Introduced in 1960, the Giulietta Sprint Zagato – or SZ – was a dual-purpose competition machine designed to replace the successful Sprint Veloce Alleggerita. Inspired by the few Sprint Veloces that Zagato had bodied for privateer racers in the late 1950s, the SZ was constructed on a short-wheelbase platform and specially equipped with a high-performance engine, five-speed gearbox, finned alloy drum brakes, and a large-capacity fuel tank. In typical Zagato practice, the SZ’s coachwork was minimal to the extreme, featuring lightweight aluminum panels, Plexiglas windows, and tube-frame bucket seats.

In all, just 200 Giulietta SZs were built, including approximately 40 examples of the updated “Coda Tronca” variant. Featuring an aerodynamically effective long-nose, Kamm-tail design, these late-production SZs were developed for high-speed circuits like Monza and Le Mans. The final evolution of the racing Giulietta and direct predecessor to the Giulia TZ, the SZ was the premier small-displacement GT car of the early 1960s and now ranks among the top tier of collectible Alfa Romeos.

According to Angelo Tito Anselmi’s definitive book Alfa Romeo Giulietta, this SZ Coda Tronca, chassis 00202, was completed in February 1962, originally finished in Metallic Grey and retailed through the official agent in Lugano, Switzerland. While its earliest history is unknown, the SZ’s first recorded owner was Swiss collector Hans Wild of Affoltern am Albis, who also owned a Giulia TZ during the mid-1970s.

In 1979, the Coda Tronca was acquired by prolific collector Peter Kaus and, for many years, remained a fixture in his legendary Rosso Bianco Museum in Aschaffenburg, Germany. Photos of the SZ appear in Mike Riedner’s book Rosso Bianco Collection: The Biggest Private Collection of Sports Cars in the World, showing it displayed among other Zagato-bodied Alfas including an SVZ, SZ, TZ, and TZ2.

From there, the Coda Tronca passed to Scott Gauthier of Scottsdale, Arizona, another collector with a passion for Zagato-bodied sports cars. Restored under his ownership and finished in the striking color scheme of beige with green and black upholstery, the Alfa Romeo went on to win several significant awards. In 2005, it won First in Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® and, in 2009, was selected as Best in Show at the Desert Classic Concours in Palm Springs, California.

Rarely offered for public sale and exclusive in numbers, the Giulietta SZ is among the most desirable postwar Alfa Romeos and one of the finest GT cars of the early 1960s. This rare Coda Tronca, which has been part of several significant collections in Europe and the US, is a particularly attractive, tastefully presented example. Eligible for numerous events, thrilling to drive, and aesthetically satisfying, the Giulietta SZ offers the quintessential Alfa Romeo experience in a lightweight Zagato-bodied package.

*Please note that this vehicle is titled 1961.