Exotic of the Week: Porsche 356B Carrera Abarth GTL

Porsche Carrera 356 GTL

The GTL is a lightweight all aluminum bodied low production Porsche racer based on the Porsche 356B chassis. The production run produced 21 GTL's from serial numbers 1001 to 1021. There has been some speculation as to the reasoning behind the creation of the GTL, however in the book 'Porsche Racing Cars' by Bill Ousler states that the GTL came into existence due to an FIA rule loophole. The FIA rulebook stated that a competition car was based on the chassis and engine configuration and not based on the body definition. Porsche immediately saw this as an opportunity to set up 21 chassis with an iteration of the hugely respected Fuhrman 547 quad cam four cylinder engine with an uber lightweight full aluminum low drag body.

Porsche put the bodies out to the standard coachbuilding firms to bid being Wendler, Zagato and Abarth. After reviewing the bids, Ferry Porsche preferred the Zagato bodied car. The production contract however went to Abarth due to a very successful venture with Carlo Abarth which inspired confidence in Ferry who subcontracted Zagato for the design.

The final design was a dramatically slant nosed car which reduced drag with lightweight rounded aerodynamic panels which shared cues from both the Abarth and Zagato houses. Bulbous, widened rear arches made way for widened wheels and tires to help the 140hp high revving motor hook up. The rear end carried the classic Porsche teardrop design but opted for a highly louvered rear decklid infusing a massive scoop along with nearly 50 louvers.  The roofline was dropped 5 inches over the standard 356B. The GTL employed an extremely spartan interior, however many test drivers stated that the driving position was extremely comfortable for endurance racing. However, getting into the seat with the low roofline was another story. The GTL's dash comprised of exposed aluminum which did not resemble the dash in the 356B.

The GTL was also pedigreed. Competing in some of the most prolific races in Europe, the GTL carries two overall class wins in both the 61 and 62 Le Mans and won its class in the grueling 1960 Targa Florio.

I have, since very early on in my interest in cars, been in love with the Porsche brand. I study Porsche more than any other manufacturer due to its ability to adapt technology so quickly to stay consistent with their overall goals. It is rare to discuss Porsche with automotive hobbyists and find that they feel somewhat indifferent towards their cars. You either love Porsche or you hate Porsche. And if you hate Porsche, you typically love Ferrari, and wear a lot of gold chains and sunglasses indoors. If you fall into the latter, I feel sorry your negligence. Ferrari's are pieces of art, built by designers. Porsche's are pieces of craftsmanship, built by master engineers. While Ferrari's have become investment grade cars, you cant drive them. Maybe you can drive them around the block, but you can't drive them. Why buy a Grand Touring car if you cant tour in it? They are fickle, temperamental and grossly over hyped. Major maintenance is required at nearly every oil change and the electronics in the newer models have overcomplicated the car so much in ways the Italians have never excelled in, mainly electrical engineering. I drove a 360 Modena which was owned by a friend of mine and while it was enjoyable to drive, my friend who purchased it new said it spent most of its first year in the shop fixing what the factory missed. It is my opinion that nearly all Ferrari's (with the exception of the 250 SWB and 365 GTB 4 Cam) are meant to be welded to a plinth so that we can all gawk at them doing what they do best. Mainly sitting on top of things, like lifts in mechanics garages. Porsche's on the other hand are made to endure hundreds of thousands of miles of violent abuse. That is why, regardless of what spray tanned men who wear half unbuttoned pink shirts and frost the tips of their hair say, Porsche will always be superior in every way (with the possible sole except of body design) to the prancing ponies.

The Porsche Carrera 356B Abarth GTL is likely the rarest and most valuable of all the Carrera series Porsches and remains yet another of Zagato's magnificent breakthrough designs.

Scott Madsen
- Zagato's Ghost

Renault-Alpine A110-50... Can it live up to its namesake?

On March 14, 2012 Renault dropped a bomb. They were releasing a second generation of the Renault Alpine A110. The Alpine A110 is one of my top 10 cars of all time. It is an incredibly light weight rear engined rally car. It is strange that this little car was as competitive as it was in the rally racing scene but it was and remains an incredibly versatile classic. Renault released specs on their new midrange super car. Drive-train will be a 3.5L V6 mid engined configuration producing 400 horsepower connected to a dual clutch six speed with both foot clutch or paddle shifting capabilities.The engine sucks air through a roof mounted carbon fiber funnel style intake.

