When you hear the name Zagato, you automatically know that your eyes will be in for a special treat. From Alfa Romeo to Ferrari, the Italian coachbuilder and design house has been responsible for some of the most stunning automobiles ever made.
And it is still going strong, as its latest creation just proved. Feast your eyes on the AGTZ Twin Tail, the prettiest Alpine ever made (probably).
Its backstory anchors it in motorsport history and also explains its most unusual feature, the twin tail. Based on an Alpine A110, the car takes its inspiration from two A220 race cars that the French firm entered into the famous 24-hour race at LeMans in the 1960s.
The first one was an A220 with a long-tail setup that was supposed to provide a better aerodynamic profile. The second version had its rear extension removed, and started the race as a more conventional short-tail version.
Despite not experiencing any noteworthy success at the race, the cars themselves became icons of the era, and of the eight A220s that were built back then, only four are said to have survived to this day.
Now, 19 modern versions will join them, all built by Zagato and finished to the wishes of the buyers who each have to fork out at least €650,000 (P39.3 million) for the pleasure of owning one.
What you get for all that dosh is not only a superbly redrawn Alpine with a sleeker front and new lights that make it look a lot more like its famous predecessor, but also two different rear designs.
True to its name, the Twin Tail comes with a removable rear section, allowing it to be driven as a speedtail or short tail, depending on the race at hand—or, more likely, the mood of the driver on the day. A special stand for the extra bit of rear end is included in the price.
The changes aren’t just fancy bodykit either, and Zagato really went to town in the creation of this collector’s item. Take the windscreen and the side windows, for example, that have been changed to visually make the A-pillars disappear.
Then there’s the more muscular side view with air intakes in front of the rear wheels. There is also the Zagato-typical double-bubble roof. Stick the speedtail on and you get a huge carbon-fiber diffuser greeting you at the rear, while the short version looks slightly less dramatic but still elegant.
The AGTZ Twin Tail production version will be officially unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in May, where interested petrolheads with enough cash in the bank can presumably test-drive it and then order one straight away.
No doubt Zagato won’t have problems selling them all. And as with all of these beautiful and rare machines, we do hope that whoever buys them will also take them out and enjoy them in public. After all, what good is a rear like this if it’s not being seen?
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