The Audacious Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato
If you’ve been following this publication for a while, you probably know that one of my favorite Alfa Romeo models is also one of the less celebrated: the Junior Zagato. Here’s the story of these innovative little coupés…
By the late 1960s, Alfa Romeo had successfully established itself as a small yet profitable specialist manufacturer, the pride of Italy’s vast landscape of state-owned companies. With a healthy balance sheet and a burgeoning Italian economy, it was the perfect time for niche projects like a stylish two-seater coupé aimed at younger buyers: a somewhat sportier and more dashing alternative to the established Giulia GTs.
Adding Lightness
Given the low production volume envisioned for such a unique product, the new Alfa coupès had to use an existing platform and running gear, thus relying mainly on weight reduction and efficient aerodynamics to provide higher performance. Back then, this meant going to Zagato, as light and slippery bodies were the Milanese coachbuilder’s specialty.
The chosen base platform was that of the existing Spider, due to its shorter wheelbase (2250 mm) than all the other Giulia variants. Zagato’s designer…