Adjustable Sachs dampers and 14 inch six piston calipers control the race tuned chassis. The car was designed as an homage to the original thoroughbred car. You can tell that the cues are very similar by the LED light rings on the A110-50, reminiscent of the pronounced fog lights which make up so much of the original A110's character. It is painted in the obvious French racing blue, also a staple of the original A110.

It is a strikingly good looking car which is odd for post war French, however, I have to wonder if it would be as good as the original. Some people get off on a great back breaking, tight chassis. They want to feel every pebble, and I know this is a race specific machine but even so, I don't. I like that old cars try and push you off the road and into a tree. The A110-50 does come with the same insanity as the original, mainly no ABS, no traction control. That is the fun in driving cars though. If they can't kill you than how else do you learn to cope with power? I don't mean that to say you need 500hp to get into mischief, old 115hp 4 cylinders can easily kill you if you don't respect them. Spin out in the right place on bad brakes and a sloppy chassis and you are rolling. It all leads back to the theory, if you dont learn to drive old cars fast, than you dont really know how to drive any car fast.

I think Renault did a great job on the A110-50. It's plenty scary, plenty fast and beautiful, but I still wouldn't buy it. Not only because I'm too poor, but because its not a really an A110. The original A110's specs in 1961 were 1.1L inline 4 engine producing 95bhp (highest powered engine configuration topped at 140hp), 5 speed manual weighing 1700 lbs. The A110 was a pioneer in Rally Racing and helped develop and define the sport not to mention claimed wins like the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally. It subsequently became the first ever World Rally Champion in 1973. The A110 competed against the biggest names in the industry with better funding, higher horsepower, and more experienced drivers. This miniscule rear engined dynamo still ilicits awe among both Alpine guru's and Rally Racing officianatos.

On the television series Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson was reviewing the new Farrari 599GTO. He showed the history of the GTO, the 250 GTO, the 288 GTO, and now the 599 GTO. He said naming a car a GTO was kind of like naming your kid Jesus.. It is true. The namesake of a car that drove a franchise to so many victories should demand incredible respect. Sadly though, Zagato's Ghosts invitation to drive the new Renault-Alpine A110-50 must have been lost in the mail so I cant say whether it lives up to the name or not. But you can bet that the pressure is on, and the purists aren't going to go quietly into the night.

Back to the concept of older cars typically being better, even though they arent. When I started welding I had no training, I just jumped right in. I bought a crappy Hobart flux core welder and began welding everything I could find together. I burned big giant holes through everything I touched until I got the hang of it. When I finally picked up a gas mig, it seemed so easy it took me time to trust that it was doing the job. That's how I look at cars. Practice on the old until you are good, automatically be great at the new. But the funny thing is, the new Miller gas mig just sits there in the corner of the shop, and I still prefer my old flux core.

As I said in a previous post, my wife drives a mk5 VW GTI. It is a very tight little car. She loves the direct port injected 4 cylinder turbo and drives it like a maniac. I am partial to the VW/Audi cars. The B6 S4 was a particularly fun car to drive. 40 valve V8 with a 6 speed manual, Quattro and a tuned chassis, it was so well tuned I could go around a round-about at over 40 mph without chirping a tire. It was incredible, I was glued to the console, but it really wasn't all that fun. It was terrifying, but not that fun. The old MGB-GT is far more interesting in a canyon or my older mk1 watercooled VW's over the newer sport tuned chassis. So why is that?

Old cars have soul. They tell you how they feel. If they are grumpy, they act grumpy. Sometimes they develop issues just to develop issues and then magically heal themselves. Clarkson was again quoted on a great movie called "Love the Beast" saying that cars develop personalities based on the ways that they break. Their subtle imperfections make them endearing to us, but make sure if you do drive an old car that she's beautiful. If she's ugly you'll push her off a cliff at the first sign of difficulty.

