ALFA ROMEO RZ ROADSTER ZAGATO NO.064
26,700 ORIGINAL KM
An exceptionally rare automobile, representing the final great period of rear-wheel-drive Alfa Romeo sports cars, built by Zagato and powered by the legendary “Busso” V6.
An automobile born during an unrepeatable period in Alfa Romeo history
The Alfa Romeo RZ – Roadster Zagato represents one of the rarest and most unconventional expressions of Alfa Romeo production during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The car originated from the ES30 – Experimental Sportscar 3.0 litre project, conceived to create a limited-production sports car that was technologically and stylistically radical. The project involved three major Italian design realities: Alfa Romeo Centro Stile, Fiat Centro Stile and Zagato.
The ES30 was unveiled at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show and subsequently gave birth to the SZ – Sprint Zagato coupé and, from 1992, the even rarer RZ – Roadster Zagato.
The RZ therefore belongs to a particularly significant historical period: the transition from Alfa Romeo’s great tradition of front-engine, rear-wheel-drive cars with transaxle architecture to the company’s later evolution towards different technical solutions.
In this sense, it is one of the final production Alfa Romeo sports cars to retain a technical philosophy deeply rooted in the marque’s traditional engineering heritage.
The design: Robert Opron, Antonio Castellana and Zagato
Although the name Zagato is inseparably associated with the RZ, its design was the result of a more complex collaboration.
The first sketches for the ES30 project were developed at Fiat Centro Stile under the direction of Robert Opron, the celebrated French designer known, among other projects, for the Citroën SM and CX.
The project was subsequently developed with the contribution of Antonio Castellana, while Alfa Romeo Centro Stile, directed by Walter de Silva, and Zagato were also involved in the programme.
The result is one of the most instantly recognizable and radical bodies in Alfa Romeo history: a wedge-shaped profile, high muscular sides, taut surfaces, a set-back passenger compartment and proportions deliberately outside conventional automotive design.
The transformation from SZ coupé to RZ roadster was not simply a matter of removing the roof. The absence of the upper structure required structural modifications and reinforcements; the RZ consequently became heavier than the SZ and slightly less performance-oriented, while gaining a completely different character and an even more exclusive personality.
Production and assembly were entrusted to Zagato at its Terrazzano di Rho facility, making each RZ the product of a substantially more exclusive manufacturing process than that of an ordinary mass-production Alfa Romeo. Gallery Aaldering+1
The legendary Alfa Romeo “Busso” V6
At the heart of the RZ is the famous Alfa Romeo V6 designed by Giuseppe Busso, one of the most important and recognizable engines in the history of the Alfa Romeo marque.
It is a 60-degree V6, longitudinally mounted at the front, with 2,959 cc, 12 valves and single-overhead-camshaft architecture, electronic fuel injection and naturally aspirated induction.
In RZ specification, the engine belongs to the 3.0-litre “Busso” V6 family derived from the mechanical architecture of the Alfa Romeo 75 and suitably developed for the ES30 project. Technical sources quote figures in the region of 204–210 hp at 6,200 rpm and 245 Nm at 4,500 rpm; the specification supplied for this particular car states 152 kW.
Today, the “Busso” V6 is particularly appreciated by collectors not only for its performance but also for its architecture, throttle response, progressive power delivery and, above all, the unmistakable sound that helped make it one of Alfa Romeo’s iconic engines.
Engineering rooted in Alfa Romeo’s sporting tradition
The RZ is not simply a roadster fitted with an Alfa Romeo engine.
Its technical architecture is derived from the Alfa Romeo 75, incorporating elements developed from the experience gained with competition versions. The transmission uses the characteristic transaxle layout, with the five-speed manual gearbox positioned at the rear together with the differential, contributing to weight distribution.
At the rear is the sophisticated De Dion axle, while the front suspension is independent. The braking system uses disc brakes, with ventilated discs at the front. Power-assisted steering is included in this car’s specification.
This configuration gives the RZ a very distinctive technical character: a longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive, rear transaxle and De Dion rear axle represent a combination that has become exceptionally rare.
