Vehicle Description
1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ Delivered New to Rinaldo
ParmigianiWhen, in 1956, a wrecked Giulietta Sprint Veloce was
taken to Elio Zagato for new coachwork, a remarkable transformation
took place. By fitting a lighter, more aerodynamic body to the
already potent Veloce foundation, Zagato created a Giulietta with
the potential to rival GT cars of far greater displacement. Other
Sprint Veloce owners soon followed suit and, after witnessing the
performance attained by these re-bodied Giuliettas (now referred to
as SVZs), Alfa Romeo contracted Carrozzeria Zagato to build a
limited run of factory-sanctioned racing cars. A true dual-purpose
competition gran turismo, the resulting Giulietta Sprint Zagato, or
SZ, was built on a short-wheelbase chassis and featured powerful
finned aluminum drum brakes, a five-speed gearbox, large-capacity
fuel tank, and the high-performance tipo AR00120 engine. In typical
Zagato fashion, the SZs coachwork was lightweight and minimal to
the extreme, with smooth organic lines, thin aluminum panels,
Plexiglas windows, and virtually no ornamentation. The cockpit was
businesslike, with two supportive tube-frame seats, simple vinyl
upholstery, and a three-gauge instrument binnacle. Distinguished by
its special type number (AR10126), the Giulietta SZ was first
delivered to customers in late 1960 and immediately dominated the
1300 GT class in endurance events, circuit races, and hill climbs.
Wins were innumerable and the car soon developed a reputation as a
giant killer. In total, just 200 examples of the original SZ were
built, including 30 examples of the updated SZ Coda Tronca,
identifiable by its long-nose, Kamm-tail coachwork. The final
evolution of the racing Giulietta and the direct predecessor to the
Giulia TZ, the Sprint Zagato was the premier small-displacement GT
car of the early 1960s, and today is among the top tier of
collectible Alfa Romeos. According to Angelo Tito Anselmis
definitive book, Alfa Romeo Giulietta, this SZ, chassis 00033, was
originally finished in gray and sold new, on August 25, 1960, to
Rinaldo Parmigiani of La Spezia, Italy. An amateur racing driver,
Parmigiani began his career in the early 1950s. Beginning in 1956,
he passed through a succession of Alfa Romeos, which he campaigned
at major events like the Mille Miglia, Coppa Inter-Europa, and Giro
di Sicilia. His first known outing in this Sprint Zagato took place
on August 15, 1961, at the 4 Hours of Pescara. Entered under the
Scuderia SantAmbroeus banner, the SZ was driven by Parmigiani and
Sergio Pedretti, better known by his nom de course Kim, to a
respectable 7th in Class and 19th Overall. The cars last known race
was at the Coppa Inter-Europa at Monza, held on September 10, 1961.
One of six Scuderia SantAmbroeus entrants, including five Alfa
Romeos and one Fiat-Abarth, Parmigiani drove his SZ to 4th in Class
and 6th Overall. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Alfa Romeo
remained in Italy, where it was later repainted red and fitted with
a 1750 GT Veloce engine (tipo AR00548). By 1978, the noted
Bergamo-based collector Corrado Cupellini had acquired the car and
registered it in Lucca as LU 124954. Later that year, the SZ was
sold to Alfa Romeo specialist Marvin Collins of El Cerrito,
California, and shipped to San Francisco. Mr. Collins sold the car
to Jerry Gamez of Castro Valley, California, who prepared the SZ
for a return to the track and entered it in the 1980 Monterey
Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca. In 1984, Mr. Gamez sold
the Alfa Romeo to a private collector in San Antonio, Texas, whose
stable included many iconic postwar European sports cars. This SZ
has not been seen in public in over 30 years, and its appearance
has changed little since arriving in the US over four decades ago.
Having been parked for many years, mechanical attention will be
required prior to use; however, the cosmetic condition is such
that, for some collectors, the SZ could be recommissioned and
maintained visually, as is. Significantly, the all-important
stamped Zagato body number (441) has been located in several areas
around the car. Accompanying the sale is a file of documentation
that includes original maritime shipping paperwork from 1978,
Italian and California registration records, and various service
invoices from Jeremiah Browns Mouse Engineering in Oakland,
California, and Fredz Autogofast in Berkeley, California. If only
for its status as one of the most successful Italian GT cars of the
early 1960s, the Giulietta SZ is among the most collectible and
historically significant postwar Alfa Romeos. For decades,
knowledgeable collectors have admired the special qualities of
these rare Zagato-bodied Giuliettas their lively performance,
highly individual character, and thoroughbred competition
bloodline. This SZ, with its impressive period-racing history and
well-documented provenance, is surely among a rarified category of
Alfa Romeo competition cars.Coachwork by ZagatoChassis
AR10126.00033Engine AR00548.35328 Recently Discovered Sprint
Zagato; One of Only 200 Examples Built Delivered New to Italian
Racing Driver Rinaldo Parmigiani Raced at the 4 Hours of Pescara
and the Coppa Inter-Europa at Monza Formerly Owned by Noted
Collector Corrado Cupellini Campaigned in the 1980 Monterey
Historic Automobile RacesPROVENANCERinaldo Parmigiani, La Spezia,
Italy (acquired new in 1960)Corrado Cupellini, Bergamo, Italy
(acquired by 1978)Marvin Collins, El Cerrito, California (acquired
from the above in 1978)Jerry Gamez, Castro Valley, California
(acquired from the above by 1980)Private Collection, San Antonio,
Texas (acquired from the above in 1984)RACE HIGHLIGHTS4 Hours of
Pescara, 1961, Parmigiani/Kim, No. 102 (19th Overall, 7th in
Class)Coppa Inter-Europa, 1961, Parmigiani, No. 38 (6th Overall,
4th in Class)EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTSMonterey Historic Automobile
Races, 1980FEATURED MEDIAAlfa Romeo Giulietta, by Angelo Tito
AnselmiAlfa Romeo-Zagato SZ TZ, by Marcello Minerbi Price: $425,000