If you've ever tried to start a mechanical deisel in sub freezing temps or have altitude starvation on your carbureted cars you'll get what I mean. This to some people I'm sure would be their own idea of hell, but I think its all great fun. In the world of drive by wire and paddle shifting gearboxes, its all gotten far too technical. You cant feel anything, you're not meant to feel anything. Throw the top down on a convertible and they have engineered windscreens so that you don't even have to feel the wind anymore. Why?..

Now, while I'm sure that a slew of sorority girls and fashion models would pile into the new A110-50, but the experience of driving it would be as numb and vapid in comparison as getting to know the girls in it. I don't like sorority girls, or models really. I like my wife who seems as complex sometimes as an old Jaguar 4.2 V-12 on webbers, but looks like a Ferrari 458 to me. That is why she is interesting to me. That is why I love having her around. Though she's young and like's pretty things, because she is complex in great ways, my wife would choose the original A110.

Scott Madsen
- Zagatos Ghost

Memorial Day Military Machines

It's better late than never! I finally completed the memorial day post. Apologies for the tardiness.

Albert Einstein once said, "I know not with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones." 

I find all war to be reprehensible, but I do find it, as others who find war to be reprehensible, to be absolutely necessary at times. And when it is, I feel a great debt to those honorable men and women who take up the torch to defend freedom. Yet as much as I disdain the destruction of life, I have a curious interest in obscure military transportation vehicles. I find myself wanting to own obscure militaria. There is a Vespa that was produced with a massive cannon like barrel that the rider straddled as a seat with the barrel protruding through the front shield (Pictured Right). I'm not a gun guy and I'm sure that I'd be nervous straddling a cannon and riding it around like a battering ram. But I'd feel like a badass, and that is exactly what Military transport is all about. It typically is the least efficient means of transportation, its heavy, clunky, armored, and usually get a mile to the gallon. But they are innovative, advanced and push the boundaries of what is capable. And they are built for badasses.

Willy's Military Jeep

On July 11, 1940, The United States Military began accepting bids from 135 American manufacturers to produce an outline of a vehicle meeting the Army's specifications. The bid had to be submitted within 11 Days, with proof prototype 49 days after bid submission and 75 days to produce 70 vehicles. Specifications included: Four wheel drive, wheelbase no more than 75" and tracks no more than 47", fold down windshield, 660 lb payload, engine of 85 ft lbs, and an empty weight of 1300 lbs. Three companies completed the prototype and all three received orders from the US Gov. for 1500 units. Final car was delivered at 2150 lbs.
The "flatty" Jeep (also known as the Goat) was credited with enabling the US forces to out mobilize the Axis Powers. The flatty stands as a symbol of American might and while our Men were in the field, our women were building these amazingly adaptive machines.

Volkswagen Schwimmwagen

There aren't any misconceptions about how important technology and advanced machinery were to the Nazi party. In 1934 Ferdinand Porsche was invited to Berlin to meet a "private investor" interested in his new independent car company. To the surprise of Ferdinand Porsche after he was seated in the restaurant, Adolf Hitler stepped out to greet him. Porsche was then told that he was going to produce a 3 cylinder Diesel peoples car which would sell for 1000 Reichsmarks. This car was meant to connect Germany, to bring the farmers into towns and create and stimulate commerce. It took 4 years of development to produce the first predecessor to the beetle, the W2. From that 4 cylinder gas chassis, Hitler then had multiple military vehicles models created for his troops. The Schimmwagen and the Kubelwagen were the most commonly used in military action. The Schwimmwagen was a fully amphibious 4 wheel drive vehicle. Though 15,584 of these amazing machines were produced, only 163 are known to still exist today.

Volkswagen Kubelwagen

The Kubel was known as the German command vehicle. Produced along side the Schwimmwagen, the Kubelwagen was developed to be the workhorse of the German military. The Kubel was constructed by a Military Coachbuilder named Trutz. Porsche reinforced the chassis and added a locking differential to compete with the 4x4 Jeeps of the Allied forces. Over 50,000 units were produced between 1940-1945. Volkswagen would later produce the VW Thing as a variant to the Kubelwagen to appeal to the American markets.

