About the design and the car
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| Luigi Chinetti |
The car was under Luigi Chinetti's commission, the design is distinctive from other custom body Ferrari’s. Zagato was a famous coach designer from Milan, Italy. The car was commissioned by Luigi Chinetti, a famous Italian race car driver. After immigrating to the United States during World War II, he went on to contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans twelve times, winning on three occasions, and claimed two victories at the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps. He went on to create the North American Racing Team (NART), which campaigned cars sourced directly from Maranello.
His abilities extended beyond racing, as his sharp business acumen in car sales made him a natural fit to work alongside Enzo Ferrari. Chinetti opened his first dealership in Manhattan before eventually relocating to Greenwich, Connecticut. Chinetti also catered to select clients by commissioning bespoke builds from renowned Italian design houses.
In late 1970, he approached Zagato with a request to craft a one-of-a-kind spider body, mounted on an earlier Ferrari chassis.
A bit on Zagato
At the end of 1970, after a 12-year hiatus, Zagato once again turned its gaze toward Maranello, during this time much had changed within the company, even in Zagato. It had evolved from a modest workshop into an industrial enterprise capable of producing up to ten cars daily.
Following the death of Ugo Zagato in 1968, the firm was taken over by his sons, Elio and Gianni. They expanded the production range and managed to elevate the brand's prestige even further, shifting toward small-scale series production. The iconic "Z" logo also saw a redesign
The design was led by Giuseppe Mittino who had been in charge of different projects and design at Zagato since 1970. The Ferrari 3z featured an angular and aggressive styling and looked nothing close to a Ferrari. The styling featured unique styling elements such as mobile eye lids with slits in the end and the position of the rear lights were recessed into the body. The front slotted headlights suited the market it was being designed for which was the American market plus it drew inspiration from the helmet of an ancient warrior
The car embodied Zagato’s design approach of the time—favoring crisp, purposeful lines wrapped around bold geometric forms. This direction had already proven successful with the Alfa Romeo Junior Z, one of the earliest examples of wedge-inspired styling.
The workings of la macchina
The Ferrari 250 GT, chassis #2491/GT, originally a Grigio Argento (Gray Silver) 250 GT SWB California Spyder, was the 17th of 56 'short-wheelbase' California Spyders built by Scaglietti in 1961. This car was later sold to race car driver Luigi Chinetti in 1969, who then delivered it to Carrozzeria Zagato.
Luigi Chinetti commissioned this car to be presented at the Turin Motor show for October of 1970. It is said that Chinetti supervised every stage of this project, delays in every stage meant that the car was forced to make its new debut in the October 1971 Turin Motor Show.
The foundation of this car was the 250GT SWB (short wheel base), a model from a decade prior. It had a natural aspirated Tipo 168, Colombo, Aluminum Alloy 60 Degree V12. It produced 250 bhp. Stopping duties were handled by disc brakes on all four corners mounted on Double Wishbones in the front and a live axle in the rear, the power was transmitted through a 4-Speed Manual gearbox. The 3Z featured a metallic blue exterior complemented by a white leather interior.
It was finished in metallic blue with Borrani wire wheels, but later it had Campagnolo 10-slot alloy wheels fitted. It remains one of the most unique coach-built spiders on the special SWB coachwork.
Unveiled in its full splendor at the Turin Motor Show, the car was completed in the summer of 1971. This Zagato creation was met with public and press acclaim, who specifically praised its originality, roomy interior, notable low weight of 1,290 kg, and superior aerodynamics.
Gazzetta dello Sport wrote: "The first impression given by this sports spider is the original design and purity of its surfaces. The goal set by the creators of the Ferrari 3Z was to improve aerodynamics. The car embodies the Zagato aesthetic principle, requiring a functional and simple design, devoid of unnecessary stylistic experimentation."
The car was collected in February of 1972 from Carrozeria Zagato and shipped to Luigi Chinetti Motors Inc. The car was purchased for $5000 and the paper work classified it as a “used GT car”, it was instantly sold to a local doctor from Long Island
Concluzione
It was fun researching about this obscure Zagato as is with any unique coach built cars, as it unveils some more interesting cars to learn and share with others. This car from different angles looked like different cars that I could draw reference to, the front dead on view had a hint of Ferrari plus citroen (yes it sounds crazy) and the side profile was very much like a Fox body Mustang. The rear view is perhaps the most distinctive part of the entire car. The Ferrari 3z is a truly lovely, coachbuilt car, a testament to bespoke design and craftsmanship. Its masterful blend of classic Ferrari performance cues and unique, hand-formed bodywork elevates it beyond standard models. This bespoke nature lends it a rare and timeless elegance, with flowing lines and meticulous detail. The 3z remains a distinctive and highly desirable collectible automobile. In 1974, Chinetti commissioned the 330 Convertibile Zagato. Zagato’s tenth car based on a Ferrari chassis was inspired by the 3Z Spider, albeit with significant changes. More about this car in the next blog.
Excellent. Well researched. Liked the sketch. Keep it going.
ReplyDeleteOnce again a very detailed and well researched write up! Look forward to more such informative articles!
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