A trailblazing tie-up between La Squadra and Zagato is taking the exquisite art of coachbuilding into a bold new era. Revealed within the walls of Zagato’s historic Milan atelier, AGTZ Twin Tail represents an intrepid blend of art and engineering. Heritage and technology. History and progress.
“As a new dawn for the automobile arrives, people wish to remind themselves of the past, and therefore the epic cars of the 1950s and ‘60s,” says Andrea Zagato, whose grandfather Ugo founded Carrozzeria Zagato in 1919. “Stories of iconic cars from history simply must be told today. It is a crucial task if we are to inspire new generations to create their own stories. Without knowing the past, you cannot invent the future.”
While stopping short of being a beautiful failure, the A220’s sporting record never quite matched its movie star looks. But one car stands proud. When the A220 missed its lofty target of 24H Le Mans victory in the late 1960s, its designers committed a wilful act of destruction to carve out something beautiful, slicing its bodywork to create a 30cm-shorter tail.
This lither design refocused Chassis #1731’s attention onto shorter circuits and rally stages. Podium finishes quickly followed and while they could not truly prolong the car’s life, they underlined its place in the history books. A place we’re thrilled to revisit.
The A220 didn’t give up on motorsport success and its tenacious attitude is reinvigorated by the coachbuilding authority of Zagato. AGTZ Twin Tail is a thoroughly modern GT car that’s unafraid to continue the A220 story in theatrical style. It unites the collective knowledge and multinational cultures of La Squadra and Zagato by clothing the A110 berlinette, a modern mid-engine icon, in a dramatic new suit.
Only the close-knit combination of our varied talents could create such a dynamic design, a piece of art that can be sensationally transformed by its removable rear bodywork. The tailored elegance of a longtail or the muscular punch of a shorttail – with our trailblazing AGTZ Twin Tail, the choice is unequivocally yours. Limited to just 19 truly special cars, production has already begun and the order book is filling fast. Prices start at €650,000 before taxes.
This 21st century tribute utilises coachbuilding in a provocative and impactful way. Celebrating its racecar ancestor’s legacy via showstopping innovation, AGTZ Twin Tail is a contemporary GT car that melds two designs into one. The gorgeous profile and stunning aerodynamic intent of the original A220 longtail lives on. Sitting beneath it, full of latent potential, is an ode to the muscular A220 shorttail.
The transformation is no longer destructive. Today it’s repeatable on the owner’s whim with a uniquely removable longtail ready to enliven their garage as a piece of exquisite automotive sculpture when they opt to travel in shorttail mode. Our pioneering vision propels the wonderful world of coachbuilding forward with renewed vigour.
Andrea Zagato, CEO of Zagato: “Zagato was always a Grand Touring coachbuilder, producing cars capable of racing but which you could use every day on the road or grace a Concours of Elegance lawn with. This is the reason behind the name ‘AGTZ’ and the mission of our project.”
“We didn’t want to make a pure racing car because technology, aerodynamics and power have changed a lot since the 1960s. Instead, we wanted to capture the inspiration and design innovation of the A220 shorttail and create an authentic Gran Turismo in the true Zagato tradition.”
“The task of coachbuilders is to provoke the car world with alternative design languages. Playing with a round or truncated tail was always in the design ethos of Zagato for its Gran Touring models. With AGTZ Twin Tail we are producing a car we believe is consistent with our heritage.”
Jakub Pietrzak, Founder of La Squadra: “The automotive industry is changing faster than ever before. With advancing technology we are becoming increasingly nostalgic, leading us to grab inspiration from the past to move new ideas forward.”
“We are just at the beginning of this renaissance. Electrification increases competition and it’s harder to differentiate products in terms of performance and driving stimuli. Design will take on greater significance, allowing artisan coachbuilders to step onto the stage and deliver unique projects which will separate intrepid brands from the rest of the pack.”
“Here we are paying tribute to an iconic brand rich in heritage and which successfully revived its legendary A110. As social media plays an ever more important role, I am dreaming of seeing this car on the streets of Tokyo, Le Mans and in the Great British countryside. I especially can’t wait to see it on the shores of Lake Como in May.”
Long and shorttail examples of classic A220 will be on display at The I.C.E. St. Moritz on 23-24 February 2024. AGTZ Twin Tail is planned to make its full public debut on the shores of Lake Como on May 2024 ahead of customer deliveries from October 2024.
