During the post-World War II period, Ercole Spada emerged as the creative force behind Carrozzeria Zagato’s most iconic designs. His masterpieces include the Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ with its distinctive truncated tail, along with the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and 2600 SZs. The Junior Z was another of Spada’s remarkable creations and was one of the last models developed under the guidance of Ugo Zagato.
Introduced in 1970 with the ‘1300’ variant, the Junior Z was built on the mechanical foundation of the 105-Series Giulia saloon. It later received an upgrade in 1972, featuring a 1,570cc engine. Despite using steel body panels instead of aluminum (a rarity for Zagato designs), the Junior Z remained lighter than its production counterparts.
This compact and aerodynamically efficient car exhibited remarkable agility and speed. Its 1,290cc twin-cam four engine delivered 89bhp at 6,000rpm, propelling the sleek Z to a top speed of approximately 175km/h (109mph).
The ‘1300’ version saw a production run until October 1972, with 1,108 units produced, enabling homologation in FIA Appendix J Group 3. An additional 402 examples of the ‘1600’ version were built until 1975, and all were configured for left-hand drive.
Source: Bonhams
