Latest news with #Zagato
Motor Trend
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Magnifico! The Lamborghini 3500 GTZ Is the Coolest Lambo You Never Heard Of
[This story first appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of MotorTrend Classic] Ferruccio Lamborghini's firm was barely two years old when the 3500 GTZ broke cover in 1965. That makes the rave reviews of his first model, the 350 GT—the car upon which the 3500 GTZ was based—all the more remarkable. The Lamborghini 3500 GTZ is a rare, custom coachwork car styled by Zagato in 1965, based on the 350 GT. With unique styling and impressive performance, it was nearly forgotten. Only two were made, showcasing bespoke coachwork and adding a unique chapter to Lamborghini's history. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next 'The [350 GT] was a delightful experience from beginning to end,' Jerry Titus observed in his Sports Car Graphic road test. 'Acceleration is impressive, [and] it seems like nothing flat is the time it takes to get to 150 mph. The overall stability is really excellent…Fabulous is the only word for the brakes. Enzo, Orsi, and David Brown better look to their laurels!' Since those impressions were typical—another tester proclaimed the 350 GT would 'give Ferrari a migraine'—why would anyone want to tinker with such success to make the 3500 GTZ? The multifaceted answer starts with the 350 GT's alluring mechanicals. In March 1964, when the model debuted, the car's 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-12 featured four overhead cams, whereas Ferrari's engines only had two. A five-speed transmission was standard; Ferraris and Astons typically used a four-speed with electronic overdrive. A rigid axle was located at the rear of those competitors; the Lamborghini boasted four-wheel independent suspension. And, as Titus observed, superb stopping power came compliments of four large disc brakes with servo assist. Probably the best argument for the 3500 GTZ was the 350 GT's controversial styling. Though the shape has aged quite well, Carrozzeria Touring had to use the Franco Scaglione-designed sharp-edged 350 GTV prototype as its starting point. 'Lamborghini had shown his car at the Turin Show in 1963,' comments Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni, Touring's former design head who oversaw the 350 GT's styling. 'It was important that our car not look completely different. You couldn't pass from the 350 GTV to the Miura, for example.' Further fanning the flames was the period's prosperity, which coupled beautifully with the auto industry's creative yeastiness. During World War II, numerous coachbuilders such as Anderloni's father and key personnel found refuge from the ravages of war by focusing on what they wanted to design after the conflict ended. Once it did, that pent-up creativity and Italy's highly skilled but inexpensive labor force let loose with an expressive explosion of custom coachwork that lasted well into the late 1960s.'It was like a giant, compressed spring,' says Filippo Sapino, former head of design at Ghia. 'When the war ended, that spring released.' Taking advantage of that fertile period were industrialists, heads of state, titled individuals, celebrities, and automotive manufacturers who flocked in droves to the numerous carrozzerie in Turin and Milan. One such custom coachwork patron was marquis Gerino Gerini, a well-connected Ferrari and Maserati Formula 1 and endurance racer of the 1950s. In the early 1960s, the nobleman was appointed commercial director of ASA, a Milan-based firm that built the diminutive four-cylinder 1000 GT under license from Ferrari. He was also a successful high-end car dealer—by the summer of 1965, his Lamborcar dealership had sold approximately 25 percent of the 350 GTs produced. Gerini knew his way around the exoticar circles, and he was a father of the 3500 GTZ. 'There was no strategy of collaboration between us and Zagato,' notes Paolo Stanzani, one of Lamborghini's top engineers at the time who would later gain fame as father of the Countach. Rather, 'it was Gerino Gerini. Using his own initiative, he bought from us two chassis complete with the mechanicals and the wheelbase, shortened to 2450 mm compared with 2550 of the 350 GT of Touring. He then had Zagato do the bodywork.' When Gerini came calling at Zagato, the carrozzeria was on a serious roll. Its Alfa SVZ, TZ1, and TZ2 endurance racers had dominated their classes for years, and limited-production models such as Alfa's 2600 SZ and Lancia's Flaminia 3C were highly regarded in the prestige marketplace. Running the firm at the time was founder Ugo Zagato's eldest son, Elio, with younger brother Gianni one of his key lieutenants. Making their design vision a reality was the company's young chief stylist, Ercole Spada. Only 27 years of age when the 3500 GTZ project landed on his drawing board, Spada had joined the carrozzeria five years prior, shortly after finishing his military tour of duty. So how did a former tank commander become an ace stylist in such a short period? 