1973 Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato 1600

Sold for $50,400 at 2023 Gooding & Company : Amelia Island Auction.
The Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato was introduced in 1969 at the Torino Motor Show and wore a design courtesy of Zagato's Ercole Spada. Power was initially sourced from a 1,300cc engine with a 1,600cc version arriving for the 1972 model year, allowing the use of the entire Giulia Spider floor pan.

Attractive but expensive; the Junior Zagato was approximately 50% higher than the Giulia GT. The lengthy production began at Pininfarina's factory and then transferred to the coachbuilder Maggiora to be bodied, and then sent to Zagato. The floorpan was shortened behind the rear wheels to accommodate the short rear overhang of the Zagato coachwork.

The driver and front passenger sat in highly bolstered bucket seats with incorporated headrests. In front of the driver were two large round instruments, a tachometer, and speedometer. The same two-spoke, plastic-rimmed steering wheel was the same as the other Junior models. The 1,290cc twin-cam engine with two twin-choke carburetors produced 88 horsepower at 6,000 RPM.

The early history of this car is not known. In 1980 it was acquired by Franco Guarnera of Milan, and by 1998, it was with Giuseppe di Taranto of Napoli, Italy. During this time, the Alfa Romeo was displayed for a long period in Zagato's factory showroom, and was used as a support vehicle for Zagato's participation in the Mille Miglia Storico. By 2017, the car was owned by Mark Gessler, the president of the Historic Vehicle Association (HVA). In 2017, it was sold to Florida-based collector Leo Schigiel.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2023