalled Alfa Romeo's sporting pedigree established by previous Alfa–Zagato collaborations, including the 1900 SSZ, Giulietta SZ,

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 Alfa Romeo Giulietta (750/101), Giulietta SZ. In 2011, the name was reduce ...

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

The 1990s: V-Max models

To keep up with the new demands of an evolving market, Zagato organized a one-make race series for Alfa Romeo SZ and RZ starting in 1993. The company soon transformed from a coachbuilder for sports cars into a transportation design studio. The company began to create designs for railways and industrial vehicles as well as prototypes and show cars on behalf of car manufacturers. In 1991 and 1993, the Design Zagato division introduced two

V-Max models based on the 348 (348 Zagato Elaborazione) 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 ...

(FZ93). In 1992, as a tribute to the

Lancia Delta Integrale The Lancia Delta (stylized Lancia δ) 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) d ...

victories, the

Hyena Hyenas or hyaenas ( ; from Ancient Greek , ) are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Hyaenidae (). With just four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the order Carnivora and one of the sma ...

concept was created, with 24 examples being built. Zagato built the

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

and the Lamborghini Canto concepts, both powered by a Lamborghini V12 at the request of Mike Kimberley, Lamborghini's CEO. Voted "Best Concept" at the 1996

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

, 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

to design and produce three V-Max prototypes with low fuel consumption (3 liters/100 kilometers). The

Fiat Ecobasic The Fiat Ecobasic is a concept car designed by the Italian manufacturer Fiat and presented in December 1999 at the Bologna Motor Show and exhibited in March 2000 at the Geneva Motor Show. The purpose of this concept was to prove that it was possi ...

, developed in collaboration with Centro Stile Fiat, was judged to be the best research V-Max concept.

The 2000s: Custom-built models

Special projects created for

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

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 ...

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 ...

, and

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

The 2010s: Centennial models

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

Viper Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, New Zealand, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipe ...

ACR chassis with a carbon fiber body, were notable developments. Due to the joint venture between the

and the

Chrysler FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...

groups, the TZ3 Stradale became the first American Alfa Romeo. Following the

Fiat 500 Coupé Zagato Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...

and AC 378 GTZ, Zagato consolidated its special relationship with

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

liaison was also revamped with the family of Zagato Carreras, as well as

, and

BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...

connection with the 575, the Mostro, and the BMW Twins collections. Since 2017, Zagato has been a partner in the resurrection of the Italian luxury sport 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 ...

. 2019 marked 100 years since Zagato's founding.

The 2020s: Own models

In the 2020s, Zagato has focused its commitment to production of its own cars, a movement started in 2015 with the Mostro; in 2022, it released a

barchetta Barchetta () is an Italian language, Italian word commonly translated into English as "little boat". The term originally referred to a small skiff used for recreational purposes. It is also applied to some items of clothing, as well as being used ...

version of the Mostro, limited to 5 units, and in 2024, announced the AGTZ Twin Tail, based on the

Alpine A110 The Alpine A110 is a sports car produced by French automobile manufacturer Alpine from 1963 to 1977. The car was styled as a " berlinette", which in the post-WWII era refers to a small enclosed two-door berline, better-known as a coupé. The A ...

, limited to 19 units.

Timeline

1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Sport Zagato Spyder - fvr

* 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., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ...

* 1922:

Diatto Tipo 25 4DS 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 ...

* 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 slidin ...

* 1929: Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 * 1929: Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS * 1929:

Maserati Tipo V4 The Maserati Tipo V4 was a grand tourer-style Torpedo (car), torpedo car, designed, developed, and built by Italian manufacturer Maserati, between 1929 and 1932. It was also notably the first known racecar to be powered by a V16 engine. Working on ...

* 1930: Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Testa Fissa * 1932: Maserati Tipo V5 * 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: Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Zagato * 1956: Maserati A6G/54 2000 Zagato Coupé Speciale (one-off) * 1956: Fiat Abarth 750 GT * 1956: Alfa Romeo Giulietta SVZ * 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, spid ...

* 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 c ...