Mercedes Unimog

The Unimog is a massive all wheel drive freight train on wheels. These cars are designed to access every terrain out there. Most European, African, and South American Military's still use Unimogs in their fleets. These cars are extremely durable and versatile with massive 4 wheel drive components with a diesel drive-train. These trucks have been used by off-road aficionados for years and are now being converted to full camping spec RV's. Earthroamer, and American based company which builds adventure RV's for long distance wilderness travel launched their Unimog series RV. Since that time the expensive Unimog has been replaced with a Ford 650 Super Duty. If you have an extra $500,000 laying around and are looking for a small travel RV and don't want to throw a pop up trailer behind your jeep, they look pretty nice. For more information you can view them at http://www.earthroamer.com/.

Lamborghini LM002

The LM002 is widely known as an immense failure. In 1977 Lamborghini attempted to get into Military Defense contracting. They began by producing a rear engined four wheel drive prototype that was demolished by the US military in testing. They produced a second prototype with the same configuration which met with the same fate. Finally the LM002 was born. Using the Bizarrini V12, a variant of the same engine used in the Miura and the Countach, Lamborghini created a $89,000.00 temperamental offroad vehicle in 1986. The LM002 competed with a superior quality, more robust and more efficient vehicle, the Hummer H1 for $64,000.00. Only 328 were ever produced and out of the program, 0 were ever sold into military service.

Hummer H1 Deisel

The Willy's Flattie and the Hummer H1 are the most influential military vehicles in modern warfare. From transporting wounded soldiers to delivering rations to nearly frozen and starving soldiers in the Alps in WW2 to locating and detonating IED's in Iraq and Afghanistan. The H1 has been in service for almost 30 years and since that time has protected American armed forces on miscellaneous missions on almost every continent. The H1 seems to be impossible to improve upon. Rarely has the military not upgraded equipment or technology for over a 30 year period, yet the H1 still stands, rarely improved, as the workhorse of the US military.

Wherever your views stand on war or the current wars being fought, I hope that we all take time this week to express gratitude for the blood shed by patriots to maintain the freedoms we enjoy so much, and to thank veterans or current servicemen for their many sacrifices on our behalf.

Scott Madsen
- Zagato's Ghost

Exotic of the Week Alfa Romeo "Disco Volante"

Alfa Romeo 1900 "Disco Volante" C52

"Disco Volante" Spyder

In 1951 Alfa Romeo de-funded their racing department, re-purposing the department to research and development. Their first project was a concept series based on Alfa's 1900 chassis. Alfa's new R&D department teamed up with the Milanese coachbuilder Touring in a concept series known as the Disco Volante or "flying saucer." The Disco Volante was given the factory designation of C52 and represented an advanced study into aerodynamics.

Though the C52 was based off of Alfa's 1900 platform, the only similarity between the stock 1900 chassis and the C52 was the front dual wishbone suspension and the live rear axle. The C52's frame was comprised of a state of the art tube chassis which increased rigidity and overall response. The C52 shed the stock 1900 cast iron block for a slightly bored cast aluminum block. The new unit with the 2.0L bore was fed by twin Choke Weber carbs and produced 158 hp.

"Disco Volante" Coupe

Meanwhile Touring worked on producing aerodynamic bodywork to lighten and help the newly developed chassis cut drag. Touring threw out the standard approach. Instead of focusing on the front end of the body to cut drag, Touring expanded their focus to the encompass the relationship of every design feature. During the early 50's wind tunnel's were becoming a valuable tool in coach building. Touring rounded the sides of the cars in an effort to reduce sidewinds and a smoothed paneling under the car, enabling wind to pass smoothly under the car. What they didn't learn in wind tunnel was that the rounded edges on either sides of the cockpit inducted wind and produced lift at high speeds. Even in view of this issue, the C52 achieved a high speed of 137 MPH pushing through dangerous lift.

"Disco Volante" Spyder

After successful testing at Monza, the C52 was entered to compete at Le Mans to be piloted by none other than "The Maestro" Juan Manuel Fangio and his co-drivers Froilan Gonzales and Franco Cortese. for reasons still unknown, Alfa pulled a no show and the Disco Volante was never raced. Two more spaceframe C52's were produced; a coupe and another spider. Due to the wide body styling of the original spyder, the second spyder was produced with "narrowed hips" to allow competition in hillclimbs. None of the three original C52 spaceframe cars were ever entered into competition.

