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The first SVZ was produced for the driver Massimo di Priole on chassis 01944, car on the attach pictures. The second picture, is at the Monza, with a front row at the parabolica during Coppa Intereuropa 1957. Its Carlo Maria Abate with number 41, Massimo Leto di Priolo with number 35, and Egidio Gorza with number 55
But haw was the SVZ really born.
By the end of second world war, in Italy, every kid, whose parents could afford it, should have a race car.
Mr Ugo Zagato made a car for his son Elio Zagato, the Marinella a Zagato build body and chassis. It was mounted by a Fiat 750ccm engine from the Fiat Topolino.The engine was with a special cylinder head the Testadoro,done by Giorgio Giusti. Yes father Ugo Zagato had the experience and know what was needed.
But Elio Zagato grow older and went into the family business. Mr Ugo Zagato prohibited thereafter Elio to participate in racing events.
But when its first is in the blood, its difficult to stay away.
In Milano was there a Scuderia Sant Ambrosiana,it was formed by a group of privateers that needed technical backup, around 20 persons. This group raced a lot of diff cars, Ferrari, Maserati, FiatV8,Lancia, Alfa Romeo and a lot of others.
The first Alfa Romeo 1900 Zagato was ordered by this group.
Elio Zagato was a member of the group, but as he was forbidden to race, he raced under synonym.
After the Alfa Romeo Sprint was presented, the group naturally immediate acquired one.
Massimo Leto di Priolo had in 1956 acquired one of the new Alfa Romeo Sprint Velose.The first Sprint Velose was intended as a racing version. with a weigh reduction of 72 KG compared to a normal Sprint. Gained by using aluminium on the doers ,hood, perplex side and rear windows, and the Wight was 780kg.
Massimo Leto di Priolo was so unfortunate to run into an accident, and did a lot of harm to the body.
The car was send to Zagato for repair. The people ad Zagato evaluated it was to costly to do a repair, the offered to make a new body for less cost the repair.
So the first SVZ was born, and it gain immediately succes.After that there build 3 double bobble similar to the Abate one.
I was a problem for Alfa Romeo that these Zagato cars took all the victory's. So they agreed with Bertone that he should produce a Light Weight version on the chassis from the Spider, it was the Sprint Speciale, but it was not able to beat the Zagatos.
Alfa Romeo denied to deliver chassis directly to Zagato, so customers brought a Sprint Velose by the dealer and send it direct to Zagato to get a rebuild. And probably al cars that went into serious problems on the race track went direct to Zagato to have a new body.
So these first series SVZ is not official Alfa Romeo cars, but modified by Zagato on the customers wish. That is also the reason they all, almost, look different to each other. This fact is also the reason, I suppose,whey there is so much gossip around the question whether one is a replica or original. There is in fact only the pictures from that time that can tell have the car really looked.
But as the success of the Zagato cars continued. There was only one thing for Alfa Romeo to, enter into an agreement with Zagato to produce cars for Alfa Romeo, to be distributed trough the Alfa Romeo dealer network.
The agreement was done in 1959, for 100 cars, witch was needed to get international homologation, and the result presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1960.
The Alfa Romeo Sprint Zagato was born, and its race debut was at the Grand Prix at Napoli the 15 of May.
In 1961 was a new version presented the TZ coda tronca.
If I have something wrong please correct me.
If anybody do have the production figures on the diff types, it could be interesting if they are filled in
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