Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato - 1960
Introduced at the London Motor Show in late 1960, the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato represents the very first collaborative effort between the famed British marque and world-renowned Italian carrozzeria. Designed by Ercole Spada at Zagato, this coachbuilt reinterpretation of the DB4 GT boasted a lightweight and eye-catching body and the same aluminium 3.7-litre straight six engine, pushing out around 314 horsepower. While a production run of 25 cars was originally planned, in the end just 19 original examples of these ultra-exclusive Anglo-Italian masterpieces were built.
Aston Martin V8 Zagato Coupé and Volante - 1986
Penned by Giuseppe Mittino and making its debut at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show, the V8 Zagato picked up where the DB4 GT Zagato left off . Equipped with a 5.3-litre V8 with twin-choke Weber carburettors and an all-alloy construction, the 430 horsepower V8 Zagato could rocket to 300 km/h. Just 52 examples of the V8 Zagato Coupé were built, and a year after its reveal, the topless V8 Zagato Volante was announced at the 1987 Geneva Motor Show with a production run of just 37 cars. In order to avoid upsetting existing V8 Zagato owners, the Volante was powered by a 320 horsepower electronic fuel-injected V8 and lacked the bonnet bulge.
Aston Martin DB7 Zagato and AR1 Roadster - 2002
Breaking cover at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2002, the DB7 Zagato took clear aesthetic inspiration from the DB4 GT Zagato. Limited to just 99 cars and available in the UK, Europe and South East Asia only, the DB7 Zagato was powered by a might 440 horsepower version of the DB7 GT’s 6.0-litre V12 engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Penned in collaboration between Aston’s design head Henrik Fisker and Andrea Zagato, all the Zagato hallmarks were present, including the double-bubble roof and prominent front grille.
A year later, at the 2003 Los Angeles Auto Show, Aston Martin debuted a roofless version dubbed the DB AR1, or ‘American Roadster 1’, based on the standard DB7 Volante chassis to overcome type approval issues in the United States. Again just 99 examples were produced, with final assembly completed at Aston’s then-new Gaydon plant alongside the first DB9s. Unlike the coupe, DB AR1 used the standard 5.9 litre V12 from DB7 Vantage mated to an automatic transmission, while AR1 made do with no roof or hood covering at all, instead a simple rain cover was provided to protect the leather interior when parked.
Aston Martin V12 Zagato - 2011
In celebration of the DB4 GT Zagato’s 50th birthday, the Aston Martin V12 Zagato was unveiled in 2011 at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como, where it promptly won the "Design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes”. Two versions were available in the form of the ‘Corsa’ and ‘Stradale’ variants, with former being easily identifiable by black quick release latches on the bonnet. Based on the V12 Vantage, the V12 Zagato employed the same 510 horsepower 5.9 litre V12 first seen in the DBS, alongside retuned suspension and an totally redesigned all-aluminium body courtesy of Aston Martin Design Studios in Gaydon. An initial run of 150 cars was planned, but in the end only 61 cars are believed to have been produced.
Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Quartet - 2016
In may 2016, the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como would see the unveiling of an Aston Martin and Zagato collaboration for the second time when they uncovered the Vanquish Zagato Coupé. Next came the Volante variant at the 2016 edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, while the event would welcome the Speedster version a year later. Completing the quartet, the Vanquish Zagato Volante was finally unveiled in August 2017. Apart from the Speedster — of which just 28 units were built — each Vanquish Zagato variant was limited to just 99 cars and all featured Aston’s mighty 5.9-litre V12 engine, in this application producing a whopping 580 horsepower.
Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato and DB4 GT Zagato Continuation - 2019
Aston Martin and Zagato’s most recent collaboration arrived in 2019 in the form of the DBS GT Zagato and the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation, which were only available as a pair and carried an almighty sticker price of 6.1 million pounds before tax when launched. Just 19 lucky customers were offered Aston Martin’s ultimate two-car solution, dubbed the DBZ Centenary Collection. While the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation was exactly what the name suggests — an exacting recreation of Aston and Zagato’s first lovechild — the DBS GT Zagato was a never before seen super grand tourer with a hotter version of the standard DBS’s 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 producing a frankly outrageous 760 horsepower. Aside from the power bump, the DBS GT Zagato’s party piece was its moving grille, which featured 108 diamond-shaped carbon fibre pieces which could rotate to allow more airflow for that mighty V12.