'Before the military, I was in a technical school for mechanical engineering,' Spada says. 'I have always sketched cars, and whenever there was some space on a piece of paper, I was sketching.' He recognized that passion early in his life, so following his military tour, he sent letters to Abarth, Zagato, and Alfa Romeo, 'asking if there was a job for me.' Only Zagato answered, and soon after Spada was hired he found himself on the fast track to stardom. 'At the time,' he says, 'to build a new car was very simple. I made a 1:1 section, and then they would make a wire frame. Today, you see that frame in the computer; back then, it was real. They would make the frame and then weld. After that, with aluminum, the men would make the car.' When Gerini's chassis arrived from Lamborghini, cars created by Spada under Elio's tutelage included Aston's DB4 GTZ and the aforementioned TZ1 and TZ2. Regarding the 3500 GTZ project, 'I was free to design how I wanted, with no restrictions or interferences,' Spada says. 'For a front-engine car with the Lamborghini's proportions, I felt it was necessary to relate it to other Zagato cars in the same period. 'I thus took inspiration from something I had already done in-house, the Alfa TZ2. The idea was to create a new, well-refined, and comfortable GT. Though I was starting from a race car, I wanted to keep similar volumes, design language, and styling cues.' Stanzani confirms the 3500 GTZ was, in his words, a 'Zagato project.' 'There was absolutely no Lamborghini participation for the development of the GTZ,' he says. 'The design and body construction was done entirely by them. We had a technician who remained there to mount certain parts, and I personally visited Zagato a few times to verify that the layout of the mechanical components was true to Lamborghini specifications.' For reasons neither Stanzani nor Spada recalls, the first 3500 GTZ (chassis number 0310) appeared at 1965's London motor show—rather than Turin several weeks later—where it was well received. 'The latest Lamborghini on the Zagato stand,' one commentator noted, 'is a lightweight version of the Lamborghini coupe and, if I may say so, is considerably better looking than the Touring version. It seems very purposeful with twin bulges in the bonnet and air extractor gills in the tail.' London would be the model's only show appearance. A second 3500 GTZ, chassis number 0322, was made shortly after 0310's London debut, and one of the cars served as Stanzani's personal mount for several months. 'It was 100 kilos lighter than the standard 350 GT,' the engineer recalls, 'so it handled very well and had good acceleration. It had good visibility and interior space, but it was not very comfortable!' Lamborghini's documentation shows that 0322 was delivered to Gerini's Lamborcar in late November 1965, while 0310 was sold off in September 1966. After that September entry in Lamborghini's record books, the 3500 GTZ model slipped off Lamborghini's radar into exoticar obscurity, known and recognized only by die-hard Zagato and Lamborghini enthusiasts. My first personal contact with 0310 came some 20 years ago during one of my early stints as a chief class judge at Pebble Beach. One of my classes that year was Italian Custom Coachwork, and the GTZ fit the bill perfectly. I talked the Australian owner into sending it to the States, so after the show, it resided in Northern California for a period before being sold off to Europe. It ended up in Germany, where it stayed until it was sold at auction in 2003 to an American Zagato enthusiast. Following a total restoration that returned it to its original bianco Zagato color, 3500 GTZ 0310 went back to Pebble in 2006, where it placed third in its class. Last November, I judged the Lamborghini from a different perspective, being the first journalist to test the car. On initial approach, it's easy to see Spada's TZ2 inspiration—especially from the rear. The 3500 GTZ has the same square-edged Kamm tail and overall proportions, though it looks as if a bit of Maserati Mistral greenhouse was injected into the design. The most intriguing (and subtle) external element is the exhaust—it's not out back where you expect it. Instead, it resides just below the back edge of the door, same as on the (you guessed it) TZ2. The lightweight door opens easily with a traditional chromed handle, and once in the driver's seat, the first thing I notice is that shortened wheelbase and low roofline. A standard 350 GT fits my 6-foot-3 frame nicely; here I feel like a pretzel. Even with the seat all the way back and the backrest sloping rearward, I need to slouch and position my neck and shoulders at a strange angle. My knees wrap up around the glossy wood steering-wheel rim, and so tight