Probably people who like classic sportscars and their flowing lines (and nothing but). To me its perhaps not beautiful, but certainly awesome looking. I didnt even knew this car existed as a model to buy until a few years ago, all the info I had on it as a small child from car mags and top trumps cards called it "Zagato Alfa Romeo concept"... and the looks certainly makes you think of a pure car show special "mockup", never to be put into production. I doubt a single one was sold in my country of origin.
Probably ugly for it's time & yet dated fashion means the other cars from that era can look ugly now whilst the "ugly" ones look better now due to how the car fashion style is now.
What a thing it is! I was an Alfa dealer when these came out. We had more fingerprints on our showroom windows than ever before when this was on display. We only sold one: but oh my - the build quality! We were really shocked when it rolled out of the closed transporter at the dealership - we didn't expect German build quality (we were Alfa dealers after all). But this was on another level! Anyway, luckily our customer, who'd paid a fat deposit to order the car, either knew what to expect - or didn't care. We had plenty of warranty issues with it - but luckily nothing too terrible. Long live Alfa!
So it didn't even have Italian build quality? I kid, Italians might have thrown the cars together but genuine flair went into the development which is a quality of its own.
@matthew-t9k Don't think you quite understood: I was really UNimpressed with the quality! Panel gaps you could put your hand through, wavy panels with "grapefruit peel" paint finish, and inner wings (visible inside the engine compartment) butchered with a big hammer to get the bonded-on outer wings to fit and then sprayed over. A fair number of the 100 UK cars allocated were unsold, and were quietly shipped back to the factory. Most dealers never saw one. But as a statement - yeah - great!
I agree! I love the way it looks... It's so aggressive! Only the Italians could get away with producing a car that is ostensibly 'ugly' but looks so beautiful.. I'm not sure, but is it also the only production car with a pair of 3 headlights? I don't think the Citroën SM had them...
@@MineshShah Citroen SM and Alpine A310 come to mind, and of course the Alfa Romeo 159, which looked pretty and very distinctive, which is why Alfa's latest design language hints at that again, including the facelift Giulia.
@Tipman2OOO a US Pig Iron V8 is an ugly, unrefined soundtrack. US engines only put out acceptable figures due to being 2/3 times the capacity of European/Japanese etc engines. A high revving V engine ALWAYS sounds better than a plodding low revving V8 (like comparing the sound and performance difference between a crappy Harley Davidson and a Yamaha/Honda/Kawasaki superbike engine) Plus you get to enjoy the engines soundtrack for longer in each gear (and I'm talking MANUAL gearboxes not a hideous US Slushmatic!)
Місяць тому+2
@@Tipman2OOO Wtf are you smoking? I love a good V8 but the best sounding ones are German. And this Alfa also sounds sublime. Get some new ears.
I was fortunate enough, to be able to rag these about when I worked for FIAT Auto UK. We supplied Derek Warrick one of these when he was racing for Alfa Romeo in the BTCC, the regno. of that car was SZ6020, which was a long term FIAT Auto fleet car. There were never 100 of these sold in the UK as we were in a recession, the majority of the unsold cars were sent back to Italy! Also, there was a lot of paint problems on these (cracking), which were mostly corrected by Marinello's in Egham or Fiat Motor Sales in Wembley (Which was a Fiat Auto owned dealership at the time), as no one else could deal with the composite material. Great cars that were underrated at the time, I remember taking my late father-in-law out for a drive in one, he absolutely loved it!
Fortunately the problems were limited to the first production, as can also be seen from Eduard Van de Beek's SZ World Register. An absolutely fantastic car to drive
Sì! Finché non si rompe, con una costosa fattura di riparazione o semplicemente non si arrugginisce. Forse non questa, però, essendo composita. Sono d'accordo, le Alfa Romeo sono auto dal design meraviglioso, le Ferrari del povero. Semplicemente non potevo permettermene una... Grazie Google Translate per questa traduzione probabilmente pessima.
@@curbyourshi1056I've had 5 Alfa's non of them broke down and they all were a joy to drive. By the way I live in Italy where we have numerous mechanics who know how to work on an Alfa and believe me when I bring my Alfa in for servicing I see quite a few broken down German cars.
@@curbyourshi1056 Non sono d'accordo con quanto detto. Prima di tutto, la frase "Finché non si rompe" sembra generalizzare un problema che non è esclusivo delle Alfa Romeo, ma può capitare a qualsiasi auto, indipendentemente dal marchio. Oltre a questo, le fatture di riparazione sono una realtà per tutte le auto, specialmente se non viene fatta una manutenzione adeguata. Per quanto riguarda l'affermazione "le Alfa Romeo sono le Ferrari del povero," è una visione piuttosto limitante. Alfa Romeo ha una lunga tradizione di innovazione ingegneristica e successi sportivi, che vanno ben oltre l'essere semplicemente una versione "economica" di Ferrari. Le due case automobilistiche, pur entrambe italiane e prestigiose, hanno approcci diversi in termini di design e target di mercato.
In my all time dream garage for ever, My dad was a alfa dealer and had a 75 1.8 turbo and I had a GTV serie 3 with a 2.0 Twin Spark put in when I was 22, This car is made with 75 group A parts, it is so GREAT.
@@JacobTab_S7_Plus-sg4ju The 75 was much loved in Italy and Mediterranean countries (France, Greece), less so in the north. Congratulations to you and your father.
Jack, I’m a very lucky person who owns both an SZ and a 75. I’ve often tried and failed to tell people how the SZ chassis changes the driving experience so dramatically compared to the 75. You did a brilliant job of articulating the differences. Now I can just refer people to this video for a better explanation than I can ever give, thankyou!
@@adampase8491 I love my 818, my companion for 25 years, I appreciate its mechanical finesse, its eSSentiality and small dimensions. I find current supercars quite vulgar
This was the first road car to be able to go over 1G in lateral acceleration, in public roads. It uses a full race suspension, but remains confortable. The reason why you found it so sharp, it's mainlly because it uses no suspension bushes - only bearings! And the then new Pirelli PZero, like the Ferrari F-40. At the time, nothing was capable of that level of grip, precision and handling. It was to become the car I have photographed the more. I did a photo session with an SZ and an F-40, at the same time, and only when seeing the photos did I realized that I had 3 times more photos of the SZ! Those lines were just a never ending inspiration! Still have plans to offer one to my wive, who only drives italian cars... like I once said to a italian lady once, "to my wife there are only 2 type of cars: Italian cars, and other people's cars".
