The London Concours is an automotive garden party in the heart of the city, gathering together nearly 100 motoring icons, old and new, in one of London’s most beautiful historic hidden venues, the HAC (Honourable Artillery Company) estate. The cars sit at the apex of an event brimming with fine champagne and world-class gastronomy, enjoyed with a live music soundtrack and surrounded by pop-up boutiques from sought-after luxury brands. Held across three days, the London Concours opens up the world of top-end craftsmanship in automotive and beyond, with live panel discussions, awards ceremonies and roving comperes, shining a spotlight on the passion and the heritage of the brands and vehicles on display.  It is truly a wonderful event for anyone with a passion for cars.

In 2024 the London Concours had nine concours classes, namely Great British Racing, The Legendary V12, The Hypercars, Carnaby Street, Coachbuilt Greats – Zagato, Purple Reign, Corvette – A Design Icon, Areo – Front Enlightened and Wild Cards

Here we look at the Concours Class: The Great Coachbuilders – Zagato

A retrospective celebrating arguably the greatest coachbuilder of all: Zagato. This category looked at the avant-garde wonders dreamt up by Zagato’s automotive artisans through the decades from the 1950s to present day. Assembled were the Lombardy based design house’s greatest hits; moving artworks, pieces of exquisite, expressive industrial design that are just as jaw-dropping today as they were when first revealed to the world.  Andrea Zagato, CEO of Zagato, was also in attendance to judge the category.

The Zagato display kicked off with the diminutive, jewel like 1958 Abarth 750 Zagato DB. This lightweight sports car pioneered Zagato’s distinctive “double bubble” roof design, a masterpiece of aerodynamic efficiency and Italian styling elegance. With a feisty 750cc engine, coupled with a lightweight body, it made for a formidable competitor on the racetrack in period, winning numerous races and accolades. A car that exemplifies Zagato’s ability to deftly combine performance with aesthetic beauty.

Also gracing the event was the 1960 Bristol 406 Zagato, a unique blend of British engineering and Italian design. Only six of these Anglo Italian grand-tourers were produced, making it an exceptionally rare sight. The Bristol 406 Zagato features a sleek aluminium body, characteristic of Zagato, and is powered by a 2.2-litre straight-six engine. Weighing in at just over 1100kg, the Zagato was a whole 260kg lighter than the standard 406 as well as almost a foot shorter and 5″ lower. With meaningful gains both in terms of both acceleration and top speed, Zagato transformed the performance of the 406, while also delivering a more agile and sporting driving experience.

The 1991 Alfa Romeo SZ, often referred to as “Il Mostro” for its bold and unconventional design, was also on display. The SZ’s brutalist, angular lines and striking presence were a significant departure from traditionally curvaceous Alfa Romeo styling, showcasing Zagato’s willingness to push design boundaries; it surely ranks as one of the boldest road car designs of all. Based on the underpinnings of the trusty Alfa Romeo 75, it was powered by a breathed upon version of the sonorous 3.0-litre ‘Busso’ V6, sending 210 horsepower to the rear wheels. Just 1036 SZs were produced, along with 278 convertible RZs – an example of which was also on show as part of the display. A rare opportunity to see them side by side.

The Ferrari 550 Zagato GTZ Barchetta.  Wow. The GTZ was created in 2009 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the relationship between Ferrari and Zagato. The GTZ’s curvaceous body and open-top configuration was inspired by the 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta. It was the perfect blend of Ferrari’s performance pedigree and Zagato’s elegant aesthetics, with a 5.5-litre V12 engine producing 485 horsepower. It is one of the rarest modern Ferraris of all, with just three examples believed to have been built.

The line-up also featured one of Zagato’s more recent creations, the 2012 Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato. This car was also created to celebrate a significant milestone, in this case 50th anniversary of the iconic DB4 GT Zagato. It was created as a modern interpretation of the DB4 Zagato’s classic formula, a compact yet muscular machine that combined elegance with a distinct sporting edge. Enhancements included the addition of the signature double-bubble roof, and dramatically enlarged rear arches. At its heart remained Aston Martin’s fire breathing 6.0-litre V12 engine, producing 510 horsepower. A fusion of British engineering and Italian design artistry, the V12 Zagato’s bespoke body took some 2000 hours to produce, five times that of the standard car. It is believed just 65 examples were built.

The cars on show:

1958 Abarth 750 Zagato DB

This 750 Abarth was first bought by John D Sheets in Encino, California in July 1958. A Hollywood producer, he was responsible for early Tarzan productions and the Lassie TV series. The car had fallen into disuse in the late 1970s, and found its next owner, Glen Neyenhuis, by chance. He’d stopped at a diner en route from California to Arizona when transporting a car, and was approached by a man who said there was a vehicle sitting in the weeds in a storage compound. A few days later, the 750 was Glen’s. An attempted restoration was never completed, and Glen passed away in 2012. Six years later, the Abarth was sold to its current UK owner, and then thoroughly restored.

