Alfa Romeo SZ Meticulously Restored By FCA Heritage

Introduced as a prototype during the 1989 Geneva Motor Show, the Alfa Romeo SZ is still considered one of the most exotic and exclusive cars ever made by the Italian manufacturer. There are conflicting reports about whether it was designed by Zagato or in-house by Alfa, but whatever the case may be, it’s a beautiful machine. One of the first assembled examples has now been restored to perfection and is ready to please Alfisti’s eyes around the world.

FCA Heritage, the Stellantis arm responsible for the restoration project of old vehicles from Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia and Abarth, has published a photo of the fully restored ZS in a striking red. This particular example is a used development vehicle from the Balocco test track and was used in the official presentation photos for the model. This being one of the first assembled cars of the series, there are some minor differences compared to later models, including the steering wheel and instrument cluster background color.

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The team working on this classic keeps things right. The performance car was completely disassembled into a naked body, which was completely repainted. The interior is resurfaced and reconditioned to the specifications of the original car. There’s no word on the engine yet, although we’re absolutely sure FCA Heritage is doing everything it takes to get it back to its original condition.

Speaking of engines, the ZS is powered by a 3.0-liter 12-valve V6 engine with 207 horsepower (154 kilowatts). A five-speed manual gearbox sends power to the rear wheels for a claimed 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) acceleration in seven seconds. As a side note, Alfa Romeo also produced an open-top version of the SZ called the RZ between 1992 and December 1994. Alfa Romeo shares its hardware with the coupe but is slightly slower to 62 mph (100 kph) due to its higher weight.

As a final note, it’s worth mentioning that the All-New Alfa Romeo Tonale has a front-end design inspired by the SZ. This is especially seen in the arrangement of the headlights and the pointed hood.