@@carlostavares208 Congratulations, all true. I would add that it was the lowest road car ever (in fact it had 2 heights thanks to an electro-pneumatic lift) and had the shortest gestation: the tests were carried out at the 1988 Giro d'Italia, which they won, under the 75 bodyworks called IMSA. It is an absolute pleasure to drive. Whoever wants to watch the video Alfa Romeo SZ-ES30 by Davide Cironi
@@robertiddon yup an upgraded white SZ and a fully yellow Stratos, Japan loves short wheelbase exotic cars they fit right in and to the Japanese the weider the better
Hi Jack from Sydney, Australia. Had a mate that bought one of these when they were worth very little, was a one owner car by a very much older guy and his health went against him. He heard my mate Mark was looking for one ,and its elderly owner wanted it to go to a good home, Now many years later Mark still owns it. I used back when Mark bought it in the 90's have a house in Lambert Street, Bathurst, New South Wales. So just a couple of miles from the legendary Mount Panorama racetrack, which is just a normal road that gets closed on race days. So early on a Saturday morning we put it to the test, we both had a crack at it , and it is a fantastically neutral, well sorted chassis, they really do sound like a genuine race car. I have always really liked the pugnacious look of them , purpose built & designed, excellent made for purpose and I love the front on looks with the raked triple matching size head lights, and the interior is nice too.
@@Number27 Yes Jack as it is several miles long and it's worse the German N'ring. The bends are unforgiving if errors are made and the top of the mountain is very high up, it's not a mere hill it is a serious Mountain. I reckon one of the best sights were the 1985 TWR Jaguar XJS's the two of them were so far ahead of all the other cars it looked like they were having their own private race on the same track, plus the2 Jags just looked like 2 private cars with some stickers on them where most of the other cars had giant extended wheel arches, The 2 big green monsters looked terrific racing around the track. So effective was the TWR team that in late 1986 GM Holden Aust signed up TWR to oversee and run the Holden race team.
I loved that era of uncontrived, single-minded, charismatic the real Alfa Romeo, especially this SZ, GTV6 and the 75 V6 Busso V6. They sounded so wonderful and magical! like a night out at the opera! It's sad to think that cars like this will never be quite the same or emulated they had a deeper, connected relationship with the driver like a love affair.
@@marcelhandsome6042 "A deeper connected relationship" was what Giuseppe Luraghi, president of Alfa Romeo's golden era, declared about the company's production
It’s definitely cool.. I’d love one. Prob my favourite of all modern Alfas!!
Місяць тому+4
Definitely not ugly. Not pretty, but handsome and very striking and packing a wicked soundtrack to boot. Sounds quite similar to a VR6 too, lovely! Incidentally, this was the car chosen for the box art and title screen for the game 'Super Cars II' back in '91 on the ST, Amiga, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC464 etc. Great times!
This car nearly killed me on the San Bernardino. After 2 bends I ended up going round a hairpin using the handbrake to slow down because the system had faded completely. Alfa showcased the car in a support race at Monaco in 1990, but shortened the race to 3 laps after the cars couldn't brake by the time they got to Mirabeau. Looks great, but beware.
I had a brief chat to a SZ owner at an Auto Italia day at Brooklands about 15 years ago. Even back then he said that a replacement windscreen was £1200. I've probably only ever seen 3 in the flesh; all red, all striking. I'd love to have one.
I remember reading about this car back when it came out, but I don't think they were ever sold in the US. I never saw one in person until about four years ago and there was one at an auction here. I saw it and it took me a few minutes to realize it was an SZ. Still looked great all these years later.
In the early 90's I commuted through London on my Suzuki VX800 (lovely bike btw) and was filtering through the City on Lower Thames Street when I came up behind an SZ. Fascinated, I slowed as I passed it and had a good look. Wow!! I slid into the left lane so It could get a second look as it passed me in the right hand commuting queue. I did this 3 more times and by then decided .... Yes...I'd have one!!
The SZ is one of the most divisive car ever. For many people it's ugly but for many other is amazing. For me it looks amazing, with a great engine, beautiful interiors, and great technical solutions.
Oh Jack, the memories again! Over nearly 20 years, I drove more than half a million kilometres in various Alfetta derivatives; saloons, GTVs, Giulietta and 75. All 2-litre fours except the 3.0 Busso in the 75. This was on bumpy scabby road surfaces in country south-western Australia. That De Dion chassis was a delight. The payoff for the less than switch-like gear change was the roomy footwell with perfectly-placed pedals. The ‘softness’ you refer to was a perfect match for those roads at speeds that are not now sensibly possible in an age of ubiquitous speed cameras. Getting into any of those cars after a long day’s work to drive 140km home at night in any weather was always a delight: comfortable, quick enough, and utterly predictable in handling.
Wow! What an absolutely glorious sound. I dont mind the looks especially in a world of suv drabbery. We live in the Blue mtns and our main road is called Bells Line of Road which twists its way acroos the mountains. That car on this road with the exhaust note echoing off the cuttings and cliffs! Well, you wouldnt have the radio on- youd have the windows down and the picnic packed!
When I bought my 75 in '93, I was surprised by one of these at the Lancaster Gate Alfa dealers. It seemed incredibly modern and aggressive and, of course, desirable. Well outside my budget then, well outside my budget now!
I've told this story before ; in 82, 81 or so I persuaded my dad to buy an Alfetta, he was reluctant. He did and hated it and got rid for another BL piece of junk. I loved it for the few months he put up with it. Brilliant just for the wooden gear knob. Not sure about this car but I love the headlights.
It's telling that you did that 'banging through the gears' thing three times in this video. So glad you reviewed this car. For me, it was love at first sight. I loved the look, so to hear that symphonic exhaust note was pure music. We've all had that conversation, "What would you do if you won the lottery?" "Well, I'd probably buy an island - right after acquiring an Alfa Romeo SZ. "Nuff said...
