1. The pre production code name of the Alfa Romeo Sprint Zagato was ES-30, this means Experimental Sportscar 3.0 liter engine.
2a. Production Time Line of the SZ is:
1989: ZAR 162000*03000001 - ZAR 162000*03000011
1990: ZAR 162000*03000012 - ZAR 162000*03000300
1991: ZAR 162000*03000301 - ZAR 162000*03001036
2b. Production Time Line of the RZ is:
1992: ZAR 162000*03002001 - ZAR 162000*03002050
1993: ZAR 162000*03002051 - ZAR 162000*03002241 ??????
And than something very strange happened.....
After RZ chassisnumber 03002241 there have been more RZ's produced. In my RZ register the highest known number is 03002283 !!!
So officially the last known RZ in the Alfa Romeo Historic Data Base is number xxx03002241 and it was produced in September 1993 !
The ones with a higher number are absolutely not tracable in the Official Alfa Romeo archifes, but according to my register they certainly exist !
At Alfa Romeo they refuse to mention those cars in any of their archives.
In their historical data base they do not exist and when inquiring at the archife administration directely they will tell you that a RZ
with a higher V.I.N. number than ZAR 162000*03002241, never ever has been produced !
On the Dealers part CD's etc. they will even give a warning if a following number has been entered in that data base.
Below you can see a screenshot from the warning when entering a - according to Alfa Romeo - non existing V.I.N. number such as xxx03002242.
On the same CD one can also find out that the first 10 RZ VIN numbers also got a NON existing warning. Probably they all were pre production / test cars.
4. In the Netherlands is a SZ owner, who now has more than 300.000 km. on the counter !!! He claimes that the only trouble - aside of normal maintenance - was a problem with the gearbox and with the pump of the air conditioner, at about 200.000 km. a damaged valve and at 230.000 km. a damaged kath.
In 2001, at 250.000 km. the owner decided to give the car a complete overhaul.....
the car looks like a new one again and it still runs very well, top speed is about 270 km/h.
I do not think there is a SZ out there with more km's on the counter !!??
5. In the Netherlands there were 29 SZ's imported. 28 via the Dutch official Dutch Importer. It seems that SZ number 016 was the first car offically licenced in
The Netherlands at 31 May 1990, by the Alfa Romeo dealer Versteegh in Ermelo. But the show car on the Dutch RAI ( February - March 1990 ) was the first SZ in the
Netherlands and was allready sold to a good Dutch relation from Alfa Romeo before it has been transported to the RAI in 1990.
In Switzerland there seems to be 100 SZ's imported.
In Germany 150.
In England 50.
In France 80.
In Spain 4.
In Portugal: Mocar imported 15 cars and only sold 7. The remaning 8: 5 went to Japan and 3 to Belgium.
In Norway 2.
In Denmark only 1 ( not registered ).
In Sweden 5 SZ's and 1 RZ.
In Japan there are about a 100 SZ's / RZ's ??
In 1993 12 SZ's have been imported in Argentina by ship via Uruguay. But it was not the "commercial success" they did hope for.
The person who arranged all this this was Cohelo (a car dealer), when unloading the ship one SZ did fell into the river...... at least, that was the story.
Years later that car ( number 931 ) has been found somewhere in Argentina,..but no papers, no numberplate etc. ???
In Bahrain only 1 was imported.
In South Africa only 1.
In Guernsey ( UK ) only 1.
In Jersey ( UK ) only 1.
In Taiwan seems to be 3 imported.
There are also 2 SZ's registered in Zimbabwe. One is very rare, that it is an Autodelta right
hand drive conversion with a 3.5 litre engine. Jano at Autodelta tells it was the only SZ
they ever converted to right hand drive and that they will never do it again. The RHD SZ is at
the moment in South Africa.
6. A Dutch person told me that he reached a top-speed ( on the German "Autobahn" ) of 275 km/h. on the counter !!! In fifth gear the car seems to accelerate with 38.1 km. per 1000 revs and it goes on to a maximal of 7200 revs !!!
7. About the "saga" of the set of suitcases specially made for the SZ..... there was only one set made, only for fotoshootings and carshows.
8. The "carbon fibre dash" etc. is in fact Fablon laid over plastic !!!
9. The SZ can pull upto 1.4 G. in cornering.... I think it is still the champion of the production cars....
Ferrari 360 F1: 1.13 g.
Ferrari 355 F1: 1.13 g.
Chrysler Viper VT 1.11 g. ( what a surprise !! )
Lamborgini Diablo VT 1.09 g.
Porsche 911 Carrera 1.06 g.
Lotus Esprit V8 1.06 g.
Ferrari 550 1.04 g.
BMW "M Coupe" 1.03 g.
Audi S4 Avant: 0.96 g.
Volvo V70R AWD: 0.90 g.
I have got this information from the Italian carmagazine "Quattroruote".
More recent information:
BMW M 1, 1.3 G ( tyres: Michelin Pilot Sport)
Audi RS 3, 1.3 G
Audi TT RS 1.3 G
BMW M 3 1.25 G
Alpina B3 Biturbo Coupé 1.2 G
Abarth 500 C: 1.0 G ( tyres Pirelli Neros ). Not very amazing for us SZ / RZ drivers, several owners over the world own - secretly - also a new FIAT 500,
wich is great fun to drive. !
I have got this recent information from a German carmagazine "Sportauto 07- 2011".
If you have any articles, books etc about the Alfa Romeo SZ ( ES-30 ), I am intrested
in purchasing them.
Please email me if you have anything of interest.
evdbeek@wxs.nl