V12 Zagato

2013 Aston Martin V12 Zagato

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 4, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Aston Martin decided to celebrate their 50th anniversary of working with famed Italian coachbuilder Zagato by building a limited run of very exclusive cars. The first collaboration 50 years ago was the legendary DB4 GT Zagato. This new car, the V12 Zagato which entered production in 2012, is based on the V12 Vantage that Aston Martin has been building since 2009.

Like the car it is based on, the V12 Zagato is powered by a 6.0-liter V-12 making 510 horsepower. Top speed is 190 mph and 60 arrives in about four seconds. The original intent was to limit production to 150 examples and the weird thing about it is that Aston wanted to take this super limited edition car to the race track. And they did, building two GT3 versions, both of which finished in the top ten at the 2011 24 Hours of the Nurburgring.

But the run of 150 was never meant to be. Only 61 of these were ever built, making them even more instantly collectible than they would’ve been had the run continued longer than the two model years for which they were actually constructed. This is a low mileage, one-owner car from Latvia and should bring between $620,000-$740,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Ferrari 348 Zagato

1991 Ferrari 348 Zagato Elaborazione

Offered by Dragone Auctions | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 4, 2016

Photo - Dragone Auctions

Photo – Dragone Auctions

The Ferrari 348 is not the most beloved Ferrari. Not by a long shot, although people who know know that they are a lot of fun for not a lot of price (in terms of Ferraris). The 348 was introcued in 1989 and lasted through 1995 when it was replaced by the similar-in-style F355.

There were two different powertrain configurations: the TB/TS and the GTB/GTS. The car you see here actually started life as a 348 TB, therefore it is powered by a 3.4-liter V-8 making 300 horsepower. Top speed was 171 mph and 60 arrives in about 5.6 seconds.

In 1991 Zagato planned to build about 20 of these – but only eight were ever completed (they may have built another 3 or 4 in 1992… not sure). They restyled the front and rear of the car and added their signature Double Bubble roof. Nothing underneath the skin of the car was touched. It’s one of the rarest road-going Ferraris of the 1990s. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

8V Elaborata

1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata by Zagato

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 28, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Fiat 8V was a short-lived sports car from Fiat produced between 1952 and 1954. Of the 114 cars built, only about 40 had factory bodywork – the rest were all done by coachbuilders and this Zagato-styled “Elaborata” coupe is one of just five such cars built by the famous Italian coachbuilder.

The engine is a 2.0-liter V-8 making 110 horsepower (Fiat would’ve called the car the “V8” but Ford already had that trademarked). This car was sold new to someone in Milan and was then campaigned heavily throughout Europe through the late 1950s.

The car was most recently restored in 2011. Fiat 8Vs rarely trade hands (although we’ve featured a few of them) and when they do, it usually means big money. That will likely be the case here, as Bonhams has declined to publish an estimate. In any case, you can read more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, Gooding & Company Pebble Beach 2017, $1,485,000.

DB4GT Zagato

1962 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | New York, New York | December 10, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

This is one of the Holy Grail Aston Martins. The DB4GT itself is a rare, highly sought-after machine – but those handful of Zagato versions are really where it’s at. The DB4 was produced by Aston Martin between 1958 and 1963. The DB4GT came out in late 1959. It was a lightweight, high-performance version of the standard 2+2 road car.

The engine in the GT (including this car) is a 314 horsepower 3.7-liter straight-six. That’s actually serious horsepower – even today. About 75 standard GTs were built. But this is one of only 19 Zagato cars.

The car is instantly recognizable with that grille as an Aston. But the soft, sloping rear end makes it obviously a work of Zagato. This is car #14 and it was shipped new to Australia where it led a life as an independent racer. It went back to the U.K. in the 1990s, was restored in 2002 and has been shown all over the world. What’s truly impressive: not one of the 19 DB4GT Zagatos has traded hands in more than 10 years. This truly is a car that rarely comes up for sale. RM compares it to the 250 GTO and they aren’t wrong. While it won’t bring $30+ million dollars, it will definitely bring multiple millions. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $14,300,000.

Cadillac NART Zagato

1970 Cadillac NART Zagato

Offered by Stanislas Machoïr | Nice, France | October 17, 2015

Photo - Stanislas Machoir

Photo – Stanislas Machoir

Luigi Chinetti and his North American Racing Team (NART) are legends in American (and worldwide) motoring. He was the man who brought Ferrari to America and the initials of his racing team mark some of the world’s most valuable Ferraris.

In 1969 or 1970, Chinetti met with GM with the idea to create something exotic based on one of their cars. So, using a modified 1969 Cadillac Eldorado chassis, Chinetti (and his son, Luigi Jr., who helped pen the body), created this unique one-off creation.

It is powered by a mid-mounted 8.2-liter V-8 making 400 horsepower. The car is rear-wheel drive as opposed to the Eldorado’s standard front-wheel drive layout. The body was constructed out of aluminium by Zagato in Italy. Styling cues are a mix of both European performance and GM parts bin.