I've always loved il mostro. I remember long time ago, I found one of these on the road, and we did some crazy speeds... I was with my Porsche 944 turbo. Then we stopped at a gas station to talk and lough about it... Great job Jack!
10 seconds in and I have a big grin on my face. The Busso is simply one of the best sounding engines ever produced, and the one in this car is taken to the next level with that exhaust system. Lovely! And please stop calling the SZ ugly. It's not your normal kind of beauty perhaps, but beautiful it is. I've been in love with it since they introduced it way back. Just wish I could afford one. Thanks for the vid! Cheers!
IL MOSTRO! My favourite car of all times! Thank you for featuring it! I hope to be able to afford it in a few years. I remember as a child that it was listed for 103 million liras, and wondering why it was so expensive. It's gorgeous and it sounds wonderful.
I was so fond of the driving feel of the 75 that I had 3, 1.8, 2.0 TS, 3.0 QV, then the SZ. Everyone who has tried it has been amazed. PS: after 30 years still a very good grain leather scent
Another belting video Jack SZ was always a favourite of mine…. There was one parked up in the Alfa dealership in Amsterdam when I was living there in the early ‘90’s…..my Sprint was in for some work Drop dead gorgeous in reality…
I remember seeing this at the motorshow and thinking... what the hell kind of design is that..... Many years later, I can't remember my thoughts on any other car at that show. They don't look as weird to me today as they did in the day. Love em; so unique.
I adored them when they came out. Then apparently Simon Le Bon bought one & as a Spandau Ballet fan, I clearly had to change my mind......... Anyhow, I had a 75 twinspark & that frightened me on a damp road - the SZ would have murdered me.
Rear wheel drive when most had gone front whell by that time. I had the same car as you and what I had to remember when cornering is that the body lean bore no relation to what the suspension at the back was doing because the De Dion kept the wheels flat on the road.
@@nigelduckworth4419 I just recall the sensation of fishtailing on damp roads& on one occasion, nearly doing a 360 on leaving a mini roundabout! Could have been crap tyres or just unlucky with spilt diesel, but it freaked me out so much I traded the Alfa for an XR4x4 Sierra....
I’ve always loved these and had the privilege of working on a few of them, installing alarms, hifi and car phones of the time! I was also involved in a project to change one to right hand drive, with an Alfa specialist, I wonder if that car is still in the UK.
OH DAMN! I had a bed im my childhood, in my childhood bedroom back then decades ago.. with factory prints and and arts of THIS EXACTLY Alfa's model !! I never thought this car could be called "Ugly", I always thought it is unexpectedly unique, astonishing and pretty stylish! And these headlights and a nose, oh boy. A child growned up in awe of DeLorean.. of course I though this Alfa is pretty and excellent! And if not sitting in that car.. at least I could sleep well with prints and arts of this model in my childhood. :D P.S.: I also like to admit some Alfa\Fiat\Lancia design vibes overall at those times (at that period) during developement prototypes. Just look at this profile and rear segment of this Alfa! You can CLEARLY to see similarities to the ultimate high-tech Group S prototype by Lancia\Abarth with their Lancia ECV 2!
This car is certainly not ugly. It looks so distinctive and captivating. I have seen one on the road many years ago, and BOY did the thing have road presence. It really is a beautiful vehicle to see in the metal believe me.
From what you are saying, it sounds like the car truly involves the driver with the road and that is how an Alfa should be. Modern cars, whilst being faster and more efficient, tend to detach the driver from the road. The bodywork failed to save any weight but completely puts the Alfa rust story to bed. That's a win.
A car with an exceptional mechanical efficiency and a perfect natural driving feeling compared to today's huge, angular, heavy, electronic supercars. The rust problems have already been solved years before.
If a big finger out of heaven was pointed at me and a thundering voice commanded me to choose one alfa across all years of their history, it would make me cry but in the end I would go for the SZ.
My favourite out of all the Alfas for a non-millionair is the 1750 GTV coupe. The perfect embodiment of beauty, handling and the sound of the finest 4 cylinder ever made at that time sucking hard through DCOE40 carbs. If god ever lets me through the pearly gates and an Alfa Romeo is on my heavenly wish list it will be a Bertone GTV. A 1969 model if you don't mind god. Otherwise I won't let you ride my motorbikes. I must say that Zagato looked and sounded amazing but I am sure I have never seen one in the on the road.
I remember these coming out and fell in love with the styling. I've never seen one in the flesh but would have one in my dream garage even if it drove badly and sounded crap. Luckily, it's great on both those aspects too!
I was early teenager when this Alfa has been released, and I am a massive fan of her since. I had to wait over 25 years to see her live and once it's happened I fell in love even more. I follow your chanel for some time and can't recall you being so enthusiatic to any other car. It must be an amazing car to drive indeed:) Regards from Alfisti!
I had one back in 2005 when they were around £20k (I also had an EVO2 Lagos Blue at the same time that cost £18K!) , one of the best cars I've ever owned. Love the looks inside and out and the perfect level of performance for the real world and they hold their heads high in any gathering of high end classic cars or supercars. Yes the paint bubbles up in winter and parts are a nightmare to get hold of but they are a superb car.
I remember seeing one of these in central Manchester around the mid-90's. I think I was the only person in a group of 20 guys who knew what it was. It was joyous and the noise was 👌
Beautiful stunning car! Always loved them. I replayed the start a few times to listen to the Busso and now I have a crisis in the pants department... So let me go and change my Jocks quickly!
0-60 times don't always tell the whole story of a car's power. I have driven some cars that are very fast from point A-B due to great handling and close gear ratio's which almost always has an impact on initial acceleration because of a high 1st gear, but once they get moving, they are a joy.
My first experinence off an Alfa was in the 70's with an Alfasud and what a difference compared with cars at the time . I was only 17 but could realise how well they drove .