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1960 Bristol 406 Zagato

Even before he bought his minority stake in Bristol, Anthony Crook commissioned Carrozzeria Zagato to create a limited series of lightweight four seaters on the 406 chassis. Just six 2+2s and a solitary two-seater were built, which were 11in shorter, 5in lower and 260kg lighter than standard. One of five four-seater Zagatos known to survive, chassis 5299 (NPK 120) was displayed at the 1960 Earls Court Motor Show, and sold new to Richard Robinson in May 1961. The active Bristol Owners Club member kept the car until 1991, faithfully recording all works carried out. He then sold it to Jonas Liden of Sweden, who
eventually commissioned a major restoration from Jaye Engineering. This took place between 2002 and 2005, and the current owner acquired the car in September 2021.

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1972 Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato

When Lancia wanted a more aerodynamic, lighter and sportier version of the Fulvia for use in rallying and racing, it turned to Zagato. Chief designer Ercole Spada’s Series I included a side-opening bonnet and a spare-wheel well on a rotating panel that also held the rear number plate. Some of these innovations were lost for 1970’s Series II, which also saw a raised ride height, 2+2 seating and an all-steel body. A 1.6-litre engine was added to the range as well. This car featured in the Lancia Motor Club journal, before its current owner bought it in 2012. It underwent a bare-metal rebuild in 2018.

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1991 Alfa Romeo SZ ES30

The SZ was conceived to inject some glamour into Alfa’s range after Fiat’s takeover. It went from concept to production in little more than a year and a half. Despite the Zagato badging, it was actually styled at Centro Stile Fiat by Citroën SM designer Robert Opron and Antonio Castellana; Zagato productionised the design and then built it. Its glassfibre body covered a 3.0-litre Busso V6 and a race-honed chassis from an Alfa Romeo 75 IMSA car. The owner bought this car in 1991. No. 472 of 1036 built, it’s never been restored and is almost totally original. While it’s never been raced or rallied, the owner says “it has survived being ragged by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear”.

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1993 Alfa Romeo RZ

Debuting in 1992, the Alfa Romeo RZ was developed as a roadster version of the SZ. Unlike the original car, it was a Zagato design. Just 278 RZs left the factory, and none was originally sold in Britain by Alfa Romeo UK. However, it’s believed that there are 12 examples in the UK now – and this is one of only three in red, the others being black or yellow. The conversion to roadster specification saw the model’s weight spiral 120kg to 1380kg over the standard car, but what it may lose in nimbleness it gains in the driver being able to hear its 3.0-litre Busso V6 in unadulterated form with the roof down. This car, no. 124, was first registered in Italy and then imported into the UK in August 1996. It was owned by two respected collectors until its acquisition by its current owner, the UK’s leading SZ and RZ specialist, in May 2016. It has been regularly seen at Alfa Romeo Owners Club events since.

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2001 Ferrari 550 GTZ Barchetta

The completion of three Zagato-bodied 550 GTZ Barchettas concluded the Zero Project, which had started in 2005 with the rebodying of six 575 GTs. Inspired by the 1956 250 GT Berlinetta, Zagato crafted an electronically operated roof. This 478bhp 5.5-litre V12-powered car is the last Barchetta built, and the only RHD example. Its bespoke dark grey exterior and cream leather trim distinguish it from its two stablemates. Following the Zero Project initiative, Ferrari appointed Zagato as an official coachbuilder for its One to One programme. Clients interested in starting a new Ferrari/Zagato initiative will be
directed to Maranello, where all future Zagato designed Ferraris will be built. That makes this car the last series of special bodied Ferraris to be built in the Zagato factory.

What do you think? We think this is a beautiful car/ Super cool.

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2012 Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Speedster

Aston Martin continued its long association with Milan’s Carrozzeria Zagato in 2018, for a project that saw four bodystyles made available to the marque’s most devoted customers: Coupé, Convertible, Speedster or Shooting Brake. All except the Speedster were limited to 99 cars; there are just 28 Speedsters in existence. Under the body lies the Vanquish S’s 595bhp V12, delivering 201mph and 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds. Inside, bespoke ‘Zagato’ stitching can be found on the headlining and seats.Having covered just over 500 miles from new, with its single owner, this magnificent Vanquish Zagato Speedster is a truly special combination of British engineering and Italian design.

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2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Coupe

Built to celebrate the 50-year partnership between Aston Martin and Zagato, the V12 Vantage made its debut at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2011, a year before the first deliveries were made. It was designed at Aston’s UK studio, with its suspension retuned by One-77 engineers. The engine is a 5.9-litre V12. The hand-built aluminium body has a double-bubble roof section in tribute to past Zagato cars. Despite a forecasted 350-strong production run, in the end only 61 cars were sold. Racing versions were
used in ADAC racing in Germany, including at the Nürburgring 24 Hours; Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez and his fellow drivers finished 26th overall and second in class in 2012.

What do you think of this car? We think it looks much better than the standard Aston Martin Vanquish, and so it should it’s a Zagato.

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Hats tipped to Zagato. I love your cars and I will have one in my garage one day.

I hope you liked our article. What is your favourite car here then?

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