The exhibition, being held at the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile in Turin until mid-March, celebrates Zagato’s influence on the industry since 1919 with nine important cars. Five of these will each represent an era of coachbuilding in collaboration with the manufacturers, from an Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Testafissa Zagato of the 1910-20s Corse era, to an Alfa Romeo SZ of the 1980-90s CAD/CAM era. A further four cars from recent years will show how Zagato uses its history to influence its contemporary designs: the Fiat 500 Coupé Zagato (2011), Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale (2011), BMW Zagato Coupé (2012) and Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake Zagato (2014).

Plenty more to digest

With your appetite for double-bubbles and the like suitably whetted, you’ll no doubt want to delve deeper into the fascinating story of the brilliant – and at times defiant – coachbuilding collective. That’s where a revised, limited-edition coffee table book entitled ‘Zagato Milano 1919-2014’ comes in. Using images and information from Zagato’s own archives, it tells the full story from 1919 to the present day – the latter chapter particularly fascinating, as it not only includes contemporary models, but also details several recently completed ‘Sanction II’ cars, including a Porsche 356 Carrera Zagato and a Lancia Aprilia Sport Zagato.

Photos: Zagato