I was all set to buy a cottage in Brittany when the SZ came out. I dithered for days - the price of a set of tyres stunned me - my Saab Turbo was devouring TRX's every 12k. So when my offer was accepted - Mr Sensible stepped in - and I bought the cottage and kept my five other cars...still admire SZ's quirky looks and magnificent motor
Awesome video, Jack! I learned a couple new things about the SZ from your video that I hadn't known before; I didn't know that it shared the same wheelbase as the 75, always thoughgt it had been shortened, and I didn't know that it was really an in-house design. Thanks!
I had Alfas for 17 years in the 80s and 90s, both Giulietta and 75s. They were in fact ahead of time. They had the De Dion rear axle as formula one in the 50s, as you say, and a transaxle at the back which gave a 50/50 weight balance to the car. They also, in 1980 when I got my first one, had all alloy aluminium double OHC engines. Even BMW at that time has a cast iron block. Also Ford announced some time later in a big fanfare the introduction of twin OHC engines whereas Alfas had been doing that since at least the 1950s. The gearbox was angled towards a left hand driver, so rather awkward. My 75 twin spark was descibed by the Times as a "seriously fast car" and that was 8.3 to 60, so 6.7 was pretty quick for 1990.
Jack, i am not ashame of saying this, i always loved this car since it came out when i was a 13 year old kid, starting to fell in love with all about cars and mechanics , for me its a beauty and must be a joy to drive and ear. IL Monstro. Cheers
Remember driving the Autostrada between Milano and Torino, and seeing the cars being prototype tested. At the time, I had a Busso 75, and loved the car. Brakes were a bit scant, but all cars of that era had poor brakes. Loved the sound of this !!
I cannot get too excited about the body but the interior is much better. The sound though is what scores the points. An interesting car is probably the way to put it. Anyway you enjoyed the driving experience Jack. 👍👍
The sound is good from the outside, but, from the inside that howl makes your hair stand on end. It is an indescribably awesome sound. Those of us who own a well sorted Alfetta GTV6 know this joy!
I used to commute into central London along the Embankment on my bike. About 20 years ago i regularly saw a yellow drop top version of this car on its commute in all weathers. Well played sir!
Back in the day on track, there wasn't a lot of difference between the 75 and SZ. My 75 3ltr would happily keep up with SZ's. This SZ really sings through its tuned exhaust. A big 👍🏻 s up Jack.
The SZ came as standard with bespoke Koni shock absorbers. Even with a speedbump raise system at the front. Almost impossible to fix nowadays when they break. They surely contribute to the awesome roadholding. Great video!
Thanks for this video! This car still looks and sounds awesome after all these years! The shape of the car is a great early attempt at retro cool, bringing to mind the shape of the 1970s coupes and the 1960s Le Mans cars. They must have been competing with the F40 and 300ZX on a budget!
This would be in my dream garage. Always loved them. Only saw one once on the road in the 90's, screamed past me on the M5 in the midlands UK. Lottery garage for sure : )
I don't understand why anyone thinks this is ugly. I've always loved it very much
Probably people who like classic sportscars and their flowing lines (and nothing but). To me its perhaps not beautiful, but certainly awesome looking.
I didnt even knew this car existed as a model to buy until a few years ago, all the info I had on it as a small child from car mags and top trumps cards called it "Zagato Alfa Romeo concept"... and the looks certainly makes you think of a pure car show special "mockup", never to be put into production.
I doubt a single one was sold in my country of origin.
Stevie Wonder...
I agree it's a wonderful car and in profile one of the most beautiful Alfas made.
@@travkatz I fell in love when they introduced her
Probably ugly for it's time & yet dated fashion means the other cars from that era can look ugly now whilst the "ugly" ones look better now due to how the car fashion style is now.
What a thing it is! I was an Alfa dealer when these came out. We had more fingerprints on our showroom windows than ever before when this was on display. We only sold one: but oh my - the build quality! We were really shocked when it rolled out of the closed transporter at the dealership - we didn't expect German build quality (we were Alfa dealers after all). But this was on another level! Anyway, luckily our customer, who'd paid a fat deposit to order the car, either knew what to expect - or didn't care. We had plenty of warranty issues with it - but luckily nothing too terrible. Long live Alfa!
That's Italian cars in general isn't it? Poorly made, rusty, unreliable. But at least this is truly handsome!
@@davekennedy6315 Handsome aye. No rust!
So it didn't even have Italian build quality? I kid, Italians might have thrown the cars together but genuine flair went into the development which is a quality of its own.
@@davekennedy6315 bs, Fiats are way more realiable than Audi, but people tend to forget that
@matthew-t9k Don't think you quite understood: I was really UNimpressed with the quality! Panel gaps you could put your hand through, wavy panels with "grapefruit peel" paint finish, and inner wings (visible inside the engine compartment) butchered with a big hammer to get the bonded-on outer wings to fit and then sprayed over. A fair number of the 100 UK cars allocated were unsold, and were quietly shipped back to the factory. Most dealers never saw one. But as a statement - yeah - great!
That is NOT ugly!! It looks really amazingly good and so raw and cool.. and sounds like an old F1 car!😍
Stevie Wonder...
@@sergio_81 atleast he's not deaf!
@@JaffaJannu True
@@sergio_81
Only Stevie Wonder WOULD call this car ugly...
The bar is so low now (BMW iX......) that this is perfectly acceptable to modern eyes.
It's quite handsome even for the era. Right now it looks better than 80% of the blobs on the road and 95% of blobs in the showrooms.
it looks better today than back in the day.
I agree! I love the way it looks... It's so aggressive! Only the Italians could get away with producing a car that is ostensibly 'ugly' but looks so beautiful.. I'm not sure, but is it also the only production car with a pair of 3 headlights? I don't think the Citroën SM had them...
@@MineshShah Alfa 159 and Brera also have 3 headlights. Probably some old American car as well.
It's good good angles. I quite liked it even back in the day. But my Dad's an Alfa Romeo guy.
@@MineshShah Citroen SM and Alpine A310 come to mind, and of course the Alfa Romeo 159, which looked pretty and very distinctive, which is why Alfa's latest design language hints at that again, including the facelift Giulia.
Ugly, or, not, you can not beat that sound! Positively symphonic!