In 1953 Alfa Romeo produced 6 cylinder cars with similar bodies to the DV's and are considered by some to be true C52's, however with their 6 cylinders and ladder frames, purists do not believe the two should be affiliated. The development of the Disco Volante spaceframe chassis would lead to the development of both the mk1 and mk2 Alfa Romeo Tubolare Zagato, bringing further recognition to Alfa Romeo's development department and adding to the pedigree of the brand.

Both the original spyder and the coupe are on display at the Alfa Romeo Museo Storica based in Artese, Italy. 

Scott Madsen
- Zagato's Ghost

Malcolm Sayer

During the fifties, GT racing was dominated by a franchise which today seems unlikely as an innovation leader. The indomitable Sir William Lyon's Jaguar. I say Sir William Lyon's Jaguar because the beginning of the end for Jaguar was marked when Jaguar was purchased by British Leland in 1966 which because of financial trouble, mismanagement and lack of quality would prove to damage Jaguars reputation and alienate their customer base.

Malcolm Sayer

However, in 1951 an aeronautical designer named Malcolm Sayer joined Jaguar Cars. Malcolm had served in the manufacturing division of Bristol Aeroplane Company during World War 2 where he learned specifics about low drag design. Beyond his innate eye for design, Sayer was an engineering prodigy. During his tenure at Jaguar, Sayer helped Jaguar institute his own logarithms for design involving a slide rule and what he called seven digit log tables. This gave Sayer the ability to map complex curvatures through exacting calculations involved in design theory. Design software used by designers today is based on iterations of Sayers original formulas.

All of this is somewhat boring to some but what is sometimes hard to imagine is that before Sayer, most cars were all designed as you go on wooden bucks and chalkboard rise/run engineering. Prior to Sayers involvement in the firm, the XK120 was famously designed by Sir William Lyons himself along with a master craftsman. No drawings, no tables just Lyons' vision of his supercar and design as you go. There is no arguing the genius of Lyons on the XK120. He accomplished his goal of creating the fastest top speed supercar of the time. In 1947 the XK120 topped out at 120mph. It was so important to Lyons, he named the car after it. It is also noteworthy to mention the engineer instrumental in the development of the dual overhead cam inline six which ran the fastest supercar in the world, Bill Heynes. But that is a whole other story.

XK120-C

When Sayer came on, Jaguar was looking for a limited production run model based on the XK120 chassis. Sayer designed the XK120-C otherwise known as the Jaguar C-Type. Sayer designed a full aluminum bodied Barchetta style car. Sayer labored under the opportunity to further Jaguars racing interests and produced a full aluminum body mounted on a spaceframe tube chassis. The XK-C was launched into immediately successful campaigns which resulted in multiple wins at Le Mans, Mille Miglia and others. News of Mercedes 300 SL's played a factor into the evolution of C type engine tunes. Stock XK120's produced 160 bhp. The different iterations of engine tune for the C type ranged from 180 bhp to over 220 bhp and extreme weight saving methods were utilized including thinner wall steel tubing for the spaceframe and rubber fuel bladders replaced metal fuel tanks. Some of the most famous names in racing piloted these cars to victories including Sterling Moss, Phil Hill, Peter Whitehead and Duncan Hamilton. Current estimated values are between $800,000 and $2.2M.

XK120-D

In order for Jaguar to remain competitive in the face of Mercedes new super advanced SLR's an updated single seat ultralight car was necessary. Sayer again went back to the drawing board and emerged with in my opinion one of the most radically advanced designs of the era, the D type. This important car also introduced the Monocoque chassis design to racing where the exterior skin directly related to the overall structural integrity of the car. The D-Type was made again of Aluminum but improvements to the C-Type design were extremely low drag achieved by under body sheeting and a vertical wing to assist the D-Type in reaching extremely high speeds in the long Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans. Though the D Type performed extremely well in competition, Jaguar cut funding for the racing program in 1957. The D-Type continued to win races even after Jaguar exited the program. Though D-Types are extremely desirable and valuable today, Jaguar was not able to entice privateers to purchase the remaining D-Types in production. Lyon's planned to convert the remaining unsold chassis to a road going two seater which could appeal to the growing demand in the American market. On February 12, 1957 a fire broke out at the division of Jaguar where the D-Types were being produced destroying 9 of the 25 cars in process and completed.