Unfortunately, General Motors never really gave the car any consideration for production but Zagato did show it at the 1971 Turin Motor Show and Chinetti showed it again in New York later that year as well. It’s a super unique piece of history – perfect for collectors of Cadillacs, General Motors concept cars, Zagato concept cars – and even Ferraris. It all ties in. It should bring a respectable $280,000-$450,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Vanquish Roadster Prototype

2004 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Roadster Prototype

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 14, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Vanquish (also called the V12 Vanquish in the beginning) was Aston Martin’s flagship car (and supercar) in the early oughts. It was built between 2001 and 2007, with the final two model years available solely in Vanquish S form. The car was only every sold as a two-door coupe. There was never a convertible.

Except for this. A second generation Vanquish went on sale in 2013 and a convertible Volante variant was introduced for the ’14 model year. But for the original car, this is the only convertible. It was built by Zagato and shown at the 2004 Geneva Auto Salon. It was later shown at the “concept and prototype green” at Pebble Beach where the current owner managed to acquire it.

The car began life as a Vanquish testing mule but when converted by Zagato it was made entirely roadworthy. It was even wind-tunnel tested to make sure it was quiet in the cabin. The engine is the standard Vanquish 5.9-liter V-12 making 460 horsepower. 1,492 Vanquish coupes were built. But this is special. It is legally in the U.S. and has over 13,000 miles on it. Bonhams is estimating a sale price of $700,000-$850,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $660,000.

The Aston They Should’ve Built

2013 Aston Martin DB9 Centennial Spyder Concept by Zagato

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 15, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The title says it all. Aston Martins are some of the prettiest cars on the planet, the DB9 among them, but this is a beautiful take on an already gorgeous car. Sure, it might seem a little droopy-eyed if you look at it too long, but its lines are crisp and it’s sporty and forward-looking. And the current DB9 is a little long in the tooth (it’s been on sale for over 10 years).

It was built by legendary Aston Martin design partner Zagato to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Aston Martin. This car started life as a U.S.-spec ’13 DB9 Volante that was bought off the lot and sent to Zagato by its owner to receive this body work.

The engine is the standard 510 horsepower 5.9-liter V-12. It’s called a Concept because that’s what Zagato chose to call it (plus, it got it on the concept lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours). It’s completely street-able and has about 2,300 miles on it and is a one-owner car. There aren’t too many coachbuilt cars these days and this one is about perfect. Buy it. It will only ever appreciate in value. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $693,000.

Alfa Romeo SZ

1991 Alfa Romeo SZ

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Coventry, U.K. | February 21-22, 2015

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

The SZ (and it’s roadster twin, the RZ) were the result of a successful collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Zagato – two companies whose intertwined histories go back decades. The SZ was built first, launching in 1989 with production continuing through 1991.

The design by Zagato is rather boxy but definitely unique (Zagato really bought into boxy in the early 1990s). The RZ could only be had in one color: red with a tan interior (although one back car was built for Andrea Zagato). The engine is a 3.0-liter V-6 making 208 horsepower. It’s a compact little thing and for 1991, was pretty zippy.

Only 1,036 SZs were built and this one was sold new in the Netherlands. It’s for sale from it’s original owner and it only has 502 miles on it – so it’s basically brand new. Look for it to bring between $59,000-$82,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $130,805.

Perana Z-One

2012 Perana Z-One

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 10-18, 2015

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

The Perana Z-One debuted at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in concept guise. The car was style by Zagato – which is what the “Z” stands for. Perana is a South African company, formally known as the Perana Performance Group.

This car uses a 6.2-liter Corvette V-8 making 436 horsepower, although the owners can upgrade to an LS7 for up to 630 horsepower. These cars have a confusing history – originally, only 10 pre-production coupes were built with the lofty goal of 999 cars to be built per year. Instead, AC Cars acquired the rights to the car to build it as the AC 378 GT Zagato, with production beginning in 2012.

I don’t know how many cars, if any, AC has sold, but Perana has sold a few after that 2012 rights sale. So how many have been built and by which manufacturer? I’m not sure. Is it still in production? Probably not, but there are two of them at this year’s Barrett-Jackson sale. They were supposed to cost up to $150,000 for a high-horsepower version. This one likely won’t top $100,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $73,700.

Bentley Continental GTZ

2006 Bentley Continental GTZ by Zagato

Offered by RM Auctions | London, U.K. | September 8, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

I don’t think anyone would argue that Bentleys aren’t stylish cars. The Continental GT has made Bentley a huge brand globally. After decades of low-volume production, they finally went mainstream with this mass production (for Bentley) coupe. It was introduced in 2003 and the first generation was produced through 2011. Go to Monaco sometime, these things are like Honda Accords there.

So what if you want a Bentley but you don’t want everyone else’s Bentley? You get a coachbuilt version. That’s right, this is a special-bodied Continental GT, dubbed GTZ for its Zagato design. This car marks the first time Bentley and Zagato have ever collaborated on a car. The engine is the standard 552 horsepower 6.0-liter twin-turbo W-12 found in all Continental GTs of the era.

This car started life as a 2006 Continental GT and in 2009 it was sent to Zagato to receive this custom treatment that they debuted at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. It was job worth over half-a-million dollars (on top of the price of the donor car). Only nine examples were produced. Look at the picture of the rear of the car below and see how wild it is. This one should sell for between $425,000-$530,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s London lineup.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Update: Sold $391,961.