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Rare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Bound to Be a Real Head Turner

Rare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head Turner 19 photos
Photo: Veni Vidi Vici Classic Cars BV
Rare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head TurnerRare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head Turner
At what point do you consider yourself to be highly knowledgeable in all things automotive? Is it when you can talk about muscle cars for days in a row without repeating yourself? Is it when you have at least basic info about 90% of all different brands and models ever to hit the market? Or perhaps it's a point at which you can do an engine rebuild on your own? Of course, there are many answers to that question.
There are likely a lot of automotive enthusiasts that have never even heard about the Alfa Romeo SZ. Chances are that even more people have never seen one with their own eyes. And there's a good explanation for that. The quirky Italian sports car was built between 1989 to 1991, and just 1,036 units left the factory floor.

With a 3.0-liter V6 engine under the hood, RWD, and no driver aids, this was meant to deliver a raw driving experience. Weighing in at 2,778 lbs (1,260 kg), and with 207 hp at hand, it could go from a standstill to 62 mph (100 kph) in 7 seconds.

That's not fast by today's standards, but it should have been quite exciting for the early '90s. Granted, the styling of the car is not going to suit everyone's taste, but it's still an interesting approach nonetheless. Just after the SZ went out of production, in came the Roadster Zagato.

As you would expect from a convertible, it was 260 lbs (120 kg) heavier than the coupe. The positive part about the RZ is that only 278 made it out of the factory. That makes it almost as rare as a LaFerrari Aperta.

Rare Alfa Romeo RZ Is Looking for a New Home, Is Bound to Be a Real Head Turner
Photo: Veni Vidi Vici Classic Cars BV
While it doesn't have the power or the advanced technology of the Ferrari, it is also not as expensive. This particular Giallo Ginestra yellow version has the production number 190 and was registered for road use back in 1995. It has been driven for less than 9,000 miles (14,484 km) in all these years and has a price tag of $103,881.

You can tell just by looking at it that it was well taken care of, and it makes sense that before being sent to the Netherlands it only had one previous owner. Owning a car for over two decades goes to show that a bond between man and machine had developed to some extent.

According to the seller, the car is both impeccable and original from every point of view. That means that you can either choose to enjoy this piece of Italian automotive history by driving it at your convenience, or you can store it away for safe keeping. It might provide a good return on investment in 10 or so years.

Some of the more expensive RZs on the market can go up to as much as $150,000, while some of the cheaper ones can sell for $80,000. You can go out and buy a brand new Shelby GT500 for that kind of money, but would it be as rare and special as a Roadster Zagato?

This is the kind of vehicle that will always draw in a crowd, wherever you would go. This RZ could be an excellent choice for someone who already has a collection of vehicles, but also for someone who doesn't be just like everyone else.
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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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