Zagato’s design language defines the new AGTZ Twin Tail bespoke sports car
The AGTZ Twin Tail by La Squadra and Zagato is a limited-edition grand tourer inspired by an iconic 1960s racing car
This is the new AGTZ Twin Tail by La Squadra and Zagato. A bespoke creation intended as a limited edition of just 19 cars, the project is the result of a tie-in between Zagato, the legendary Italian coachbuilder, and La Squadra, a Polish one-stop-shop for supercar owners who want to collect, maintain, and experience their cars at events and track days around Europe.
Founded by Jakub Pietrzak in Katowice in 2013, La Squadra is already involved with brands such as Ferrari, Pagani, Koenigsegg, Bugatti and Alpine. The next step was to create a unique car of its own. That machine is the AGTZ Twin Tail, a uniquely transformable reimagining of a legendary 1960s racer.
The unspoken name here is Alpine, presumably for reason of rights. The new car pays homage to Alpine’s A210 and A220 models, designed in the late 1960s to compete at Le Mans. One A220 in particular has been evoked, a car that raced at Le Mans in 1968 and 1969 before being converted, with its long, aerodynamic tail cut 30cm short to make the car better suited to sprint racing.
The new AGTZ takes on Alpine’s heritage in two ways. Firstly, it combines the two designs of the A220 into a single product, with removable rear bodywork that transforms the proportions and performance of the car. Then, underneath Zagato’s signature bodywork, is the modern icon created by a reborn Alpine brand, the Alpine A110.
Describing the AGTZ Twin Tail as ‘One car. Two souls’, Andrea Zagato, grandson of the company’s founder Ugo Zagato, explains, ‘Without knowing the past, you cannot invent the future.’ Founded in 1919, the coachbuilder is responsible for some of the most spectacular limited editions and one-offs in automotive history, with collaborations including Aston Martin, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, and many more.
The Zagato aesthetic is certainly unique, and the compact, perfectly proportioned AGTZ accommodates its key elements, from the ‘double bubble’ roof to the vertical tail and long nose. ‘We didn’t want to make a pure racing car because technology, aerodynamics and power have changed a lot since the 1960s,’ Andrea Zagato explains. ‘Instead, we wanted to capture the inspiration and design innovation of the A220 shorttail and create an authentic Gran Turismo in the true Zagato tradition.’
Pietrzak believes that revisiting the glories of the past is ever more necessary in the face of changing technology. ‘We are just at the beginning of this renaissance,’ he says. ‘Electrification increases competition and it’s harder to differentiate products in terms of performance and driving stimuli. Design will take on greater significance, allowing artisan coachbuilders to step onto the stage and deliver unique projects that will separate intrepid brands from the rest of the pack.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
AGTZ Twin Tail, from €650,000 plus tax, AGTZTwintail.com, @agtztwintail
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Easy and breezy: Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor is now open
We found Balearic bliss at Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor, the place to live the Mediterranean dream and connect with nature
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
2024 Obel Award goes to 36x36 by Colectivo C733 in Mexico
The 2024 Obel Award winner has been announced, crowning 36x36 by Colectivo C733 in Mexico as this year's recipients
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Discover the fantastical jewellery world of Castro NYC in London
Carpenters Workshop Jewellery celebrates the work of Castro NYC with a London exhibition
By Hannah Silver Published
-
A 90s icon of Italian sports car design is reborn as the Veloce12 by Touring Superleggera
Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera have transformed the Ferrari 550 Maranello into an all-analogue, carbon-bodied GT for the modern era
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Meet two new Maserati MC20 supercars, the Leggenda and the Icona
These Maserati MC20 special editions honour the company’s racing heritage and the 20th anniversary of the Maserati MC12 hypercar
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New Ferrari 12Cilindri is a purist, V12-powered two-seater Berlinetta
The new Ferrari 12Cilindri, available as both a coupé and a Spider, pares back the brand’s classic design tropes to bare essentials to create a timeless luxury GT
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
In memoriam: automotive designer Marcello Gandini (1938-2024)
As the man behind the form of the modern supercar, Marcello Gandini was hugely influential. We look back at some of his most accomplished designs
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Maserati Grecale Modena hits the middle ground, an SUV for the badge-conscious
The Maserati Grecale Modena shows just how far a brand has to go to make an impact in the contemporary car market. How does it reflect on the Italian company’s long heritage?
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Restomod Italian cars: Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and more classics reborn for modern roads
In the world of restomod Italian cars, everything from 1960s race cars to cult city vehicles can be restored, reshaped and updated for modern driving and fastidious collectors
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Ares Wami Lalique Spyder harks back to a golden age of coachbuilding
With the Ares Wami Lalique Spyder’s real crystal fittings and entirely bespoke body, the Milan-based coachbuilder evokes midcentury automotive glamour
By Rory FH Smith Published
-
Year in review: the top 10 cars of 2023, as selected by Wallpaper’s Jonathan Bell
What were the best four-wheeled offerings of 2023? Transport editor Jonathan Bell takes us through the year’s most intriguing automobiles
By Jonathan Bell Published