Italian design firm Zagato has a way with making things red and black — and extra angular. Why, just look at what they did to a standard Nissan Leopard in turning it into the Stelvio. And while the Stelvio’s integrated fender mirrors and overall level of crazy isn’t to everyone’s taste, general favor has always fallen upon Alfa Romeo’s ’90s Zagato model, the SZ.
Come and have a look.
Where the Stelvio was a heavily-modified Nissan Leopard, the SZ was a brand new design all its own. The S and Z making up the model’s name stand for Sprint Zagato.
Always intended as a limited-production model, the SZ debuted in concept format at the Geneva Motor Show in 1989. A lucky few individuals purchased them at Alfa dealers between that year and 1991. Though the body was brand new, most everything underneath it was not. The equally angular 75 model donated its engine, a 3.0-liter V6.
Most other mechanical components also came from the 75, but the suspension came from another level. The Alfa 75 IMSA car provided the suspension, with modifications for road duty made by the Lancia and Fiat rally team. Holding everything down to the road, the SZ shipped with standard Pirelli P Zero tires. Those have been replaced with cheaper Michelin units on this used example.
Today’s SZ is from late in the run, a ’91 model bearing production number 946. The original plan was to make 1,000 units but, this being Alfa Romeo, things got a bit enthusiastic. The company made 1,036 instead.
Interior accommodations on the SZ are perhaps not quite as expected — an interesting mix of luxury appointments and spartan racing-inspired simplicity.
The SZ got a follow-up model that is considerably rarer and even more doorstop-looking, called the RZ. Alfa Romeo cut the roof off the SZ to make it, implementing an R to mean Roadster. Alfa Romeo produced only 278 of the intended 350 Roadster Zagatos between 1992 and 1994.
Located in San Francisco, where some bridges are also red, this particular SZ was imported from Japan. Its condition appears excellent, since approximately zero of these were ever driven hard or very far. With 4,665 kilometers on the dial, the seller says it has 7,500 miles. Unless my American to Canadian calculator is failing me, I think that’s wrong.
Anyway, enjoy some boxy Alfa Romeo, which is yours for $79,000. The dealer has a Roadster too.
[Images via seller]
If the car was imported from Japan, why does it have Vermont plates in CA?
I think it is to get around California’s Air Resources Board. Although the 27-year old car is legal to import to the US, it cannot be registered in California due to California’s restrictive emissions regulations.
Sure, but the importer doesn’t need to register it anywhere in order to sell it (if they’re legit, that is).
Maybe the car was registered in Vermont and then the owner moved to Cali.
Or maybe it’s consigned to someone in Cali.
Or maybe, like you say, it couldn’t be registered in Cali.
The mind boggles.
People might better know this car as the one driven by Mamoru Chiba (AKA Darien Shields in the DiC dub), or Tuxedo Mask, in the Sailor Moon ’92 anime. How a teenager (eighteen?) afforded this car is a mystery, but the animators thought he deserved it.
His motorcycle was a Bimota Tesi, another rare and expensive ride.
Weeb. :-p
I do not deny it.
Sailor Moon (and other animes of the eighties/early nineties) seemed to share a lot of artists who had love for exotic automobiles, especially Italian ones.
I’ve always loved Masato’s Alpine A310 in Neon Genesis Evangelion
Why would anyone pay that much for a car that is much slower, uglier, less practical, less reliable, and at the same time more expensive to buy and maintain than a new Alfa Guilia Quadrifoglia with factory warranty (that you will likely need)?
Why would anyone pay more for an ancient VW Van than a new Tiguan with factory warranty?
Three words:
Cannibis
Sativa
L.
(OK, that’s two words and an abbreviation.)
The VW Van will still be worth something in 5 years?
Because the van is actually comfortable?
Why would anyone buy an FCA product when they could just get an M3?
Do you even like cars?
Why not just buy a Corolla S? It’d do the same job.
If you have actually driven a Corolla S (and I have), then your question answers itself thusly: hell, no.
Lol it was a joke. As in, he obviously misses the point of this car.
I love the steering wheel.
I must possess the Italian CRX. Because ridiculous.
Agreed, this thing’s fab.
Its amazing.
I love that interior. That’s what the inside of a car should look like.
Love it.
I wonder what that handle on the left side of the passenger’s seat is – an “oh s**t” bar? Ejection seat handle?
Maybe it’s how you’re supposed to move the passenger seat forward to get at the cargo area.
This car sold back in October for 65K. Beautiful car!
Damn it! I posted a comment but it isn’t here.
Anyway, I love the car. Its so sexy, I want it to marry me and take me home to meet the in-laws.
If I hit the power ball, I’d make him an offer. No joke.
the most ghastly alfa ever built: what a gargoyle ….
U.G.L.Y.
Car by Saturn, body kit by 14 year old doodling in math class.
The front end has a kinda post-modern Olds Achieva/Ford Edsel thing going on.
I see a lot of 1st generation DSM Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon in the styling and the interior.
it took 5 years to sell these cars. it was priced sky-high, more than a lotus esprit.
wasn’t even fast, it couldn’t outrun the vauxhall turbo
Could pull 1.4 g on the skid pad in off-the-showroom-floor condition. Highest for any production car at the time.