is the fit that my left kneecap bumps against the window crank. I have to put the crank straight up or down to get my foot on the clutch! It makes for an intriguing first drive. My overnight destination is Sedona, two to three hours and around 150 miles away. Fortunately, the fall weather in Arizona is fabulous, sunny and in the mid-70s, so the crank remains in a vertical position with the window all the way down. And that's a good thing, for this Lambo makes a banshee wail that's well worth the price of admission, and then some. After giving the key a turn to activate the fuel pumps, I push it in to activate the starter. Its motor whirrs for a couple seconds, and the engine awakens like a prima donna who loves good drama. Initially the V-12 is fairly quiet, as if stirring from a deep slumber. Then everything instantly comes alive—six dual-throat carbs gulping air, 24 valves, four cams and two chains turning, the sound of a symphony of sewing machines working in perfect concert. At low rpm ranges just above idle, the car is a pussycat. The medium-weighted clutch releases smoothly, and the Lambo glides without a hiccup, happily puttering along at 2500 rpm or less. The accelerator pedal has very long travel, so you need to stick your foot into it to feel what she'll really do. Once near and especially when the throttle is on the floor, this Lambo is a serious sprinter, surging ahead like Usain Bolt turning on the afterburners. There is one serious long pull to the 7000-rpm redline. The linear engine never seeming to hit cam like its Ferrari competition, as the acceleration simply gains more force the higher the tach spins. As she rips through 4000 rpm up to redline, the noise bellowing from the engine and especially the open exhaust some 3 to 4 feet away from my shoulder is utterly delicious, perhaps the best sound this side of a 250 TR. Back in the day, the term 'ripping canvas' was often used to describe a Ferrari under hard acceleration. Well, this Lambo's canvas has at least a thousand-thread count, so smooth is the sound, so perfect the pitch. The engine works beautifully with the five-speed transmission. The gearbox has a nice, tight feel, but the throw is a bit longer than I like; think of the old Borg Warner T-10 and add 75 to 100 percent to the travel to get an idea. Yet the precise way it slots into gear is just as exact as that fabled four-speed, and its lighter touch means you need only 50 percent of the effort. Lamborghinis were well known for their suspensions, and the GTZ is no exception. It feels comfy and compliant around town, and only gets better on the open road. On this drive, it settles into a relaxed 80-90-mph gate, the engine humming ahead, the exhaust mellifluous, the suspension connecting to the road and easily absorbing most every bump, letting me know of any surface imperfection but never jarring. Through mid-range sweepers I feel the rear end plant as the suspension does the work, an interesting sensation in these days of super-grippy modern tires and computerized suspension wizardry. What's it worth? Anyone's guess, as it's such a rare duck. $750,000 seems like an easy get; perhaps a million on the right day at the right auction to the right buyer. Four days and several hundred miles later, I am more than glad that Gerini commissioned the 3500 GTZ four-plus decades ago. Within three to four years, the custom coachwork era would draw to a close, and those two unique 350 GTs serve as a reminder of the time, all while adding a nice bit of overlooked spice to the Lamborghini mythos. Magnifico! Ask the Man Who Owns One One of 0310's owners is a serious Zagato enthusiast. 'I became enamored with Zagato in college when I saw my first picture of a Zagato-bodied car, a Maserati A6G 2000. That was the start. Today, our collection has approximately 25 cars with Zagato coachwork.' Why I Like It: The rarity, the way it drives makes it a super comfortable event car. And it is a Zagato. Why It's Collectible: Custom coachwork is hot, and Zagato is one of the best names. And only one other exists. Restoring/Maintaining: Look for subtle lines other restorers might cover up. For instance the crease line on the top of the rear fender. Mechanically it has been incredibly sound, but tuning the carbs is a bit like tuning a piano. Beware: It is a seller's market! Expect To Pay: This car is not for sale. Join The Club: Lamborghini Club of America ( Lamborghini Owners Club ( Lamborghini Club of Los Angeles ( Our Take Then: 'It's a limited production Grand Touring machine that's built to give unlimited driving pleasure!' —Jerry Titus on the production 350 GT, Sports Car Graphic, March 1966 Now: Lamborghini's first custom coachwork car based on a production model adds some forgotten spice to the company's history. Had Lamborghini desired to make a front-engine sports car beyond the original 350 and 400, the 3500 GTZ was a great place to start.