No way you're a u s sailor, if you don't appreciate the sound of a v 8 more than this trumpet
@Tipman2OOO a US Pig Iron V8 is an ugly, unrefined soundtrack. US engines only put out acceptable figures due to being 2/3 times the capacity of European/Japanese etc engines. A high revving V engine ALWAYS sounds better than a plodding low revving V8 (like comparing the sound and performance difference between a crappy Harley Davidson and a Yamaha/Honda/Kawasaki superbike engine) Plus you get to enjoy the engines soundtrack for longer in each gear (and I'm talking MANUAL gearboxes not a hideous US Slushmatic!)
@@Tipman2OOO
Wtf are you smoking? I love a good V8 but the best sounding ones are German. And this Alfa also sounds sublime.
Get some new ears.
This car sounds very tinny
@@ExUSSailor And it Riad handling, too 😉
I was fortunate enough, to be able to rag these about when I worked for FIAT Auto UK. We supplied Derek Warrick one of these when he was racing for Alfa Romeo in the BTCC, the regno. of that car was SZ6020, which was a long term FIAT Auto fleet car. There were never 100 of these sold in the UK as we were in a recession, the majority of the unsold cars were sent back to Italy!
Also, there was a lot of paint problems on these (cracking), which were mostly corrected by Marinello's in Egham or Fiat Motor Sales in Wembley (Which was a Fiat Auto owned dealership at the time), as no one else could deal with the composite material.
Great cars that were underrated at the time, I remember taking my late father-in-law out for a drive in one, he absolutely loved it!
Very cool story. Must've been really good times.
Fortunately the problems were limited to the first production, as can also be seen from Eduard Van de Beek's SZ World Register.
An absolutely fantastic car to drive
@@curbyourshi1056 Looking back they were great times. I just didn't realise it back then!
The Leprechaun guy?
Yay. Finally. The SZ is perfect for this show.
I’d been waiting to get one for a long time!!
@@Number27 It suits you. Truly. I would love one, but are difficult to register where I live.
The blacked out roof and pillars against the red is a design master class.
I've seen a few of these in person, and I really think they're captivating. Certainly not beautiful, but extravagant and wild.
Guardate gli occhi di quest'uomo sono lucidi .. è fuori di sé ad ogni curva ..questo è quello che crea un alfa romeo quando la guidi . è unica.
Vero! 🍀
Sì! Finché non si rompe, con una costosa fattura di riparazione o semplicemente non si arrugginisce. Forse non questa, però, essendo composita. Sono d'accordo, le Alfa Romeo sono auto dal design meraviglioso, le Ferrari del povero. Semplicemente non potevo permettermene una... Grazie Google Translate per questa traduzione probabilmente pessima.
@@curbyourshi1056
Usual vulgate.
Rust problems solved since 33. If correct mechanical maintenance very reliable and long lasting
@@curbyourshi1056I've had 5 Alfa's non of them broke down and they all were a joy to drive. By the way I live in Italy where we have numerous mechanics who know how to work on an Alfa and believe me when I bring my Alfa in for servicing I see quite a few broken down German cars.
@@curbyourshi1056 Non sono d'accordo con quanto detto. Prima di tutto, la frase "Finché non si rompe" sembra generalizzare un problema che non è esclusivo delle Alfa Romeo, ma può capitare a qualsiasi auto, indipendentemente dal marchio. Oltre a questo, le fatture di riparazione sono una realtà per tutte le auto, specialmente se non viene fatta una manutenzione adeguata.
Per quanto riguarda l'affermazione "le Alfa Romeo sono le Ferrari del povero," è una visione piuttosto limitante. Alfa Romeo ha una lunga tradizione di innovazione ingegneristica e successi sportivi, che vanno ben oltre l'essere semplicemente una versione "economica" di Ferrari. Le due case automobilistiche, pur entrambe italiane e prestigiose, hanno approcci diversi in termini di design e target di mercato.
In my all time dream garage for ever,
My dad was a alfa dealer and had a 75 1.8 turbo and I had a GTV serie 3 with a 2.0 Twin Spark put in when I was 22,
This car is made with 75 group A parts, it is so GREAT.
@@JacobTab_S7_Plus-sg4ju The 75 was much loved in Italy and Mediterranean countries (France, Greece), less so in the north. Congratulations to you and your father.
The sound of that engine through that exhaust system is like hells fury! Absolutely fantastic 😁👏👏👌 definitely a car I'd have if i was a wealthy man 👌
I've seen several SZs over the years, but I've never heard one sound like that!
Jack, I’m a very lucky person who owns both an SZ and a 75. I’ve often tried and failed to tell people how the SZ chassis changes the driving experience so dramatically compared to the 75. You did a brilliant job of articulating the differences. Now I can just refer people to this video for a better explanation than I can ever give, thankyou!
@@adampase8491 I love my 818, my companion for 25 years, I appreciate its mechanical finesse, its eSSentiality and small dimensions. I find current supercars quite vulgar
The sound of that exhaust! 😮😉😃
Still better looking than the nose of BMW's of today. The is invigorating! Nice Jack.
This was the first road car to be able to go over 1G in lateral acceleration, in public roads. It uses a full race suspension, but remains confortable. The reason why you found it so sharp, it's mainlly because it uses no suspension bushes - only bearings! And the then new Pirelli PZero, like the Ferrari F-40. At the time, nothing was capable of that level of grip, precision and handling. It was to become the car I have photographed the more. I did a photo session with an SZ and an F-40, at the same time, and only when seeing the photos did I realized that I had 3 times more photos of the SZ! Those lines were just a never ending inspiration! Still have plans to offer one to my wive, who only drives italian cars... like I once said to a italian lady once, "to my wife there are only 2 type of cars: Italian cars, and other people's cars".
@@carlostavares208 Congratulations, all true.
I would add that it was the lowest road car ever (in fact it had 2 heights thanks to an electro-pneumatic lift) and had the shortest gestation: the tests were carried out at the 1988 Giro d'Italia, which they won, under the 75 bodyworks called IMSA.
It is an absolute pleasure to drive.
