The Alfa Romeo SZ looked like nothing else because it was intended to. Beneath its composite panels sat proven Alfa 75 transaxle engineering, while its limited production and uncompromising shape made it an instant collector car.
1. ES30 meant Experimental Sportscar 3.0-litre
The project name explained its purpose more clearly than the production badge: this was a low-volume experiment built around Alfa’s 3.0 V6.
2. Zagato built it but did not simply design it alone
The shape emerged from Fiat and Alfa’s design organisation, with Zagato involved in development and assembly. Calling it a conventional independent Zagato commission oversimplifies the story.
3. Its structure came from the Alfa 75
A steel core, front-mounted Busso V6, rear transaxle and De Dion axle connected the SZ directly to Alfa’s final pre-Fiat rear-drive saloon.
4. The body panels were composite
Lightweight moulded panels allowed the dramatic surfaces and low-volume production without conventional mass-production steel tooling.
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5. The 3.0 V6 produced 207PS
Stellantis Heritage records 207PS and a 245km/h maximum speed. The car’s cornering ability and immediacy mattered more than a headline acceleration figure.
6. Its suspension could raise the nose
A hydraulic lift system helped the very low front clear ramps and obstacles, a practical detail hidden beneath the uncompromising stance.
7. Most SZs were red
The signature combination paired red bodywork with a dark roof, though a tiny number of other cars exist. The open RZ later offered a broader colour range.
8. The RZ was more than an SZ with its roof removed
The roadster required structural changes and carried altered bodywork. It was produced in even smaller numbers and has a different visual character.
9. About 1,000 SZ coupés were made
Official heritage material describes approximately 1,000 coupés between late 1989 and 1991, followed by the scarcer RZ.
10. It closed Alfa’s classic transaxle era
The SZ and RZ were the last new rear-wheel-drive Alfas before the modern Giulia and the final specialist road cars based on the Alfetta/75 transaxle family.
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Sources
- Stellantis Heritage: Alfa Romeo SZ.
- Unusual Cars SZ/RZ guide
