1969 Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato R

1969 Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato R

One of the oldest and most respected of automotive design firms, Zagato was founded in Milan in 1919 by Ugo Zagato, who used techniques learned in the wartime aeronautics industry to create a series of lightweight competition cars. Alfa Romeo immediately realised the potential of Zagato's designs and thus commenced a fruitful collaboration that lasts to this day. Some of the 20th Century's most beautiful cars have been Zagato-bodied Alfa Romeos.

The creator of some of Carrozzeria Zagato's most memorable designs of the post-WW2 period - arguably its most productive - was Ercole Spada. Spada introduced the Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ's sawn-off tail and was also responsible for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and 2600 SZs and the Junior Z, the latter being one of the last models developed under the stewardship of company founder, Ugo Zagato.

Based on the mechanicals of the 105-Series Giulia saloon, the Junior Z was introduced for 1970 in '1300' form before being upgraded with the 1,570cc engine in 1972. Lighter than the production models from which it was derived, despite – unusually for a Zagato design – having steel body panels rather than aluminum, the Junior Z was compact, nimble, aerodynamically efficient and fast. The 1,290cc twin-cam four producing 89bhp at 6,000rpm, enough to propel the sleek Z to a top speed of around 175km/h (109mph). The 1300 continued in production until October 1972, by which time 1,108 had been produced - enough to enable homologation in FIA Appendix J Group 3 - while a further 402 examples of the '1600' version were built up to 1975. All were left-hand drive.

Descriptions and pictures by bonhams