In 1993 Zagato returns to the circuits with a one-make series reserved for the Alfa Romeo SZ.
Eight races in Italy and abroad. At that moment the Zagato Trophy is the most economical race
series on the national scene.
In 1993, almost 30 years have passed since Zagato - bodied cars last took track in anger.
And when ten Alfa Romeo SZ's lined up at the grid at Monze for the first race in the new
one-make series, it was quite an emotional moment for at least one spectator.
Elio Zagato spent many of his 73 years racing his company's cars all over Europe, clocking upto some 80 wins in varous categories and gaining valuable experience as a test driver.
At Zagato they felt this Trophy was a fitting way of celebrating their Groep's 75 year of
activity. It seemed to be a good oppertunity for underlining their real speciality: Sportscars.
Zagato's cars have always been winners. The golden era came trough the fifties and sixties the years in wich the whole of italy sought to leave behind the memories of war. That's when it seemed that the faster car, the easier it was to elude recollections. And that was when the chromed Z - badge on the side of a car was a guarantee. That's the era Zagato wished to revive by organizing the SZ Trophy, and running it contemporaneously with peroni Promotions Italian Supercar GT Championship was the ideal solution.
The idea was to race without resorting to wild tuning, that only distorts the technical merits of the original car. Remove the race numbers, slicks and roll cage, and the cars could easily be once more employed as road cars.
"The cost of a season's racing"
Here is a breakdown of costs involved in the 1993 SZ Trophy. This race series, backed by Zagato and organized by the montecarlo group Monegasque Representatives, is composed of six races at principle Italian tracks, plus two international events:
1.) Alfa Romeo SZ coupe ( including 25% discount ) 60.000.000 Lires.
2.)Tuning kit ( including shock-absorbers, springs, free-flow exhaust, clutch, brake system,
engine management chip, battery, workmanship ) 25.000.000 Lires.
3.) Safety kit ( including roll-cage, 4-point racing harness, fire extinguisher system,
towing-hook ) 3.000.000 Lires.
4.)12 OZ Racing Wheels 3.200.000 Lires.
5.)Slicks for 8 races 15.000.000 Lires.
6.)Mechanic for 8 races 40.000.000 Lires.
So the total of an SZ racing season will be: 146.200.000 Lires, but I think you had
lots and lots of fun for that money !!!
Here some more trophy car pics:
If you have any articles, books etc about the Alfa Romeo SZ ( ES-30 ), I am intrested
in purchasing them.
Please email me if you have anything of interest.
evdbeek@wxs.nl