RZ

There's nothing else on the road quite like it. The angular, uncompromising lines turn heads before the engine ever fires, and once it does, the open cockpit puts you right at the center of a rear-drive chassis built for a rally-tuned suspension and a V-6 that revs like it means it. This is a car built to be driven with the top down and the road empty ahead of you — a rare, deliberate piece of design that never once tries to blend in.

This 1993 Alfa Romeo RZ is a factory Zagato-bodied roadster, one of just 284 examples built, and is the 130th produced across the model's 1992–1994 run.

Exterior

The car is finished in Rosso Alfa over a black leather interior. It rides on the optional 16" Speedline alloy wheels, fitted with fresh Pirelli P Zero tires.

Interior

The cabin is trimmed in black leather, with RZ-specific color-matched details not found on the earlier SZ coupe, including the door panels, a revised center console, and the convertible top's cover panel.

Engine & Drivetrain

Power comes from a 3.0-liter, DOHC, fuel-injected V-6 sourced from the Alfa Romeo 75, producing 210 horsepower and sent through a rear-mounted five-speed manual transaxle. The rally-tuned suspension is independent at the front, with a de Dion axle and Watts linkage at the rear, and braking is handled by 11-inch discs at all four corners. The factory-estimated top speed is 143 mph.

Background

Alfa Romeo and Carrozzeria Zagato revived the SZ (Sprint Zagato) name at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show, first as a coupe and later as this open RZ (Roadster Zagato) variant. Developed with Fiat and built on the floor pan and drivetrain of the Alfa Romeo 75, the car's styling was penned initially by Fiat's Robert Opron and finalized by Antonio Castellana, with final assembly handled by Zagato. Aside from an aluminum roof panel on the coupe, the bodywork was constructed from injection-molded thermoplastic composite rather than conventional sheet metal. A total of 1,036 SZ coupes were built before the RZ roadster followed. This example was also featured in a review by Doug DeMuro on YouTube.

Provenance & Documentation

This example was completed on April 30, 1993, and delivered new on September 7, 1995. Accompanying Japanese documentation indicates the car passed through four owners in Japan between delivery and June 2014, accumulating roughly 13,500 km over that period. The car was subsequently held by a Tokyo dealer from September 2015 to July 2018, after which it was acquired and imported to the United States. The odometer currently shows 15,258 km (approximately 9,481 miles).

The current owner has kept this RZ as part of a collection of wedge-era designer cars, alongside examples such as the Alfa Romeo Montreal, Maserati Khamsin, Maserati Bora, and Ferrari 512. Coming from a design background himself, the owner has long been drawn to the RZ's unconventional styling, limited production, and history. The car is now being offered on consignment as the owner consolidates his collection to make room for a garage upgrade.

The sale includes the owner's manual with its leather pouch, import documents and Japanese registration records, a spare wheel, two keys, a jack, tools, and production information sourced from the Alfa Romeo historical museum.

Note: Due to California emissions regulations, this vehicle must be sold to a dealer or an out-of-state resident. Chassis, engine, and serial numbers will be provided to serious inquiries.