XKSS

The question was once again put to Sayer, What to do with the remaining 16 D-Type chassis? With the project outlined by Lyons, Sayer began to create a stramlined Barchetta supercar given the factory designation of XKSS. Sayer had his eye on what would appeal to the American market. The XKSS would rise to infamy due mostly to its endorsement from its most famous owner, Steve McQueen. McQueen was often quoted stating that he would drag race the SS in the hills above Hollywood. His car is currently in the possession of the Peterson Automotive Museum and on Display in a city near my home. I will be touring the exhibit this summer and will put together a special article about this amazing car. In 2011 there was an unprecedented showing of 12 of the 16 XKSS models at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concourse De Elegance. This signified the first documented event where 12 of the 16 examples were reunited in the same show and was a breathtaking homage to the designer who was known as the "master of metal."

XK E

 The E-Type Jaguar celebrated its 50th Year this year. The E-Type was Malcolm Sayers most successful design. At the 1960 Paris Auto Show, when Enzo Ferrari saw the XK-E he called it "the most beautiful car ever made." There is a rumor that the Ferrari 250 GTO was developed in direct response to the XK-E in a panic and was shotgunned through production in roughly 6 weeks. Enzo leaned heavily on Scaglietti, Ferrari's resident designer to fit the body to a standard SWB 250 GT. Ferrari also challenged Bizarrini to shoehorn a v12 out of the Testarossa into the SWB chassis. There was a falling out during this period between Ferrari and long time engineer Bizarrini. The explosion led to Enzo clearing out his engineering staff mid project. The overall assumption is that this car rocked Ferrari to its core.

During the long production run starting in 1960 and ending in 1974, the E type would survive many different iterations ranging from the infamous low drag E type to the awkwardly lumpy 2+2. There is no doubt that Sayers E type completely redefined the culture of Jaguar. Even today the styling of the long bonnet, short boot, rear wheel tuck under the quarter panel is still found in Jaguars new production cars. The New York Museum of Modern Art added an E Type to its permanent design collection in 1996. One of just 6 cars to be accepted into the functional art world and given a permanent position next to their Cisitalia 202. It would be impossible to measure the impact this car has had on the automotive industry.

XJ13

Jaguar wanted to produce a mid engined supercar to compete with the powerful ferrari lineup. Sayer designed a mid-engined V12 supercar.To Jaguar enthusiasts the XJ13 is the Holy Grail. It is priceless because the private owner has never offered it for sale. It is rumored that the he was offered over $11M in 1996 which he respectfully declined. The XJ13 carried a mid engined 5.0L V12. Due to changing rules in GT limiting engine capacity to 3.0L, the XJ13 didn't comply with regulations.

In 1971 the XJ13 was taken out of its 4 year storage at Jaguar. Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis was given the task of taking laps as part of a press junket to hype the V12 E-Type release. Dewis took it easy on the first 4 laps and then began pushing the car in the banks. The rear outside wheel collapsed in the turn and tossed the car over the wall. Dewis recalls shutting down the engine in the middle of the wreck and pulling himself under the dash for protection. Luckily the amazing response of Dewis is credited for the XJ13 not exploding into flames during the catastrophic wreck. Jaguar would eventually spend 1971-1972 rebuilding the XJ13 to its original condition. This car was designed for incredible high speed, aerodynamics, and perfect balance however, due to the damage of the accident the XJ13's potential remains untested.

Malcolm Sayer died in 1970 at the early age of 54 years old. Lyons credited Sayer with playing a leading role in the development of the Jaguar brand. There are designers who often have one or two hits that help their firms get on deck so to speak. Sayer was responsible for home run after home run. He took the small Coventry boutique manufacturer to a firm which dominated a decade in racing. Outgunning by hugely successful firms of Ferrari and Mercedes. He was known for being reserved, quiet family man who valued his relationship with his children and shied away from the limelight.

Accomplished designer, fabricator, and musician. Sayer was a dying breed of renaissance men.

Scott Madsen
- Zagato's Ghost

Zagato's Vision

Ugo Zagato

I thought a fitting first post would be a study on what I believe to be the greatest of all design houses and the namesake of this blog, Zagato.


