Zagato, one of the most famous names in Italian automotive design, has been working with Alfa Romeo for more than 100 years. To celebrate their century of collaborations, Zagato transformed a 4-door Giulia into this 2-door Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato. This beautiful one-off coupe is going to end up in the hands of a German buyer who was selected amongst a group of Zagato collectors.

This Short Wheelbase (SWB) coupe started its life as an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio GTA, or Gran Turismo Alleggerita, Alleggerita is Italian for Lightened, which costs €175,000 or $253,000 CAD. Powering this Giulia SWB Zagato is the 533 hp 2.9-liter twin turbo V-6 engine from the Giulia Quadrifoglio GTAm, m as in modificata which is Italian for modified.

Sending all of that power to the rear wheels is done via a 6-speed manual ZF transmission, which adds to this unique cars exclusivity.

"In the more than the 100-year glorious history of Alfa Romeo, no other company has contributed as much as Zagato, through 100 years of long and tireless collaboration,” said Nori Harada, Zagato’s Vice President of Design. “The way the two companies work together changes with the times, but their shared passion for creating design marvels has always paved the way for new eras. As is well known, the coachbuilding industry in Italy has always relied on engines and chassis produced by car manufacturers, equipping them with unique bodywork. With the new Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato, this relationship has taken a further step forward”

"We chose for the shooting 'La pista' circuit in Arese - formerly Alfa Romeo - where the Giulietta SZ and Giulia TZ were born,” said Zagato’s CEO, Andrea Zagato. “This track and the nearby Museum are places that bear witness to how Alfa Romeo is the origin of Italian motorsports - and also baptized Ugo Zagato and Enzo Ferrari”. He went on to say that “It has been an exhilarating experience that has confirmed how the combination of Alfa Romeo and Zagato is an absolute classic of collecting".

Ugo Zagato, who was born in northern Italy in 1890, started his own coachbuilding business in Milan in 1919. Alfa Romeo is also based in Milan.

“For its centenary, Zagato has created a new 'one-off',” said Alejandro Mesonero Alfa Romeo Design Vice President. “The result is a car that fits perfectly into the historical path of the two marques where the first objective was and is to combine beauty with performance. We are happy to have supported Zagato by contributing to the design of this car, which with this 'one-off' has chosen to celebrate its historic bond with Alfa Romeo.”

We can only hope that Alfa Romeo decides to build their own 2-door coupe in the not too distant future. With plans to go all electric by 2027, Alfa Romeo’s next generation Giulia will not likely be gasoline powered. The all-new Alfa Romeo Tonale luxury C-SUV, coming in 2023, features two powertrains, a plug-in electric hybrid combining electric and gas, and a turbocharged gasoline powered engine.