Zagato Alfa Romeo TZ1

The Giulia TZ1 or "Tubolare Zagato" is one of the most sought after post war Alfa Romeos. It's racing successes and the stunning GTO-like looks assure its desirability.

The 105 Series Giulia range of Alfa Romeo road cars was introduced at Monza in 1962. The chassis was an evolutionary design based on the previous Giulietta and 101 Series. The 105 introduced major suspension upgrades and, for the first time, disc brakes.

The first TZ prototype was a Spyder on which Zagato bolted a "Coda Tronca" roof panel. A competition Giulia was introduced at the 1963 FISA Monza Cup. The competition TZ development was guided by Autodelta, a company led by ex-Ferrari engineer Carlo Chiti. The TZ shared the same basic 1,570 cc engine with the Sprint Speciale and Spider Veloce. Aiding the TZ project in its quest for aerodynamic performance was the treatment of the rear bodywork. Incorporating the research of Dr. Wunibald Kamm, the TZ used an approach called "coda tronca", otherwise known as the "Kamm tail". For ultimate streamlining, the principle is that an aircraft-like, extended tail is optimal. Since that is not practical for an automobile, Dr. Kamm discovered that there is surprisingly little increase in drag by simply chopping it at an angle. Zagato had previously proved the success of this tail treatment with their Coda Tronca Sprint Zagato Alfas, and so it was a natural evolution to adapt this to the TZ.

In 1964 the TZ was FIA homologated (100 units were needed for homologation to the Gran Turismo category) and immediately began logging its impressive string of race wins in Europe and North America. The specification is impressive with independent suspension and disc brakes all around, aerodynamic Zagato Coda Tronca bodywork and Alfa Romeo's twin cam Giulia 1600 engine in various stages of tune from the single plug 116 bhp engine through to the 170 bhp twin spark engine that was later used in the GTA. With a weight of just 1459 pounds, the car was capable of 140 mph. In the hands of privateers, the cars were incredibly successful, sweeping their class at Le Mans, Sebring, the Nurburgring, the Targa Florio, and the Coupe des Alpes. As the TZ program progressed and became successful, Autodelta increasingly became Alfa Romeo's racing wing, leading to an eventual acquisition by the firm.

The TZ1 had aluminum bodywork for all chassis except for the last 4 produced which shared the TZ2's fibreglass panels.

Click here for the Alfa Romeo TZ-1 & TZ-2 Register