Guide: Alfa Romeo SZ & RZ
Background
Despite a rich pedigree that extended back almost to the dawn of motoring, by the late 1980s, Alfa Romeo’s product line lacked a certain vigour. The firm was mostly churning out humdrum runabouts with a reputation for rust and unreliability; something was desperately needed to kick-start the brand’s revival.
At the time, the market for exotic and collectable cars was at an all time high.
New models like the Ferrari 288 GTO and Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato had sold out before the first cars had even been built. Many other desirable exotics were trading at above list price. Together with high end classics, the market for automotive investments was seemingly red hot.
In response, Alfa Romeo created a flagship Grand Tourer. Dubbed SZ, the name was a homage to the Giulietta-based Sprint Zagato racers campaigned so effectively during the early 1960s.
However, although Zagato were commonly acknowledged as having designed this second generation SZ, their role was principally to handle assembly.
Irrespective of its accreditation, the new car (nicknamed ‘Il Mostro’ on account of its styling) had all the hallmarks of a modern Zagato creation; traditional elegance was abandoned in favour of the latest avant-garde styling.
Following its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1989, SZ production began that autumn and ran for two years. Afterwards, a roadster version, the RZ, was built until 1994.
The association between Alfa Romeo and Zagato dated back to 1929. It had most famously spawned Z-badged competition models like the 6C, 8C, 1900 SS, SZ, TZ and TZ2.
Zagato’s last commission from Alfa had been the 1969 Junior Z.
After struggling through the 1970s, Zagato underwent something of a revival in the 1980s. The Milanese firm initially secured the Biturbo contract from Maserati and then a request from Aston Martin for a batch of spectacular V8 Vantages.
Chassis
The SZ was constructed around a steel monocoque to which its plastic body panels were bonded.
Many of the mechanical components were sourced from Alfa Corse who had developed a range of suitable parts for the 75 Turbo Evoluzione programme.
Independent double wishbone front suspension was combined with a rigid de Dion rear axle that incorporated converging rods and a Watts linkage. Hydraulic telescopic dampers, anti-roll bars and uniball joints were fitted all round.
Because ground clearance was restricted, Alfa Romeo equipped each car with cockpit-adjustable ride height. A button on the centre console raised or lowered the suspension by up to 50mm.
Brakes were ventilated discs of 284mm diameter at the front and 250mm at the rear..
The Pirelli P Zero-shod 16-inch OZ alloy wheels measured 7-inches wide at the front and 8-inches wide at the back.
A 68-litre fuel tank was installed over the rear axle.
Engine & Gearbox
Despite some of their recent cars having been undeniably forgettable, Alfa Romeo still knew how to produce great engines: for the SZ, they settled on the three-litre 60° V6 as found in the 75 saloon.
Mounted front longitudinally, these Tipo 61501 motors featured an all-alloy construction with single overhead camshaft heads and two valves per cylinder.
Displacement was 2959cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 93mm and 72.6mm respectively. Compression was set at 10.0:1.
Great care was taken in the assembly stages where particular attention was paid to the timing, camshafts, compression and geometry of the new intake and exhaust manifolds.
Special features included a supplementary heat exchanger for cooling the engine oil and a wider diameter air filter. Bosch supplied the multipoint fuel-injection system (ML4.1 Motronic) and all SZs were fitted with three-way catalytic converters.
Peak output was 210bhp at 6200rpm and 181lb-ft at 4500rpm.
Transmission was via a five-speed manual gearbox and single dry plate clutch.
Bodywork
Alfa Romeo commissioned two teams to create proposals for the SZ bodywork: one was based at Alfa Romeo’s own Centro Stile and the other at Fiat’s design centre.
Ultimately, it was the concept that arrived from Fiat that won. Robert Opron made the initial drafts and Antonio Castellana refined the bodywork and interior. Zagato then made some detail contributions to the front and rear.
What emerged was a truly dramatic machine whose slab-like proportions belied its extraordinary aerodynamic profile of Cd 3.0.
Body panels were manufactured by Carplast in Italy and Stratime in France. They were formed from Modar thermosetting metacrylic resin reinforced with glassfibre.
Only one colour scheme was officially offered, Rosso Alfa 130 with a Grigio Scuro 633 roof.
