AN INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA ZAGATO
ALFA ROMEO GIULIA SWB ZAGATO
12 February 2023 • Written By Marius Pop
Welcome to Zagato headquarters in Rho, Italy, located just a stone’s throw away from the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo in Arese. The close physical proximity of these two landmarks is a testament to the historic collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Zagato, which spans over 100 years. Today, we have the privilege of meeting Andrea Zagato, the third-generation scion of Italian coachbuilding royalty and a man with unparalleled knowledge of the automotive industry.
Andrea welcomes us to the premises and shares his deep passion for Alfa Romeo, which he inherited from his father, Elio Zagato. Unlike his uncle Gianni, who had a soft spot for Lancia when the Zagato company was equally focused on both brands, Andrea’s father Elio had a strong affinity for Alfa Romeo.
This family legacy is reflected in the stunning Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB, a one-of-a-kind creation based on the Giulia Quadrifoglio that was commissioned by a German collector and presented just prior to our visit. Andrea took the helm of his family-owned business in 2006 after joining the company in the 1980s. He is a true visionary in the field of Italian automotive design, blending rich heritage with cutting-edge technology to produce some of the most beautiful contemporary cars. We are honored to have this exclusive opportunity to speak with him about his work and his insights into the world of bespoke Alfas by Zagato.
Can you tell us about any special design or engineering challenge you faced while working on the Giulia SWB?
‘While the 1990 S.Z. and R.Z. were designed without touching the Alfa Romeo 75 Evoluzione wheelbase, with the SWB Zagato we were compelled, in order to obtain a similar result, to shorten the Giulia Quadrifoglio wheelbase by 12cm. On both models we also shortened the rear overhang in order to obtain a true coupé.’
