SZ-RZ Trophy


SZ-RZ Trophy - Racing.


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In 1993 Zagato returns to the circuits with a one-make series reserved for the Alfa Romeo SZ. Eight races in Italy and abroad. At that moment the Zagato Trophy is the most economical race series on the national scene.

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In 1993, almost 30 years have passed since Zagato - bodied cars last took track in anger. And when ten Alfa Romeo SZ's lined up at the grid at Monze for the first race in the new one-make series, it was quite an emotional moment for at least one spectator. Elio Zagato spent many of his 73 years racing his company's cars all over Europe, clocking upto some 80 wins in varous categories and gaining valuable experience as a test driver.

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At Zagato they felt this Trophy was a fitting way of celebrating their Groep's 75 year of activity. It seemed to be a good oppertunity for underlining their real speciality: Sportscars.

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Zagato's cars have always been winners. The golden era came trough the fifties and sixties the years in wich the whole of italy sought to leave behind the memories of war. That's when it seemed that the faster car, the easier it was to elude recollections. And that was when the chromed Z - badge on the side of a car was a guarantee. That's the era Zagato wished to revive by organizing the SZ Trophy, and running it contemporaneously with Peroni Promotions Italian Supercar GT Championship was the ideal solution.

The idea was to race without resorting to wild tuning, that only distorts the technical merits of the original car. Remove the race numbers, slicks and roll cage, and the cars could easily be once more employed as road cars.

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In total just 13 cars were fully prepared, despite Alfa Romeo offering a 25% discount on the list price of a new SZ. In fact the whole race series at the time worked out to be the cheapest on the national scene.

Those SZ Trophy racers have been officially homologized, can be found in the FIA Historic Database.
Strangly there can not be found a homologation form for the RZ !

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Of those 13 cars, one was Andrea Zagato's personal car ( the only all-black car made ) wich was prepared for the Montecarlo race held prior to the F1 race on the 22nd. of May 1993 and was converted to road use a week later, by removong the roll cage and refitting the radio !

The cost of a season's racing:

Technically the cars were tuned to Group N regulations. According to those regulations it was not allowed to reinforce the chassis, but probably all the cars ( except from Andrea's SZ ) had the welds reinforced. Everybody apparently did do that in those days.

Here is a breakdown of costs involved in the 1993 SZ Trophy. This race series, backed by Zagato and organized by the Montecarlo group Monegasque Representatives, is composed of six races at principle Italian tracks, plus two international events:

1.) Alfa Romeo SZ coupe ( including 25% discount ) 60.000.000 Lires.
2.) Tuning kit: including shock-absorbers, springs, ( the hydraulic lift system used to raise the production car etc. was ditched ) free-flow exhaust, reinforced clutch, brake system, engine management chip, heavy duty battery, balanced engine ( not lightened ) plus workmanship 25.000.000 Lires.
3.) Safety kit ( including roll-cage, 4-point racing harness, fire extinguisher system, towing-hook ) 3.000.000 Lires.
4.) 12 16 inch 3 pieces OZ Racing Wheels 3.200.000 Lires.
5.) Pirelli racing slicks for 8 races 15.000.000 Lires.
6.) Mechanic for 8 races 40.000.000 Lires.

So the total of an SZ racing season will be: 146.200.000 Lires, but I think you had lots and lots of fun for that money !!!

The rumor goes that at these cars they have welded the orignal welds over again to make the cars invisibly stiffer.

Lighter windows in some cars would also have been used

Here some more trophy car pics:

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Pictures below ( Trophy numbers 1 t/m 11 plus 14 and 15 ) with a very BIG: "THANK YOU" to Mr. W. Wilhelm / Mr. G. Gusmeroli. Please respect the copy rights !!

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Down below some pictures of the 1993 Zagato Trophy and some from the 1993 Italian Supercar GT Championship.
Mr. Mauro Trione was so friendly to send them to me, so copyrights are on his name.

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Below some photos from SZ 103 ( VIN xxx3000137 ) driven by Sig. Gabriele Folco Zambelli, one of the Trophy race drivers in those days.

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Some more pics. If you want to see a larger picture, click the thumbnail .

Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Racing Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Monte Carlo Monte Carlo Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer Trophy Racer


RZ Trophy race car !!