Interior
Inside, heavily bolstered Zagato-designed seats were trimmed in the same beige leather as the roof lining, cabin pillars, the door trim and the two cubby holes behind the seats. Contrasting black leather was used used for the dash and centre console.
A black leather-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel was created specifically for the SZ by Zagato and Momo. It fronted a simple instrument binnacle with imitation carbon fascia.
Housed directly behind the steering wheel was a large speedometer and rev counter in between which was a small clock. Four additional gauges (oil pressure, oil temperature, water temperature and an ammeter) were located off to the right and angled towards the driver.
The central console featured a numbered plaque and a bank of four switches, one of which was to raise and lower the ride-height.
Air-conditioning was standard along with electric windows and electric mirrors.
The vacant area behind the seats was left for luggage as there was not a conventional trunk. The rear quarters were covered in same light brown carpet as the rest of the floor. Two beige leather straps were also provided.
Options
Despite a set of fitted luggage being displayed at early motor shows, only one set was reputedly made and there were no other optional upgrades offered.
Weight / Performance
The SZ weighed 1260kg, had a 0-62mph time of 6.4 seconds and top speed of 156mph.
This was only part of the story though as, despite its modest output, the car’s handling was legendary and it quickly became a favourite with automotive journalists.
Production
The first eleven customer cars were delivered in late 1989 but the bulk of production took place in 1990 and 1991.
The SZ was discontinued in late 1991 after 1036 units had been completed. All were left-hand drive.
Only some very minor developments were made during this time, the most significant of which was a reinforced clutch that arrived mid-way through 1991.
RZ
After SZ production ended, a roadster version called the RZ was introduced.
Alfa Romeo initially planned a run of 350 cars but only 278 were actually made.
The same 210bhp three-litre V6 was installed into a reinforced chassis. All RZs came with the improved clutch with its stronger release assembly as fitted to late SZs.
Zagato were commissioned to design the RZ’s bodywork and, although it looked like a simple transformation from the coupe, no panels were interchangeable between the two variants.
Subtle tweaks included a raised front spoiler, new side skirts and a bonnet that did without the SZ’s artistically formed engine-cooling vents. There was also a new manually-operated canvas folding roof that, when lowered, disappeared from view underneath a traditional Zagato ‘double-bubble’ rear deck.
Other changes included a cut-down windscreen, new side windows, concealed windscreen wipers and smoked rear light clusters. Thinner plastic panels were used in an attempt to reduce some of the extra weight from the reinforced chassis.
Inside, the SZ’s imitation carbon fibre dash was replaced by a matt black aluminium panel and buyers could choose from either black or red leather upholstery. Black-faced gauges were replaced with white.
Unlike the SZ (which only came in red), four exterior colours were available on the RZ. They were Rosso Alfa (red), Giallo Ginestra (yellow), Argento (silver) or Nero (black). One car was also reputedly finished in metallic white.
Despite weighing 120kg more than the SZ, the 1380kg RZ was still an exceptional performer. As a result of the messier aerodynamics, top speed dropped from 156mph to 144mph. 0-62mph took 6.7 seconds.
278 RZs were built between 1992 and 1994, all of which were again left-hand drive.
SZ Trophy / RZ Trophy
As a consequence of the early nineties recession, by 1993, quite a few SZs and RZs were sat unsold at the factory. Clearly it wasn’t worth any major investment to clear the backlog of stock, but Alfa Romeo thought a racing variant might give some impetus to faltering sales.
Together, Alfa Romeo and Zagato organised the SZ Trophy for 1993. The championship comprised a one-make support race at the 1993 Monaco Grand Prix while the remaining rounds were part of the burgeoning Italian GT Championship.
To keep costs down, no major modifications were made; they would only distort the technical merits of the original car anyway.
For an inclusive sum of 146m Lire (compared to 80m for a standard car), customers were provided with a brand new SZ (or RZ) equipped with special Tuning and Safety packs.
The Tuning Kit comprised special shock absorbers and springs, an uprated brake system, re-mapped engine management, a racing exhaust and reinforced clutch. Output was probably in excess of 250bhp.
The Safety Kit included a roll-cage, four-point racing harness, a fire extinguisher and tow hook.
Additionally, each Trophy car was sold with a dozen five-spoke OZ Racing wheels, enough tyres for all eight races and a mechanic at each event too.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Alfa Romeo - https://www.alfaromeo.com