Real Zagato bodied cars are rare. You can typically identify them by their "double bubble" roofline, shaved streamline doorhandles, and shaved bumpers. Ugo Zagato started the firm post World War 1 fusing streamlined aeronautical technology he had learned during his short lived career in Turin with Pomilio, an aircraft construction company, with automotive design. The firm grew quickly as Zagato's designs piqued the interest of the large manufacturers. In the firms infancy, Zagato was contracted to produce racing bodies for Alfa Romeo. This collaboration produced Alfas 1500 6C, and 1750 6C which were favored by some of the biggest names in racing at that time. Tazio Nouvalari and Enzo Ferrari being two of them.  Zagato's pre war efforts produced cars which competed regularly in races like the Mille Miglia. In Fact in the 1938 Mille Miglia over 30 Zagato bodied cars were registered to compete.

Arguably Ugo's magnum opus was the Alfa 2300 8C. This is perhaps one of the most prolific pre war racers in automotive history. Only the mighty Bugatti type 35 and Hitlers silver arrows rival its reputation in prestige and prowess. Ugo was famously quoted as saying, "it is better to be a small boss than an important employee."
During WW2, the Zagato factory was destroyed during a bomb raid. They had been commissioned under Mousolini to produce truck cabs for the war efforts.
Post WW2 however, Zagato was reborn as a new family owned partnership between Ugo and his two sons; Elio and Gianni Zagato. Elio became the master administrator of the firm. Drawing from both his short race car driving history and a newly earned degree in business Administration, Elio had the firm performing both as innovative coachbuilders but also as race chassis engineers as well. It was during this time in Zagato's history that Grand Touring racing became popular.

Fiat 8V Berlinetta Coupe 'Rapi' design

Zagato worked closely with Fiat motors in producing their first touring car, specifically the Fiat 8V Berlinetta Coupe Zagato.  This car in particular is close to my heart because my dad owned one. I should note that he more specifically owned what is estimated to be 1 of 3 Berlinetta Coupe's Fiat ever produced. He purchased the car from a returned serviceman who had brought it over after his station in Europe was complete. The serviceman touted the car as a Mille Miglia competitor and the photograph my father still has shows a curious white roundel on the door. His car had the "Rapi" designed staggered headlights that the ultra rare Berlinetta Coupe would become famous for. It is now worth around $600,000, however at the time my old man traded it for a MG with a ford 289 packed under the hood. It would later prove to be his only real car collecting regret. In 1955 Elio would race an 8V to victory in the AVUS race in Berlin.

Upon servicing the new GT class and with the guidance and administrative expertise of Elio, Zagato was immediately inundated with orders from prominent manufacturers. Privateers and production firms all worked to infuse Zagato's signature wind slicing, aero designs into competition cars. Again the double bubble low drag roofline, streamlined bodywork and what is referred to as a "truncated tail" were developed right in Zagato's plant outside of Milan. The Alfa TZ series 1 and 2 both would carry the evolved "truncated tail" during competition.

Most noteworthy post war collaborations were with Aston Martin, Lancia, and Alfa Romeo. Zagato produced limited volume and prototype cars for Ferrari who was diligently working to bring their preferred design house Pininfarina in house. They also worked for Maserati, Fiat, Lancia, Abarth, Ferrari and Bristol. The specific cars which have interested me over the years are less obscure than some.

  Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

Alfa Romeo Tubolare Zagato

Alfa Romeo 1900 Sport Zagato

Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato

 These are in my opinion the best representations of what Zagato did best. All fluid, all recessed headlights, all carried a certain style representative of the firms core beliefs. When I look at them I feel like if I ever drove one, I would need to be wearing a well trimmed suit.

On my first date with my (unbeknownst to me at that time) future wife I took her for a short (two hour) drive to a museum of sorts which was displaying a real, one in 19 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato. She watched me stare in disbelief for over 2 hours as I attempted to memorize every line, every nuance of style. I was speechless, and an awful date. However I later discovered that though it was a bit long, she felt connected with something so close to my heart. It doesn't always work taking girls to see cars, but beautiful girls like beautiful things and our tastes sometimes are an unsaid compliment.

