Zagato

Rédaction : Albert Lallement

DISCRETE ELEGANCE

Founded more than a century ago, Carrozzeria Zagato has less of a reputation than Italian heavyweights such as Pininfarina and Bertone, but its creations have always been highly original.

This Milanese coachbuilder has often limited itself to small production runs, making it less visible to the general public, but its models for the biggest manufacturers are nevertheless marked by a strong personality. A Zagato body is instantly recognisable for its elegant lines and the high quality of its construction. Its image of top-of-the-range craftsmanship has endured over the years and continues to be the distinguishing feature of the company's reputation.

The Lancia Appia GTZ, shown here as the "Cammello" prototype of 1956, features the characteristics of the Zagato bodywork of the period: double bubble on the roof and vast areas of glass. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Lancia D.R.

Right from its beginnings in 1919, Carrozzeria Zagato distinguished itself with its own distinctive style, influenced by its founder Ugo Zagato's early career in aircraft construction. The company's first cars were characterised by their light, aerodynamic structure, which was soon appreciated in competition by brands such as Alfa Romeo. Soon, the cars marked with the characteristic Z on their bodywork were known for their sporty and exclusive character.

INSPIRED BY AVIATION

When Ugo Zagato founded Carrozzeria Ugo Zagato & Co in Milan in March 1919, he already had a solid professional background in industrial mechanics. Before the First World War, barely 30 years, he had worked for four years in a metallurgical plant in Germany, before joining a major aeronautical factory belonging to the Ansaldo Group, Fabbrica Aeroplani Ing. Ottorino Pomilio, in Turin. This experience in aircraft construction was to be crucial to his future career, as it was for Gabriel Voisin in France at the same time.

In fact, from his earliest designs, Ugo Zagato focused on lightweight construction, a low centre of gravity and low air resistance. Zagato had the advantage of being an autodidact who was able to free himself from the traditional construction techniques that had been inherited from horse-drawn vehicles and adopted by most manufacturers of the time. The bodywork at Zagato was not made of wood, as was normally the case, but instead had a structure made of steel sections covered with aluminium alloy elements that were riveted together in the same way as aircraft fuselages.

In 1948 Zagato collaborated with Ferrari for the first time on a 166 MM coupé owned by Antonio Stagnoli, a Scuderia works driver. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © © Lancia D.R.

THE INTER-WAR PERIOD WITH ALFA

Zagato's technical approach attracted the interest of several manufacturers involved in competition, including Alfa Romeo, which entrusted him with its G1 Corsa Grand Prix single-seater in 1921. This marked the start of a close and fruitful partnership, which continued with the RLSS in 1923, followed by the 6C 1500 Super Sport Zagato, the car in which Giuseppe Campari and Giulio Ramponi won the Mille Miglia in 1928. The same team won again in 1929 with a 6C 1750 SS version, while the 6C 1750 GS Spider achieved a third victory in 1930, with drivers Tazio Nuvolari and Giovanni Battista Guidotti.

Subsequently, the Zagato-bodied Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 won the Le Mans 24 Hours from 1932 to 1936 and the Targa Florio from 1931 to 1933. During this period, the name "Zagato" was synonymous with sports car construction, and the Milanese craftsman soon found himself in the position of official coachbuilder to Alfa Romeo. During this prosperous period, Zagato also occasionally built chassis for Bugatti (Type 43 Spider of 1927) and Fiat (509 S of 1927), while offering its services to racing teams, including Scuderia Ferrari, which had been Alfa Romeo's armed wing in competition since 1929. At the end of the 1930s, Alfa Romeo opted to move its range towards more luxurious rather than sporty models, and Zagato was gradually sidelined in favour of Touring.

From the 1950s onwards, many manufacturers entrusted Zagato with the special and sports bodies in their range, which were distinguished by the famous Z on their bodywork. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Lancia D.R.

TWO FANTASTIC DECADES

In August 1943, the Zagato factory was destroyed by bombing raids and the coachbuilder's business was temporarily transferred to Isotta-Fraschini. In 1946, in the heart of Milan, a new factory was built in Via Giorgini, close to the Alfa Romeo factory in Portello. At this time, Ugo Zagato's two sons joined the company. The oldest, Elio (1921-2009), was an experienced racing driver, while the youngest, Gianni (1929-2020), was an engineer. Both were to carry on their father's spirit of innovation long after his death in 1968. Zagato's collaboration with Lancia only really began after the war, with the famous Panoramica bodywork designed with Vieri Rapi, the company's chief stylist.

The two companies enjoyed such close ties that the carmaker regularly included models bodied by the Milanese craftsman in its catalogue, and these were displayed on the brand's official stand at international motor shows. Zagato also took an interest in British brands, for which he produced remarkable bodywork, such as the famous Aston Martin DB4 GTZ, considered to be one of his greatest masterpieces along with the Maserati A6G 54. In the 1970s, the oil crisis forced Zagato to diversify, with success, into industrial product design, where the firm continues to be a recognised player to this day. In 2019, Andrea Zagato, Elio's son, became the new head of the family business.

At the 1983 Geneva Motor Show, Zagato Industrial Design presented the Alfa Romeo Zeta 6 prototype, pictured here in front of the coachbuilder's headquarters in Terrazzano di Rho, near Milan. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Lancia D.R.

The main Lancias with bodywork by Zagato

• 1929 : Lancia Lambda 221 Mille Miglia Spider

• 1938 : Lancia Aprilia Sport Aerodinamica

• 1949 : Lancia Ardea Panoramica

• 1955 : Lancia Aurelia B20 Zagato

• 1957 : Lancia Appia GTE/GTS

• 1958 : Lancia Flaminia Sport

• 1961 : Lancia Appia Sport

• 1962 : Lancia Flavia Sport

• 1962 : Lancia Flaminia Tubolare

• 1966 : Lancia Fulvia Sport

• 1967 : Lancia Fulvia Super Sport

• 1974 : Lancia Beta Spider

• 1992 : Lancia Hyena

• 2003 : Lancia Fulvia Sport Concept

• 2005 : Lancia Ypsilon Sport Zagato

AN EXEMPLARY PARTNERSHIP

Carrozzeria Zagato's partnership with Lancia, which spanned more than 100 years of activity, represented an era of great sporting success. The 1950s and 1960s were a veritable golden age for the two companies, working closely together to the extent that, from 1955 to 1966, Zagato produced special bodywork for the entire Lancia catalogue. During this period, Zagato transformed some of the most modest models and those at the top of the range into sports cars, some of them even racing cars. In fact, the Zagato versions were generally the best performing among Lancia's sports cars. These versions featured daring new technical and aerodynamic solutions. On the outside, they were distinguished by the famous double bubble on the roof, allowing drivers equipped with racing helmets to be accommodated more easily.