- The Trofeo retains the same basic 3.0-liter V6 that powered the standard Alfa Romeo SZ.
- This rare SZ Trofeo competed in a support race before the 1993 Monaco Grand Prix.
- F1 driver Andrea de Adamich used the SZ as his daily for more than a decade.
The Alfa Romeo SZ, affectionately (or not so affectionately) nicknamed ‘Il Mostro’—Italian for “The Monster”—has always been a polarizing car. Known for its unconventional looks and razor-sharp handling, it was built in collaboration with Zagato for just a brief production run.
This rear-wheel-drive oddity housed Alfa’s iconic 3.0-liter naturally aspirated Busso V6 under the hood, an engine widely regarded as one of the most euphonious V6s ever made. With just over 1,000 examples produced globally, the SZ’s rarity has secured its place as a sought-after collector’s item in recent years.
This particular example, however, takes the rarity factor up a notch, as it’s an ultra-rare SZ Trofeo. Alfa built the track version of the SZ for a single-make racing series. This one was assembled prior to the Monaco F1 Grand Prix in 1993 and used in a support race before the main event. It later competed in several races during the 1993 Italian Supercar GT series.
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After its racing career, the car found its way into the hands of Andrea de Adamich, an Italian Formula One driver who competed in multiple seasons of the championship but never clinched a Grand Prix victory. He used the SZ Trofeo as his daily driver for more than 10 years. It was later sold to a Dutch collector who registered it for road use in Germany.
The car retains its original red and white racing livery and has less than 22,000 km (~13,600 miles) on the clock. Considering its age and history—which includes outings on circuits like Spa-Francorchamps, Mugello, and the Red Bull Ring—that’s a surprisingly low figure.
Several upgrades set the Trofeo apart from the standard SZ, making it far more than just a track toy with a fancy badge. It rolls on distinctive 16-inch OZ Racing wheels, while the interior has been stripped to the essentials – gone is the original dashboard, replaced by a bare-bones setup and a pair of racing bucket seats that leave no doubt about its intentions.
Adding an extra layer of cool to this SZ’s already impressive resume, legendary rally driver Walter Rohrl, a two-time World Rally Champion, once took this very car for a spin at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.
Now, this piece of motorsports history has been listed for sale in Germany with a €185,000 (~$193,000) asking price, a hefty sum given the performance but fitting of a car with so much heritage.
