TZ family at the Spettacolo Sportivo Alfa Romeo

Last year the theme of our annual Club Party was '90 years of Zagato'. A fine line-up of Zagato cars was present at the 'Circuit Park Zandvoort' (dating back as far as 1929!). Amongst those cars also a TZ1 and a TZ2, both of them owned by a certain German gentleman by the name of Martin Kapp. Zagato was not only represented by 'hardware', they also send their Marketing Director to join in the celebrations.

Mr. Kapp and this Zagato Marketing director forged a cunning plan just there and then! And what a plan it was! The world had to wait till the 'Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este' in april of this year, where they presented their TZ3, based on the '8C Competizione'. It was the 'missing' conceptcar of the Geneva show one month earlier where both Bertone (Pandion) and Pininfarina (2uettotanta) payed their hommage to the 100 year old brand.

I saw the car for the first time when I was in Italy to join the thousands of Alfisti to celebrate the 100th birthday during the 'Centennial', an event I reported on earlier. The moment I saw the car I was smitten! So much more to the point than the 8C on which it is based, so much more purposefull! To me the 8C has always been a bit 'overstyled', a little bit too beautifull. I'm sure you can make up you own mind on this subject.

Last weekend mr. Kapp decided to honour the request of our club to bring the car to the SSAR 2010, the event where the conception had taken place a year earlier. Our club managed to also get a TZ1 and TZ2, so there was this fabulous line-up. Fortunately it wasn't just a static display, both the TZ2 and the TZ3 did multiple track sessions so we could feast our eyes and ears on this glorious spectacle. You will have to make do with just your eyes. Enjoy!

Just to prove a point and facilitate the discussion on 'purposefullness' the of TZ3, and whether a TZ3 is a better design job than the 8C, I'll add some pictures of the action on the Zandvoort track.

Need I say more? 

 

Comments

[Geert]

The packaging looks quite different, judging by the frontal view, which will -no doubt- add to the drama and purposeful looks of the Zagato.
Nevertheless, I tend to agree with you Rik as I've always found the 8C much too obvious and easy a way out of the design question.
(Emozione yes, innovazione NO.)

Is that Kapp guy the Brose capo (kappo)?

[Vincent]

More pics: http://www.autojunk.nl/2010/08/alfa-romeo-tz3-corsa-2

[Michiel]

hebbuh!!

[huib]

Interesting comparison. I'll have both, since I connot decide yet.

[Mattijs]

@Rik: beautiful concept car, born in holland. Seen it in the flesh at the Good Wood festival. Elongated lines, crisp packaging. Nevertheless I find the front- and back end a bit to plasticky. Rounded of a bit too much and therefore adding an "Escort Mark III (?)like" melted chocolate feel to the whole. I prefer the Dinky toys, metal feel, of the original. And yes, got them cheap at Good Wood in 1:43, but that will be on another page.

[Mattijs]

BTW: Nice pics! kudos! 2010 is red!

[Geert]

@ Mat: born in holland???