Costin Coupé (Zagato bodied) * 1958: AC Ace-Bristol Zagato * 1958: Lancia Flaminia Sport * 1960: Fiat Abarth 1000 * 1960:

Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato is a grand tourer sports car designed by Zagato and produced between 1960 and 1963. Introduced in October 1960 at the London Motor Show, it was effectively a DB4 GT, lightened and improved by the Zagato factor ...

* 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 * 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 The Alfa Romeo Gran Sport Quattroruote is a two-seater Roadster (automobile), roadster made between 1965 and 1967 by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo and the coachbuilder Zagato. The car wears Retro-style automobile, retro bodywork by Zagato, r ...

* 1965: Lamborghini 3500 GTZ * 1966: Lancia Fulvia Sport * 1967:

Lancia Flavia The Lancia Flavia (Tipo 815/819/820) is an executive car produced by Italian automaker Lancia from 1961 to 1971. The Flavia was launched with a 1,488 cc engine at the Turin Motor Show#1960, 1960 Turin Motor Show and introduced in major Eur ...

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

* 1970: Volvo GTZ 3000 * 1970: Cadillac Eldorado NART * 1972: Iso Varedo * 1972: Alfa Romeo 1600 Junior Z * 1972: Fiat Zagato Aster * 1974: Zagato Zele 1000 * 1975: Bristol 412 * 1976:

Lancia Beta Spider The Lancia Beta (Type 828), stylised Lancia β, was an entry-level luxury car produced by Italian car manufacturer Lancia from 1972 to 1984. It was the first new model introduced by Lancia after it had been taken over by Fiat in 1969. The Bet ...

(Designed by Pininfarina, Zagato bodied) * 1984: Maserati Spyder * 1986: Aston Martin V8 Zagato * 1988: Autech Stelvio * 1988:

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

Lancia Hyena The Lancia Delta (stylized Lancia δ) 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) d ...

* 1992: Fiat 500 Z-ECO * 1993: F.I.V.E Formula Junior Elettrosolare * 1993: Ferrari FZ93 (Renamed ES1) * 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 * 1998: Audi Zuma * 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#2000, Turin Motor Show in June 20 ...

GTA.Z * 2002:

Aston Martin DB7 Zagato The Aston Martin DB7 is a car that was produced by British luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2004. It was designed by Ian Callum and Keith Helfet as a grand tourer in coupé and convertible bodystyles. The pro ...

* 2003:

Aston Martin DB AR1 The Aston Martin DB7 is a car that was produced by British luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2004. It was designed by Ian Callum and Keith Helfet as a grand tourer in coupé and convertible bodystyles. The pro ...

* 2004: Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Roadster * 2004:

Lancia Fulvia The Lancia Fulvia (Tipo 818) is a car 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: Berlina 4 ...

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 pr ...

* 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-One ...

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

IsoRivolta Zagato Vision Gran Turismo The IsoRivolta Zagato Vision Gran Turismo is a concept car that was introduced in October 2017 at the Gran Turismo booth during the 45th Tokyo Motor Show. It is part of the Vision Gran Turismo and is inspired by the Iso Rivolta, a coupe that Iso ...

* 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 model (line)s from Italian carmaker Alfa Romeo. The first were the four-door Type 105 entry-level compact executive sports sedans produced from 1962 to 1978; the second are the upda ...

SWB Zagato * 2024:

Zagato AGTZ Twin Tail The Zagato AGTZ Twin Tail is a sports car produced by Zagato and introduced in 2024. Overview In February 2024, the Italian design studio and bodyworks presented its first project under its own Zagato brand since the 1990s. The small-volume veh ...

* 2025: Alfa Romeo 8C DoppiaCoda

Notable designers

* Vieri Rapi (1947–1950) *

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 ...

(1960–1969; 1992) * Giuseppe Mittino (1970–1987) * Marco Pedracini (1990–1998) * Norihiko Harada (1996–present)

References

External links

* https://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

History

The 1910s: Aeronautics

The 1920s: Classic models

The 1930s: Aerodynamic models

The 1940s: Panoramic models

The 1950s: Gran Turismo models

The 1960s: Fuoriserie models

The 1970s: Geometric models

The 1980s: Limited Edition models

The 1990s: V-Max models

The 2000s: Custom-built models

The 2010s: Centennial models

The 2020s: Own models

Timeline

Notable designers

See also

References

External links