Main technical characteristics
- Engine: Alfa Romeo “Busso” V6
- Configuration: 60-degree V6
- Displacement: 2,959 cc
- Valve train: single overhead camshaft, 12 valves
- Fuel system: electronic fuel injection
- Induction: naturally aspirated
- Engine position: longitudinal front
- Drive: rear-wheel drive
- Gearbox: five-speed manual
- Transmission: transaxle layout
- Differential: rear
- Rear suspension: De Dion
- Steering: power assisted
- Brakes: disc brakes, ventilated at the front
- Reference tyres: 205/55 ZR16 front and 225/50 ZR16 rear
- Length: approximately 4.06 m
- Width: approximately 1.73 m
- Height: approximately 1.31 m
- 0–100 km/h: approximately 7–7.5 seconds, depending on the source/test
- Top speed: approximately 230–245 km/h, depending on the source and specification.
The body also uses composite/thermoplastic panels, a technically advanced solution for its period and entirely consistent with the project’s objective of creating an exceptional automobile in both styling and construction.
Production and rarity
Rarity is one of the fundamental elements behind the RZ’s collector appeal.
Production was initially planned at approximately 350 cars, but the project did not reach that target.
The most extensively documented production figure is 278 RZs, comprising 241 produced by Alfa Romeo and a further 37 completed by Zagato.
Some specialist sources instead quote 284 cars completed in total; this discrepancy appears to arise from different methods of counting cars produced, completed or delivered. For a cautious historical description, 278 examples is therefore the preferred reference figure.
In any case, the RZ was an exceptionally low-volume production car: only a few hundred examples worldwide, compared with the much larger production figures of normal Alfa Romeo models.
The original colour range was also very restricted, with red, yellow and black as the principal configurations, while a very small number of cars are documented in special colours.
The car offered here, in the classic combination of red bodywork, black leather interior and black soft top, is therefore particularly consistent with the model’s identity.
RZ No.064
The car offered here is identified as RZ No.064, chassis:
ZAR162000*03002074
It is a 1993 Alfa Romeo RZ Roadster Zagato, showing only 26,700 original kilometres, as stated, and equipped with:
- power steering;
- air conditioning;
- battery cut-off switch;
- black leather interior;
- black soft top;
- red bodywork.
The car was registered in Germany on 28 July 1993 and was subsequently imported into Italy, where it became part of an important private automobile collection.
From that point onwards it remained with the same owner and was used extremely sparingly, with the aim of preserving it in perfect working condition without exposing it to significant wear.
Of particular significance is the fact that, following its importation, it was never registered in Italy and was therefore able to circulate only to a very limited extent, principally on dealer/test plates.
Such limited use, combined with a stated mileage of only 26,700 km, is particularly relevant to collectors seeking an RZ for preservation and occasional use, especially if the available documentation can fully substantiate continuity of mileage, maintenance and ownership.
Strong collector appeal
The RZ combines a number of characteristics that define its exceptional historical and collector significance:
- it is one of the rarest Alfa Romeo production cars;
- it belongs to the ES30 project, one of Alfa Romeo’s boldest initiatives of the late 1980s;
- it carries the Zagato name and was assembled by Zagato;
- it was born from the collaboration between Alfa Romeo Centro Stile, Fiat Centro Stile and Zagato;
- it is associated with Robert Opron and Antonio Castellana;
- it uses the celebrated 3.0-litre Alfa Romeo “Busso” V6;
- it retains rear-wheel drive;
- it employs the sophisticated transaxle layout;
- it features a De Dion rear axle;
- it has a composite body with a radical and unmistakable design;
- it was produced in only 278 examples according to the most extensively documented production figure;
- the car offered here is No.064;
- it has a stated mileage of only 26,700 km;
- it has an exceptionally limited usage history and was preserved as part of an important collection.
The combination of limited production, the importance of the ES30 project, Zagato pedigree, traditional Alfa Romeo engineering and carefully preserved history makes this RZ particularly compelling for a collection dedicated to special Alfa Romeos and limited-production Italian automobiles.
Returning to the market
The car is now being offered again following a reorganisation of the collection.
It therefore represents a rare opportunity to acquire a model of considerable historical and collector interest, characterised by extremely limited production, an important technical and design heritage, and an example with low stated mileage and an especially interesting preservation history.
Given its rarity and the attention increasingly devoted to special Alfa Romeo models from the 1980s and 1990s, the RZ also represents a car with potential interest as a collectible asset and possible medium- to long-term investment, while recognising that future values of collector cars cannot be guaranteed and depend on condition, documentation, authenticity, preservation and market developments.