Car and Driver
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
This 1967 Ford Mustang on Bring a Trailer Is Also an Italian Exotic
Everyone's familiar with the '67 Mustang, but not this one. This is an authentic Zagato design. As a former Mille Miglia entrant, it's eligible to run the Mille again in the future. Presumably, you've heard of the term Spaghetti Western. Well, here's what that genre might look like in car form: a traditional American hero, but done up by an Italian auteur. This 1967 Mustang GT fastback is a one-of-one Elaborazione Zagato, with styling tweaks from one of Italy's best-known coachbuilders, and it's up for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). The design may not be to everyone's taste, but the provenance means it should fetch a fistful of dollars. Bring a Trailer This car left the Ford assembly line in the spring of 1967 and was shipped to Italy along with a Shelby GT350. Originally white, and fitted with a 289-cubic-inch V-8 and a four-speed manual, it was repainted green and fitted with custom bodywork that gave it a very Peugeot-like front end. Bring a Trailer From the rear three-quarter, this car is still very much a Mustang. From the front, only the galloping horse badge gives a clue to those thrown off by the square headlights and hood scoop. It's certainly not going to appeal to everyone, but the fact that this is the only one ever made gives it impeccable rarity. Bring a Trailer Originally driven into the early 1980s by its first owner, this Mustang Zagato was put into storage for a little over a decade before being restored. During the restoration, the decision was made to repaint the car to its original white; however, this was reversed with a 2019 repaint. At this point, the car was certified by Zagato, giving it further authenticity. So verified, the car was invited to participate in the 2021 Mille Miglia. This adds quite a level of appeal, as having once been invited to participate, it's eligible for future events. Getting into the Mille is a bit tricky, and this Mustang Zagato might be just the ticket. Bring a Trailer Best of all, while the unusual bodywork is a one-off, this is still a V-8 Mustang underneath. You get a four-barrel-fed 289 V-8 with plenty of torque, plenty of mechanical spare parts out there to keep it running, and a comfortable 2+2 cabin. The overall condition of the car is tidy, but it's not a museum piece you can't drive. Part of the fun here is the "I never heard of it" effect you'd get when rolling up to a show in this car. Everyone's seen a 1967 Mustang GT fastback before, but this car's sure to draw comments. The auction ends on July 17. Brendan McAleer Contributing Editor Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. Read full bio
Motor 1
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
You Can Own This Ultra-Rare Italian Viper
Alfa Romeo has made some truly beautiful limited-edition sports cars in its time. Remember the Disco Volante? What about the Giulia SWB Zagato? Both stunning. This particular car is a TZ3 Stradale, one of just 9 ever produced—and for the right price, it can be in your driveway. Alfa Romeo built the TZ3 Stradale in 2010 to help celebrate its 100th anniversary. The car was designed by Zagato and debuted at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy. Built atop the Dodge Viper ACR-X platform, oddly enough, the TZ3 Stradale weighed just 1,874 pounds thanks to its lightweight carbon fiber frame and aluminum body panels. Photo by: Young Motorcars Under the TZ3 Stradale's long and lovely hood is the Viper's 8.4-liter V-10 engine. It made 600 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque when new, paired to a six-speed manual transmission. That was enough horsepower for a 0-60 mph time of just over 3.0 seconds, and a top speed of over 200 mph. This particular car was part of a collection in Arizona, and it has just 1,863 miles on the odometer. It's up for sale via Young Motorcars . The exterior is finished in a beautiful Dark Blue metallic paint, while the interior is awash in a lovely caramel-colored leather. When new, Alfa Romeo asked over $1 million for the TZ3 Stradale—expected for such a rare and powerful machine. But you can get this one at a pretty solid discount; the seller is asking just $675,000. That's quite the bargain for an ultra-rare piece of Alfa Romeo history if you ask us. 9 Source: Young Motorcars The Latest From Alfa Romeo New Alfa Romeo Stelvio: Everything We Know The Alfa Romeo 8C Is Back. But Not as You Remember It Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Top Gear
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
The Alfa Romeo 8C returns: this is the one-off, V8 DoppiaCoda Zagato
