Details of Cars

Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ and SVZ: the Zagato competition coupés of the late 1950s and early 1960s

ALFA ROMEO

1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato Coda Tronca with its Kamm-style tail
1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato Coda Tronca. Photo by Charles from Port Chester, New York, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ (for Sprint Zagato, officially Tipo 101.26) was an aluminium-bodied two-seat berlinetta built by Zagato for competition use on the chassis and mechanicals of the Giulietta Sprint Speciale. Its predecessor, the SVZ, was a series of 18 Sprint Veloces rebodied by Zagato from late 1956.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ and SVZ at a glance

Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ and SVZ key facts
SVZ 18 Giulietta Sprint Veloces rebodied by Zagato from late 1956, about 120 kg lighter than the coupé, 118 PS (87 kW; 116 bhp)
SZ premiere 1960 Geneva Salon, body designed by Ercole Spada at Zagato
SZ construction hand-built, entirely in aluminium with plexiglass windows
SZ units 217 built
Coda Tonda the original rounded tail
Coda Tronca the Kamm-style tail with front disc brakes on the last 30 cars (some sources say 46)
Type Tipo 101.26, on the Sprint Speciale chassis
Giulietta family 1954–1965; 177,690 Giuliettas in all

This page is based on English Wikipedia only, so the figures could not be cross-checked against a second source.

History of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ and SVZ

A crashed Sprint Veloce was rebodied by Zagato in late 1956 and was immediately successful in competition. Zagato ended up building 18 rebodied Veloces, called the SVZ, and the version gave rise to a full production version. The SVZ was about 120 kg lighter than the coupé on which it was based and had the most highly tuned version of the Giulietta engine, 118 PS.

1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato aluminium coupe
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato. Photo by MrWalkr, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The production competition version, with lightened bodywork designed by Ercole Spada at Zagato, premiered at the 1960 Geneva Salon. Hand-built by Zagato entirely in aluminium with plexiglass windows, the Sprint Zagato was light, fast and expensive. Two hundred and seventeen were built, the original design with a rounded rear (“Coda Tonda”) and the last thirty (some say 46) with a longer Kamm-style rear end (“Coda Tronca”) as well as disc brakes at the front.

Design and features

  • Body: entirely aluminium with plexiglass windows, designed by Ercole Spada.
  • Tail: the rounded Coda Tonda first, then the Kamm-style Coda Tronca.
  • Brakes: disc brakes at the front on the last cars.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ and SVZ versions

  • SVZ (from late 1956): 18 rebodied Sprint Veloces.
  • SZ Coda Tonda (premiered 1960): the first production series with a rounded tail.
  • SZ Coda Tronca: the last 30 (some say 46) cars with the Kamm tail and front discs.

More Alfa Romeo Zagato cars are in our Alfa Romeo collection, for example the Giulia TZ and the SZ and RZ of 1989. Our older “SVZ” page is covered here.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ and SVZ questions and answers

What does SVZ mean?

Sprint Veloce Zagato: a Giulietta Sprint Veloce rebodied by Zagato.

What does SZ mean?

Sprint Zagato.

How many Giulietta SZ were built?

Two hundred and seventeen.

What is the difference between Coda Tonda and Coda Tronca?

The Coda Tonda has the original rounded tail; the Coda Tronca has the longer Kamm-style tail and front disc brakes.

Who designed the SZ body?

Ercole Spada at Zagato.

Sources

More from ALFA ROMEO