Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, few would consider the Alfa Romeo SZ beautiful. That does not, however, prevent it from being a deeply interesting car.
So loathed was the SZ’s design in its day that both Zagato, which built the car, and the head of Alfa Romeo’s Centro Stile chose to go on record saying that they were not responsible for the appearance of the SZ. And yet, despite the attempts to distance themselves from the car, it was the first ever designed entirely with CAD computer design software, making it thoroughly modern.
Ironically, although the design process was at the leading edge of technology, the rest of the car was less so. Powered by a “Busso” 3.0-liter V6 that made 208 hp (210 PS/154 kW), it sent its power to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transaxle and was one in a long line of cars that traces its basic mechanical layout back to one of the most successful racing cars ever,the 158/159 “Alfetta”.
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So, although this car sold between 1989 and 1994, its lineage goes back to the F1 cars of the late ’40s. And yet, as is often the case with sports cars, sometimes old technology can produce a very good car.
“The styling might have been polarizing but the verdict was unanimous on the way this thing drives. It is one hell of a driver’s car,” says Cammisa. “The suspension’s great, the steering’s great, the visibility is amazing. This is the most fun you can have in any car from this era.”
So if you think it’s ugly, you’re in good company. The people who made it called “il mostro” (the monster) because even they thought it was ugly. But with an engine that pulls hard, a chassis that’s predictable at the limit, and a layout borrowed from one of the best race cars of all time, you should at least respect the Alfa Romeo SZ. As for its looks, yes, it might not be beautiful, but at least it looks interesting even three decades later – which is not something you can say for many of its contemporaries.