After the late 70's Zagato faded from view. They continued to collaberate with companies for concepts but failed to get long term production contracts. The late 90's through today we have see a re-invigoration of the firm. Aston Martin and others now have short run production projects with Zagato which I personally hope we see continue the growth and health of one of the worlds most historically significant firms.

I will undoubtedly spend time evaluating each and every car I have outlined in this post, as well as one of my favorite designers whose work is represented in 2 of the above cars; the Aston DB4 GT and the Lancia Fulvia Sport. Ercole Spada.

Scott Madsen
- Zagato's Ghost

An Introduction of Sorts

To begin with, I am a young man for my obsession. I don't have any particular training in writing, and I am unsure if my musings would be of interest to anyone. However my mind is reaching capacity with the studies I have amassed over the last 16 years. I spend an average of at least 1-3 hours most nights studying history of automotive design. I have to dig deep sometimes to find new stories, new studies to embark on and the information should be documented in a useful way, so I am going to attempt to open it up to anyone who may be interested. Why? I often wonder if the obsession I find myself submitting to year after year is a fading interest to my generation. In the day of iPhone's, instant gratification, and growing cloud of general impatience leading to the savage annihilation of pride and true craftsmanship I wonder if anyone really still cares about what I care about.

I'm sure I will turn off individuals who see this blog. I have certain points of view, but I am also not afraid to defend those points of view. I can't help it, but some people need to be turned off. I hope that I will in turn be beat up by elitist gurus if I am able to entice any to participate. The deeper I go the more I realize that I know very little, but it is rare to meet anyone within my reach who studies as much as I do so I look forward to the education.

I do not like American cars to start out with. I have a certain affinity for classic Americana, its what my old man raised me on but I don't like new cars. Very few of them are noteworthy. Sorry, but its the truth. In 2008 I bought my wife a VW GTI 4 door. It came with sports suspension, 6 speed manual, direct port injection with a variable finned turbo. I went to a Saturn dealership just to see what the General was offering in the hot hatch category. I found a Saturn Astra with an N/A 4 cylinder, base model, cloth seats, no real amenities at all for $4000 over what I paid. I couldn't believe it. I'm sorry, but GM deserved to fail. They made a classic mistake of forgetting and neglecting their market. Their real bosses. My dad used to have a plaque on his desk which said "let all those who refuse to innovate move over for those who will not." And truly, if they do not they will be run over by those who innovate. I will however always love certain American cars which are a symbol of American strength and ingenuity but I don't believe in pulling punches. It is ridiculous that the country who is responsible for innovations like putting a man on the moon touts that the greatest selling point for the new Camaro is that it has fully independent suspension... That seems like saying "it comes with a radio," it is the minimum of every non American car in its class. Its absurd. It should have come with it in 1967, the C2 Corvette at least had the lateral leaf spring so the technology was there, just unused... Which I wish I could say is unusual for GM.

I look forward to putting together well researched articles and posts to present my opinions. The only truth out there in the car industry is innovation. When companies stop innovating, the entire industry dies. We almost saw it in 2009 when the American car industry came screeching to a halt. Shame on the GM executives for profiting from damaging the reputation of our great country.

Lastly in this first post I wanted to discuss what I call the illness. I realized after 13 years of obsessing that my interest isn't actually in the cars. They are however a byproduct of the process. Like diesel was a cheap effective option because it was a byproduct of the refinery process of fuel. So what is my passion? What drives my interest? GHOSTS... I am haunted by them. I see them everywhere I look. Zagato, Abarth, Bertone, Vignale, Ghia, Figoni, Guigaro, Rapi, and many many others. They were visionaries. If it weren't for the competition created by these and hundreds of other designers we would never have seen the Ferrari 250 GTO, Jaguar E type, Mercedes 300 SLR, Porsche 356 Carrera Abarth GTL, and literally thousands of others. Passion through innovation is stitched together in a foundational framework though out time and culture by these ghosts. The unknown and unspoken geniuses. The masters.

This blog is to honor their memory. The memory of self made hard working expert craftsman who left an indelible mark on the world. I hope that these ghosts will visit the readers of this blog. I hope they change you. I hope they keep you up at night like they do me. That passion and obsession drive us all to understand more fully the art and rarity of true craftsmanship. I raise my meager symbolic glass to the masters of art, design, and innovation.

Scott Madsen
- Zagato's Ghost