The Alfa Romeo SZ (for Sprint Zagato) and codenamed ES-30 for Experimental Sportscar 3.0 litre, is a high-performance limited-production sports car built from 1989 to 1991 by a partnership between Centro Stile Zagato, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and Centro Stile Fiat. It was unveiled as the ES-30 at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show[2] as a prototype by Zagato with the styling house assigned the responsibility of assembling the car.[3]
Overview
The SZ was an attempt to revive Alfa Romeo's sporting heritage after its acquisition by Fiat in 1986, and was meant to recall the Giulietta Sprint Zagato from the late 1950s and early 1960s. A common misconception about the SZ is that the car was designed by Zagato, but was actually designed in-house. Robert Opron of the Centro Stile Fiat was responsible for the initial sketches while Antonio Castellana was largely responsible for the final styling details and interior. Only Zagato's 'Z' logo of was kept on the design, with Zagato's signature double bubble roof being absent. An unusual design detail is its six headlights positioned in a trio on each side - a feature used also on later Alfa Romeo models in the 2000s. The unusual design of the car can be attributed to the use of early CAD/CAM, or computer-aided design and manufacturing by Alfa Romeo.