Another "special" was the yellow RZ ( roadster ) that was prepared for Montecarlo for Duilio Truffo to race. It was finished in a hurry and there was even not enough time to take off the catalyser and as the engine was brand new and hadn't been run in, it was running just 200 bhp. instead of the 220-230 of the other cars. It also had a distinct weight disadvantage ( of some 100 kg. ), but even so Truffo drove brilliantly to come third. Most of the race he was up the second SZ's exhaust pipe !

The black paint job on the yellow RZ has been designed by Ercole Spada.

It seems in the end 3 yellow RZ's have been produced ?

I hope someone can provide more information about this / those car(s), the races where it has been used, the driver ecc. In 2011 a trophy RZ was offered for sale in Japan.

This ( picture below ) is the Montecarlo car as described above.

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This is the MARTIN DAWES version which was only made 2 times.

Modification:

Aragosta Suspension
Brembo 4Pod brake system
Aftermarket CPU chip
Aftermarket piston, cam shafts
Roll cage
Sparco seats
OZ racing alloys
Upgrade fuel tank
Aftermarket exhaust system
Air condition was removed.
etc...

If you want to see a larger picture, click the thumbnail .

Racing Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993 Trophy Racers-Monaco 1993


 
Date Race Drivers Entrant
Overall
Gr.IV
28/03/1993 Monza Mauro Trione Scuderia Zagato
18th
2nd
    Stefano Livio Asti Corse
19th
3rd
    Guglielmo Dolfi Prominvesteam
20th
4th
    Mauro Serra Asti Corse
21st
5th
    Guido Dacco  
22nd
6th
    Prisca Taruffi Asti Corse
23rd
7th
    Gabriele Zambelli Asti Corse
24th
8th
    Franco Zadotti Prominvesteam
25th
9th
    "Bialetti"  
26th
10th
12/04/1993 Magione Franzo Zadotti Prominvesteam
6th
2nd
    Stefano Livio Asti Corse
7th
3rd
    Mauro Trione Scuderia Zagato
8th
4th
    Prisca Taruffi Asti Corse
9th
5th
    Gabriele Zambelli Asti Corse
10th
6th
    Guglielmo Dolfi Prominvesteam
11th
7th
    Mauro Serra Asti Corse
12th
8th
    Romana Bernardoni  
13th
9th
    Patrick Pierron  
DNF
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23/05/1993 Monaco Mauro Trione Scuderia Zagato
1st
1st
    Giancarlo Naddeo  
2nd
2nd
    Duilio Truffo (RZ)  
3rd
3rd
    Mauro Serra Asti Corse
4th
4th
    Patrick Perron  
5th
5th
    Stradi  
6th
6th
    Romana Bernardoni  
7th
7th
    Thomas Bleiner  
8th
8th
    Guglielmo Dolfi Prominvesteam
9th
9th
    Gabriele Zambelli Asti Corse
10th
10th
    Liberatore  
11th
11th
30/05/1993 Misano Mauro Trione Scuderia Zagato
6th
1st
    "Bialetti"  
7th
2nd
    "Ferraris"  
8th
3rd
    Gabriele Zambelli Asti Corse
9th
4th
    Romana Bernardoni  
10th
5th
    Dulio Truffo  
DNF
    Franco Zadotti Prominvesteam
DNF
16/06/1993 Mugello Giancarlo Naddeo  
13th
1st
    Mauro Trione Scuderia Zagato
14th
2nd
    Romana Bernardoni  
15th
3rd
    Gabriele Zambelli Asti Corse
16th
4th
    "Stradi"  
17th
5th
    Franco Zadotti Prominvesteam
19th
6th
    "Ferraris"  
20th
7th
    Guglielmo Dolfi Prominvesteam
21st
8th
19/09/1993 Varano Gabriele Zambelli Asti Corse
3rd
1st
    Stefano Livio Asti Corse
4th
2nd
    Romana Bernardoni  
5th
3rd
    "Stradi"  
6th
4th
    Mauro Trione Scuderia Zagato
7th
5th
    Francesco Liberatore  
10th
6th
03/10/1993 Imola Mauro Trione Scuderia Zagato
14th
1st
    Francesco Liberatore  
15th
2nd
    Gabriele Zambelli Asti Corse
16th
3rd
    "Bialetti"  
17th
4th
17/10/1993 Mugello Giancarlo Naddeo  
14th
2nd
    Guglielmo Dolfi Prominvesteam
16th
3rd

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.

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evdbeek@wxs.nl