HISTORY OF THE SZ - PART 2 They
took the wreckage to the coachbuilders Zagato with the instruction
to rebuild the car. Using the Zagato formula of light weight
and improved aerodynamics, the rebuilt car emerged in September
1956, to win its class at the Coppa Intereuropa GT race at Monza
against stiff SV opposition. The Sprint Veloce Zagato (SVZ) had
arrived! Although not an official Alfa Romeo model, several other
competitors followed the same formula with Zagato-bodied SVs.
Approximately eighteen SVZs were built and the advantage of 110
to 120kg less weight and special racing engines giving up to
118bhp made them the class of the field, often able to take on
and beat, much more powerful opposition. During 1957, Alfa Romeo
had been following a different design ideal based on the Giulietta
as construed by Bertone. |
The
Sprint Speciale (SS) as the new model became known, featured
a shorter wheelbase than the SV and SVZ but with extravagant
overhangs. Right from the outset, even an all-alloy bodied
prototype SS weighed 55kg more than the longer SVZ.