Whoever wants to watch the video Alfa Romeo SZ-ES30 by Davide Cironi
Looks like it belong in a 80s anime cyberpunk movie, absolutely love it.
Yup it was used in Ghost In The Shell
@@BRAINFxck10 Batou drove one in the movie, he likes his classics, think he drives a Stratos in the series
@@robertiddon yup an upgraded white SZ and a fully yellow Stratos, Japan loves short wheelbase exotic cars they fit right in and to the Japanese the weider the better
Super Cars II
Hi Jack from Sydney, Australia. Had a mate that bought one of these when they were worth very little, was a one owner car by a very much older guy and his health went against him. He heard my mate Mark was looking for one ,and its elderly owner wanted it to go to a good home, Now many years later Mark still owns it.
I used back when Mark bought it in the 90's have a house in Lambert Street, Bathurst, New South Wales. So just a couple of miles from the legendary Mount Panorama racetrack, which is just a normal road that gets closed on race days. So early on a Saturday morning we put it to the test, we both had a crack at it , and it is a fantastically neutral, well sorted chassis, they really do sound like a genuine race car. I have always really liked the pugnacious look of them , purpose built & designed, excellent made for purpose and I love the front on looks with the raked triple matching size head lights, and the interior is nice too.
Thanks for the memories chap!! What a track to drive it on
@@Number27 Yes Jack as it is several miles long and it's worse the German N'ring. The bends are unforgiving if errors are made and the top of the mountain is very high up, it's not a mere hill it is a serious Mountain. I reckon one of the best sights were the 1985 TWR Jaguar XJS's the two of them were so far ahead of all the other cars it looked like they were having their own private race on the same track, plus the2 Jags just looked like 2 private cars with some stickers on them where most of the other cars had giant extended wheel arches, The 2 big green monsters looked terrific racing around the track. So effective was the TWR team that in late 1986 GM Holden Aust signed up TWR to oversee and run the Holden race team.
I loved that era of uncontrived, single-minded, charismatic the real Alfa Romeo, especially this SZ, GTV6 and the 75 V6 Busso V6. They sounded so wonderful and magical! like a night out at the opera! It's sad to think that cars like this will never be quite the same or emulated they had a deeper, connected relationship with the driver like a love affair.
@@marcelhandsome6042 "A deeper connected relationship" was what Giuseppe Luraghi, president of Alfa Romeo's golden era, declared about the company's production
Absolutely brilliant video jack ❤👍 I don't know about it being ugly it's beautiful Waw and that engine note it's amazing brilliant
It’s definitely cool.. I’d love one. Prob my favourite of all modern Alfas!!
Definitely not ugly. Not pretty, but handsome and very striking and packing a wicked soundtrack to boot. Sounds quite similar to a VR6 too, lovely!
Incidentally, this was the car chosen for the box art and title screen for the game 'Super Cars II' back in '91 on the ST, Amiga, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC464 etc.
Great times!
That Exhaust Note🎵The Stuff that Dreams are made of👌
This car nearly killed me on the San Bernardino. After 2 bends I ended up going round a hairpin using the handbrake to slow down because the system had faded completely. Alfa showcased the car in a support race at Monaco in 1990, but shortened the race to 3 laps after the cars couldn't brake by the time they got to Mirabeau. Looks great, but beware.
I had a brief chat to a SZ owner at an Auto Italia day at Brooklands about 15 years ago. Even back then he said that a replacement windscreen was £1200.
I've probably only ever seen 3 in the flesh; all red, all striking. I'd love to have one.
@@justinbennitt835 they only made red ones. One black one for zagato.
I remember reading about this car back when it came out, but I don't think they were ever sold in the US.
I never saw one in person until about four years ago and there was one at an auction here. I saw it and it took me a few minutes to realize it was an SZ. Still looked great all these years later.
@@kallsop2 Now you find them as imported classic cars
In the early 90's I commuted through London on my Suzuki VX800 (lovely bike btw) and was filtering through the City on Lower Thames Street when I came up behind an SZ. Fascinated, I slowed as I passed it and had a good look. Wow!! I slid into the left lane so It could get a second look as it passed me in the right hand commuting queue. I did this 3 more times and by then decided .... Yes...I'd have one!!
Wow that is an epic soundtrack of an engine!
The SZ is one of the most divisive car ever. For many people it's ugly but for many other is amazing.
For me it looks amazing, with a great engine, beautiful interiors, and great technical solutions.
Oh Jack, the memories again! Over nearly 20 years, I drove more than half a million kilometres in various Alfetta derivatives; saloons, GTVs, Giulietta and 75. All 2-litre fours except the 3.0 Busso in the 75. This was on bumpy scabby road surfaces in country south-western Australia. That De Dion chassis was a delight. The payoff for the less than switch-like gear change was the roomy footwell with perfectly-placed pedals. The ‘softness’ you refer to was a perfect match for those roads at speeds that are not now sensibly possible in an age of ubiquitous speed cameras. Getting into any of those cars after a long day’s work to drive 140km home at night in any weather was always a delight: comfortable, quick enough, and utterly predictable in handling.
Ugliest? Drop dead gorgeous.
Wow! What an absolutely glorious sound. I dont mind the looks especially in a world of suv drabbery. We live in the Blue mtns and our main road is called Bells Line of Road which twists its way acroos the mountains. That car on this road with the exhaust note echoing off the cuttings and cliffs! Well, you wouldnt have the radio on- youd have the windows down and the picnic packed!
That's not a soundtrack, that's a full on opera!
Man, I had many crises each time you did a pull through the gears, pffff.
Thank you for this 🙏🏻
When I bought my 75 in '93, I was surprised by one of these at the Lancaster Gate Alfa dealers. It seemed incredibly modern and aggressive and, of course, desirable. Well outside my budget then, well outside my budget now!
I've told this story before ; in 82, 81 or so I persuaded my dad to buy an Alfetta, he was reluctant. He did and hated it and got rid for another BL piece of junk. I loved it for the few months he put up with it. Brilliant just for the wooden gear knob. Not sure about this car but I love the headlights.