First Look Zagato's been busy, fettling a BMW and now resurrecting the gorgeous 8C Skip 6 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Rules of Automotive #45: everything sounds better in Italian. The latest example is the stunning new DoppiaCoda , which in English means 'double tail'. It's a reference to Zagato's famous rear detailing, represented here on a rebodied Alfa Romeo 8C. An Alfa 8C! One of the prettiest cars to have ever graced our little blue planet! Zagato's reasoning for 'celebrating the 8C lineage' – after 2023's Giulia SWB – can be traced back to the bodies it built for the original 8C back in the 1930s. Advertisement - Page continues below This one's been designed and built in-house by Zagato and Zagato alone, for a 'visionary' Italian collector, and is 'both a historical homage and a visionary concept'. The Milanese coachbuilder said it fuses two of its design codes: a Kamm-tail and rounded tail. 'We may have just started a new chapter in Zagato design,' said Andrea Zagato, 'focused on researching tail sections and exploring new aerodynamic and stylistic solutions to spark innovation, just like coachbuilders always used to do.' You might like Chief designer Norihiko Harada apparently sketched out a line that flows from the front wheel arch towards the rear, and towards a new rear wing that 'cuts off almost vertically'. It's designed that way so the wing forms a ring, making it look like it's set into the tail of the 8C. 'In this way, the wing is completely detached from the body, yet appears to be part of it from the side,' said Harada-san. 'The coda tronca (Kamm-tail) is a design solution traditionally used in extreme, race-inspired sports cars,' he continued. Advertisement - Page continues below 'But if applied directly to a high-class GT like the 8C, the tail would have felt visually heavy. That's why this 'wing tronca' was developed specifically for this car.' No word on powertrain upgrades, so the front-mounted 444bhp V8 likely remains. And while the V8 sounds good, and DoppiaCoda sounds better, jury's out on if Zagato has made the Alfa 8C – a work of art, remember – better. 8 minutes 43 seconds Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
Top Gear
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Alpina is back! Sort of! Meet the 603bhp, BMW M4-based Bovensiepen Zagato
Alpina is back! Sort of! Meet the 603bhp, BMW M4-based Bovensiepen Zagato Alpina's founding family returns with a powerful GT designed by Zagato Skip 20 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 20 Meet the brand new Bovensiepen Zagato, a product of a small outfit working out of Buchloe in Bavaria. Which is in Germany. It is a powerful, 603bhp two-door GT, and it is – oh, right, the name. 'The name Bovensiepen is no stranger in the automotive industry,' said the company, 'and now it stands for a manufacturer of exceptional automobiles that embody the concept of 'fine driving'.' Advertisement - Page continues below That's right, Alpina's founding family – the Bovensiepens – have started their own company having sold that beloved name to BMW back in 2022. The first offering? A… BMW. But it is no ordinary BMW, because Bovensiepen has tasked Zagato with reshaping the BMW M4 into something quite unique, and entirely out of carbon fibre. And one that wants to bring back some of the allure of the automobile. 'As two family businesses, we still view the automobile through romantic eyes,' said Andrea Zagato. 'Today, many vehicles are highly standardised, and their romance is being lost.' To rekindle that romance, Zagato chief designer Norihiko Harada ushered in 'a kind of mixture of Italian flair, a kind of sexy and soft design, and a German, very solid, almost architectural structure'. Advertisement - Page continues below The first thing that'll strike you is Zagato's studious binning of the M4's kidney grille, replacing it with a single, streamlined intake supplemented by a pair of huge cheeks for side intakes. There are new headlights. A U-shaped vent in the bonnet. And the obligatory double-bubble roof and rear window because Zagato. The rear's been almost squared off compared to its BMW sibling, with a straighter cut bottom end where the old diffuser sat, new rear headlights, fins on either side and an elegant ducktail spoiler. The quad tailpipes are present and correct, mind. Tailipipes stuck on the end of a new lightweight Akrapovic exhaust system that cuts 40 per cent from the M4's stock exhaust weight and is said to reduce back pressure 'significantly'. That's married to a few other unlisted mods to boost the Bimmer's 3.0-litre turbo six from 523bhp to 603bhp and 516lb ft. That chops but two tenths off the M4's 0-62mph time – now 3.3s – and uncorks a top speed of beyond 186mph. Bovensiepen's bolted in Bilsten dampers offering three driving modes – comfort, sport and sport plus – and fitted 20in forged wheels. Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email* Neither Bovensiepen nor Zagato appear to have messed with the M4's interior, but have layered it in copious amounts of leather and aluminium and blue. Naturally each car can be personalised to your heart's content. And each car will take over 250 hours to complete. How much you'll pay for such extravagance has yet to be revealed, nor how many of these will be built. But it's the start of something new for Andreas and Florian Bovensiepen. 'In the future, Bovensiepen will realize exciting automotive projects that combine precision and harmony in the form of timeless design and outstanding engineering,' said this small outfit working out of Buchloe in Bavaria. And what about Alpina? New BMW designer and ex-Polestar man Max Missoni is in charge of carving out the cult tuner's new identity. "I'm really confident that this will be an exciting journey with Alpina," Missoni told "When we dove into the brand and all its peculiarities, there were so many wonderfully whimsical things to discover, beyond the technology and performance side but also on the design and storytelling side. There are many new brands that struggle to be seen and heard because they have no history or relevance. Alpina might be small but it still creates an emotional connection."
