We associate Ferrari’s with the great Italian design house Pininfarina. In the early days of the Ferrari marque, however, many coachbuilders clothed Ferrari chassis, Zagato being one. Ugo Zagato, who founded the company in 1919, is an often-overlooked figure in the world of innovation in automobile design. He was perhaps the first to acknowledge and deal with the problem of early motor cars, that of excess weight, and introduced practices and materials that would be widely used by others.

Where Pininfarina has always been about smooth, flowing lines and outright beauty – you only need to glance at a Ferrari 246GT Dino to get an idea of their ethic – Zagato was never one to shy away from geometry and sometimes awkward shapes. Startling is the word for some of the Zagato bodies we have seen, but they have always been notable, original and daring – and often downright beautiful, as is the case with this car; the Ferrari 575 GTZ Zagato, first seen at the Geneva Show in 2006.

If this model has slipped your mind don’t worry, as the initial car was a special commission to Zagato by a Japanese collector, and Ferrari then endorsed the car officially so five further examples could be built. This example is offered for sale by Sotheby’s at their upcoming Shift/Monterey sale, which due to the ongoing covid-19 crisis will be held entirely online.

Double Bubble Roof Line

It’s easy to spot a Zagato body from the 1950’s and 60’s, as it will more than likely feature the company’s distinctive ‘double bubble’ roof. This stems from racing cars of the era that were kept as low as possible but for the part where the driver’s head would be, which would be raised slightly. The result – a roof that has a low ridge down the missile, and two ‘bubbles’ either side.

The feature can be seen on the stunning white roof of the car to be sold, which contrasts superbly with the dark blue bodywork. The colour scheme is chosen to mimic an original Ferrari 250GT Tour de France Zagato – the model these six cars are a tribute to – chassis 0515GT, which was a successful racing car in the 1950’s.

We give the colour scheme a massive thumbs-up; it is truly beautiful, nostalgic and something to behold. With its swooping lines and retro-look front end, plus the large hunched rear wings that give the car an aggressive stance, this is a perfect tribute to the racing Ferrari’s of old, and is sure to be fought over by many collectors.

Standard Underneath

The Ferrari 575 GTZ Zagato may have a body that is unique to the six in existence, but underneath it retains the standard 575M – and that’s no bad thing. The glorious 5.7litre V12 is perfect for a car such as this – with its 5151bhp and sequential semi-automatic gearbox. The interior is superbly dressed in tan leather with all the trimmings you would expect n a GT Ferrari, and the car is reportedly well-maintained with just shy of 3700miles on the clock.

The auction takes place on the 13th and 14th of August, 2020 so you’ll have to be quick if you want to get a bid in. How much will it cost? There is no estimate provided for the Ferrari 575 GTZ Zagato, but with only six having been built and this being one of only two in the USA, the rarity status of the car will be the force behind the final hammer price. You can buy a good 575M for around £70,000 – we believe this car may go for three times that number.