It's telling that you did that 'banging through the gears' thing three times in this video. So glad you reviewed this car. For me, it was love at first sight. I loved the look, so to hear that symphonic exhaust note was pure music. We've all had that conversation, "What would you do if you won the lottery?" "Well, I'd probably buy an island - right after acquiring an Alfa Romeo SZ. "Nuff said...
I've always loved il mostro. I remember long time ago, I found one of these on the road, and we did some crazy speeds... I was with my Porsche 944 turbo. Then we stopped at a gas station to talk and lough about it... Great job Jack!
This review made me happy Jack. I could really feel your joy in driving that car.
10 seconds in and I have a big grin on my face. The Busso is simply one of the best sounding engines ever produced, and the one in this car is taken to the next level with that exhaust system. Lovely!
And please stop calling the SZ ugly. It's not your normal kind of beauty perhaps, but beautiful it is. I've been in love with it since they introduced it way back. Just wish I could afford one.
Thanks for the vid! Cheers!
IL MOSTRO! My favourite car of all times! Thank you for featuring it! I hope to be able to afford it in a few years. I remember as a child that it was listed for 103 million liras, and wondering why it was so expensive. It's gorgeous and it sounds wonderful.
Love the dash instruments, and that sound is amazing
It is far from ugly, the coolest design from Alfa of this era. So happy you featured it on the channel
I was so fond of the driving feel of the 75 that I had 3, 1.8, 2.0 TS, 3.0 QV, then the SZ.
Everyone who has tried it has been amazed.
PS: after 30 years still a very good grain leather scent
I think it's aged well! It looks better now than it ever has!
But my god, the sound - it is definitely of the exotic variety
Another belting video Jack
SZ was always a favourite of mine….
There was one parked up in the Alfa dealership in Amsterdam when I was living there in the early ‘90’s…..my Sprint was in for some work
Drop dead gorgeous in reality…
I remember seeing this at the motorshow and thinking... what the hell kind of design is that..... Many years later, I can't remember my thoughts on any other car at that show. They don't look as weird to me today as they did in the day. Love em; so unique.
Extremely rare. I remember seeing one of these years ago. What a stunning car that sounds absolutely amazing!
I remember seeing a prototype SZ at the NEC motor show in 1984. Thought it looked like a wonderful shoe! I was only 12 at the time
My absolute dream car ever since it was anounced in Alfa’s quadrifoglio magazine back in 1989. Owned a gtv6 and i’d love to get that sound again.
I adored them when they came out. Then apparently Simon Le Bon bought one & as a Spandau Ballet fan, I clearly had to change my mind.........
Anyhow, I had a 75 twinspark & that frightened me on a damp road - the SZ would have murdered me.
Rear wheel drive when most had gone front whell by that time. I had the same car as you and what I had to remember when cornering is that the body lean bore no relation to what the suspension at the back was doing because the De Dion kept the wheels flat on the road.
@@nigelduckworth4419 I just recall the sensation of fishtailing on damp roads& on one occasion, nearly doing a 360 on leaving a mini roundabout! Could have been crap tyres or just unlucky with spilt diesel, but it freaked me out so much I traded the Alfa for an XR4x4 Sierra....
I’ve always loved these and had the privilege of working on a few of them, installing alarms, hifi and car phones of the time! I was also involved in a project to change one to right hand drive, with an Alfa specialist, I wonder if that car is still in the UK.
OH DAMN! I had a bed im my childhood, in my childhood bedroom back then decades ago.. with factory prints and and arts of THIS EXACTLY Alfa's model !! I never thought this car could be called "Ugly", I always thought it is unexpectedly unique, astonishing and pretty stylish! And these headlights and a nose, oh boy. A child growned up in awe of DeLorean.. of course I though this Alfa is pretty and excellent! And if not sitting in that car.. at least I could sleep well with prints and arts of this model in my childhood. :D
P.S.: I also like to admit some Alfa\Fiat\Lancia design vibes overall at those times (at that period) during developement prototypes. Just look at this profile and rear segment of this Alfa! You can CLEARLY to see similarities to the ultimate high-tech Group S prototype by Lancia\Abarth with their Lancia ECV 2!
This car is certainly not ugly. It looks so distinctive and captivating. I have seen one on the road many years ago, and BOY did the thing have road presence. It really is a beautiful vehicle to see in the metal believe me.
From what you are saying, it sounds like the car truly involves the driver with the road and that is how an Alfa should be. Modern cars, whilst being faster and more efficient, tend to detach the driver from the road.
The bodywork failed to save any weight but completely puts the Alfa rust story to bed. That's a win.
A car with an exceptional mechanical efficiency and a perfect natural driving feeling compared to today's huge, angular, heavy, electronic supercars.
The rust problems have already been solved years before.
I always loved the unconventional looks of this particular car. Looks like the drive lives up to its looks.
If a big finger out of heaven was pointed at me and a thundering voice commanded me to choose one alfa across all years of their history, it would make me cry but in the end I would go for the SZ.
164 QV for me lol
8C. The original (touring berlinetta body)
I would have so many questions if that ever happened to me..
My favourite out of all the Alfas for a non-millionair is the 1750 GTV coupe. The perfect embodiment of beauty, handling and the sound of the finest 4 cylinder ever made at that time sucking hard through DCOE40 carbs. If god ever lets me through the pearly gates and an Alfa Romeo is on my heavenly wish list it will be a Bertone GTV. A 1969 model if you don't mind god. Otherwise I won't let you ride my motorbikes.
I must say that Zagato looked and sounded amazing but I am sure I have never seen one in the on the road.
I absolutely love these Alfas - I would love to add one to the collection
I remember these coming out and fell in love with the styling. I've never seen one in the flesh but would have one in my dream garage even if it drove badly and sounded crap. Luckily, it's great on both those aspects too!
Thanks a lot for this! Italian enthusiasm at its best. Twenty years ago I owned a 75, now in my old age I'm happy with an Abarth 595!
I only saw one 'live' at the Autotron in Den Bosch in the early 90's.
An absolute stunner!
Greetings from the Netherlands
I was early teenager when this Alfa has been released, and I am a massive fan of her since. I had to wait over 25 years to see her live and once it's happened I fell in love even more. I follow your chanel for some time and can't recall you being so enthusiatic to any other car. It must be an amazing car to drive indeed:) Regards from Alfisti!
