IN THE MARK OF Z
Lightweight and aerodynamic: are those the words at the bottom of the Milan based Company which celebrated 100 years of creativity the past year, in 2019. Cars signed by the last letter of the alphabet, become famous for their functionalist design and thanks to the link to the most glorious pages of the Automotive history. Indeed, Zagato Atelier designed the car on which debuted Enzo Ferrari as racing-driver, the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 – car that, on its development (1750 6C), won several times the 1000 Miglia, also driven by Tazio Nuvolari. In competition, another successful car signed by the Z, was the Alfa 159 F1, which led Juan Manuel Fangio to his first Formula One World Championship Title in 1951.
Ugo Zagato (grandfather of the current Director Andrea Zagato) founded the Atelier in 1919, after an aeronautical experience in Great War during which he built airplanes in Turin for military command- he has been in charge for the project of the biplane on which Gabriele d’Annunzio made the famous “Volo su Vienna” in 1918. Transferred in Milano, Zagato began his coachbuilder career as restorer and manufacturer of airplanes and cars: his thought was that if he had the chance to shape a car body, he would make it just like an airplane, but without wings!
As we know, Ugo Zagato, managed to make his dream come true, being the first adapting aerodinamics concept applied to the Automotive world: titling the windsceen and later replaced the havier and stiffer glass with plexiglass (that was possible to bend), designing headlights incorporated with the bodywork. His success also grows thanks the many demands to prepare racing cars featuring a functional design which was also technical and stylistic improvement – the result was “one-off” car built following the specification of the various clients.
After 100 years of activity, with the same high attention for volume shapes, Zagato continues to create exclusive cars in limited production runs, by reinterpreting in a modern key those elements that have distinguished the brand in the past, such as the use of sophisticated and lightweight materials and the adoption of the double bubble on the roof. Consistency is the characteristic which accompanied the brand since 1919 to the present: from the 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 MM Aerodinamica, passing through the 1964 Aston Martin DB4 GTZ to arrive at the 2012 Porsche Carrera GTZ, all the models have been guided by the concept of “bellezza necessaria”.
Andrea Zagato, son of Elio and grandson of Ugo, is the men leading the Company since the early ‘90s. In 1993 Andrea met Mariella Rivolta Barbieri, the niece of the founder of ISO Rivolta, and she began his partner both in business and personal life. They invested in the most advanced technology to the support of CAD system for modelling, and also to specialized employees to guarantee the best final result for their projects. Today they could count on an elite clientele which is in love with the style that distinguished the Company over the years, asking them to add a special touch to their series cars. Moreover concept cars and styling proposals for the Automotive world, Zagato styles and built prototypes for all the areas of the transportation sector – in 2001 won the “Compasso d’oro” for the ATM Eurotram, used in Milano, Porto and Strasburg.
ENGINEROUTE
IN THE MARK OF Z
Lightweight and aerodynamic: are those the words at the bottom of the Milan based Company which celebrated 100 years of creativity the past year, in 2019. Cars signed by the last letter of the alphabet, become famous for their functionalist design and thanks to the link to the most glorious pages of the Automotive history. Indeed, Zagato Atelier designed the car on which debuted Enzo Ferrari as racing-driver, the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 – car that, on its development (1750 6C), won several times the 1000 Miglia, also driven by Tazio Nuvolari. In competition, another successful car signed by the Z, was the Alfa 159 F1, which led Juan Manuel Fangio to his first Formula One World Championship Title in 1951.
Ugo Zagato (grandfather of the current Director Andrea Zagato) founded the Atelier in 1919, after an aeronautical experience in Great War during which he built airplanes in Turin for military command- he has been in charge for the project of the biplane on which Gabriele d’Annunzio made the famous “Volo su Vienna” in 1918. Transferred in Milano, Zagato began his coachbuilder career as restorer and manufacturer of airplanes and cars: his thought was that if he had the chance to shape a car body, he would make it just like an airplane, but without wings!
As we know, Ugo Zagato, managed to make his dream come true, being the first adapting aerodinamics concept applied to the Automotive world: titling the windsceen and later replaced the havier and stiffer glass with plexiglass (that was possible to bend), designing headlights incorporated with the bodywork. His success also grows thanks the many demands to prepare racing cars featuring a functional design which was also technical and stylistic improvement – the result was “one-off” car built following the specification of the various clients.
After 100 years of activity, with the same high attention for volume shapes, Zagato continues to create exclusive cars in limited production runs, by reinterpreting in a modern key those elements that have distinguished the brand in the past, such as the use of sophisticated and lightweight materials and the adoption of the double bubble on the roof. Consistency is the characteristic which accompanied the brand since 1919 to the present: from the 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 MM Aerodinamica, passing through the 1964 Aston Martin DB4 GTZ to arrive at the 2012 Porsche Carrera GTZ, all the models have been guided by the concept of “bellezza necessaria”.
Andrea Zagato, son of Elio and grandson of Ugo, is the men leading the Company since the early ‘90s. In 1993 Andrea met Mariella Rivolta Barbieri, the niece of the founder of ISO Rivolta, and she began his partner both in business and personal life. They invested in the most advanced technology to the support of CAD system for modelling, and also to specialized employees to guarantee the best final result for their projects. Today they could count on an elite clientele which is in love with the style that distinguished the Company over the years, asking them to add a special touch to their series cars. Moreover concept cars and styling proposals for the Automotive world, Zagato styles and built prototypes for all the areas of the transportation sector – in 2001 won the “Compasso d’oro” for the ATM Eurotram, used in Milano, Porto and Strasburg.
ENGINEROUTE