I had one back in 2005 when they were around £20k (I also had an EVO2 Lagos Blue at the same time that cost £18K!) , one of the best cars I've ever owned. Love the looks inside and out and the perfect level of performance for the real world and they hold their heads high in any gathering of high end classic cars or supercars. Yes the paint bubbles up in winter and parts are a nightmare to get hold of but they are a superb car.
I was 22, when I had 1st seen this car, it literally stopped me in my tracks,in a good way love it
American here love the channel and all the cool cars that i will prob never see.
So great to see anything about this mysterious car - I love the way it looks.
I remember seeing one of these in central Manchester around the mid-90's. I think I was the only person in a group of 20 guys who knew what it was. It was joyous and the noise was 👌
Beautiful stunning car! Always loved them. I replayed the start a few times to listen to the Busso and now I have a crisis in the pants department... So let me go and change my Jocks quickly!
0-60 times don't always tell the whole story of a car's power. I have driven some cars that are very fast from point A-B due to great handling and close gear ratio's which almost always has an impact on initial acceleration because of a high 1st gear, but once they get moving, they are a joy.
Saab 9-5 Aero/9000 is a good example of that.
An Alfa is what makes you feel while you drive in it. the sterring, the sound, that big smile that puts in your face. no mattters the looks so much.
My first experinence off an Alfa was in the 70's with an Alfasud and what a difference compared with cars at the time . I was only 17 but could realise how well they drove .
This and the M1 have that little tough guy look. It's a cool stance in my humble opinion.😊
I was all set to buy a cottage in Brittany when the SZ came out. I dithered for days - the price of a set of tyres stunned me - my Saab Turbo was devouring TRX's every 12k. So when my offer was accepted - Mr Sensible stepped in - and I bought the cottage and kept my five other cars...still admire SZ's quirky looks and magnificent motor
I actually love it. I’ve owned Alfa 145’s in the past and they were a pretty odd look too. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Great channel. 👌🏻😁
Only ever seen one in the flesh - what a fantastic looking car !!
Thank you for unearthing this and reviewing it, it’s exactly why I subscribed to this channel
Awesome video, Jack! I learned a couple new things about the SZ from your video that I hadn't known before; I didn't know that it shared the same wheelbase as the 75, always thoughgt it had been shortened, and I didn't know that it was really an in-house design. Thanks!
GIORGIO PIANTA has fixed und tested this car!.. and you didn't even mention it. Say thank you to Mr. Pianta for this masterpiece:)
You're right, I think so too
Now I can understand Harry enjoying all his tours
I had Alfas for 17 years in the 80s and 90s, both Giulietta and 75s. They were in fact ahead of time. They had the De Dion rear axle as formula one in the 50s, as you say, and a transaxle at the back which gave a 50/50 weight balance to the car. They also, in 1980 when I got my first one, had all alloy aluminium double OHC engines. Even BMW at that time has a cast iron block. Also Ford announced some time later in a big fanfare the introduction of twin OHC engines whereas Alfas had been doing that since at least the 1950s. The gearbox was angled towards a left hand driver, so rather awkward. My 75 twin spark was descibed by the Times as a "seriously fast car" and that was 8.3 to 60, so 6.7 was pretty quick for 1990.
What a car, che bella! i think its one of the best looking cars ,so different, great video Jack
Jack, i am not ashame of saying this, i always loved this car since it came out when i was a 13 year old kid, starting to fell in love with all about cars and mechanics , for me its a beauty and must be a joy to drive and ear. IL Monstro. Cheers
So glad to hear this drives so well. It's a fantastic car, looks like nothing else before or since, and I would have one in my dream garage for sure.
Remember driving the Autostrada between Milano and Torino, and seeing the cars being prototype tested. At the time, I had a Busso 75, and loved the car. Brakes were a bit scant, but all cars of that era had poor brakes. Loved the sound of this !!
This is one of the best car channels on UA-cam.
I cannot get too excited about the body but the interior is much better. The sound though is what scores the points. An interesting car is probably the way to put it. Anyway you enjoyed the driving experience Jack. 👍👍
Love these, wasn't love at first sight but the more I saw them, the more I realised how special they are. You should have shown the "boot".
Thanks Jack🙏 A car no one will forget seeing or hearing!
The excitement you are displaying is palpable. Great video Jack 🎉
it is gorgeous and sounds the part too 10/10
The sound is good from the outside, but, from the inside that howl makes your hair stand on end. It is an indescribably awesome sound. Those of us who own a well sorted Alfetta GTV6 know this joy!
I used to commute into central London along the Embankment on my bike. About 20 years ago i regularly saw a yellow drop top version of this car on its commute in all weathers. Well played sir!
Back in the day on track, there wasn't a lot of difference between the 75 and SZ. My 75 3ltr would happily keep up with SZ's. This SZ really sings through its tuned exhaust. A big 👍🏻 s up Jack.
I didn't like the styling until I saw it in real life, it's amazing!!!
@@TheBonsaiZone Haha! Compared to current supercars it is a natural beauty, while today I find almost all of them super-endowed with cosmetic surgery
My absolute favourite car! Thanks for sharing.
That exhaust note is quite glorious! I'd want the car for that alone.
The SZ came as standard with bespoke Koni shock absorbers. Even with a speedbump raise system at the front. Almost impossible to fix nowadays when they break. They surely contribute to the awesome roadholding. Great video!
Thanks for this video! This car still looks and sounds awesome after all these years! The shape of the car is a great early attempt at retro cool, bringing to mind the shape of the 1970s coupes and the 1960s Le Mans cars. They must have been competing with the F40 and 300ZX on a budget!
I had one for a short time . What an amazing sounding car and I've owned many exotics . Best six cylinder noise ever
Bravissimo Jack...Great work as ever for the Italian classic car lovers!
This would be in my dream garage. Always loved them. Only saw one once on the road in the 90's, screamed past me on the M5 in the midlands UK. Lottery garage for sure : )
Subjective, of course, but I think it is utterly stunning