PLAYING ALL THE ANGLES
Classic & Sports Car|August 2024
Alfa Romeo's wild RZ eschewed the jellymould styling of the period to offer a striking, wedge-shaped take on open-topped performance motoring
RICHARD HESELTINE
PLAYING ALL THE ANGLES

There is method to the madness here, but it might just as easily be the other way around. So here we are, driving what appears to be a wedge of cheese in a locale that is not within walking distance from anywhere. The speedometer is pegged at the sort of velocity that is usually accompanied by a police siren, but no. It's all pretty normal in these parts. You could get into trouble, but you would have to work hard at it. And besides, you're not even the fastest gun here. Welcome to the Isle of Man and the Alfa Romeo RZ, a car that, even on a good day, looks as if it's being viewed in the back of a spoon. It isn't in the realm of the normal, that's for sure.

But then neither was the car that bore it, the mighty SZ, which emerged at a time when Alfisti were poorly served. It's worth recalling that the '80s began with Nissan and Alfa Romeo signing an agreement that would lead to close co-operation between the two firms spanning the following 15 years. That, and a raft of new models. Only the Arna arrived, a giddying blend of a Cherry hull and an Alfasud flat-four.

At least the marque faithful were spared an Alfa-ised Nissan Prairie, which almost became a thing. The alliance was annulled in 1986, with the break-up followed shortly by a change of ownership after Fiat gazumped Ford.

Then there was Alfa Romeo's Formula One programme, which had shown early flashes of promise, but no victories were forthcoming despite the best efforts of Mario Andretti and other stars. By the mid-1980s, it had become a pointless exercise (in every sense). As such, it fell to Touring Car outings to maintain the marque's sporting credentials, but again results were patchy. It wasn't a great period for the company, but it was against this backdrop of despondency and whip-round budgets that one of the greatest-ever halo cars was conceived.

Bu hikaye Classic & Sports Car dergisinin August 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Classic & Sports Car dergisinin August 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

CLASSIC & SPORTS CAR DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Mick WALSH
Classic & Sports Car

Mick WALSH

'Had someone said that this worn-looking titan would win the most famous old-car event, we would have laughed'

time-read
3 dak  |
November 2024
ALFA ROMEO STELVIO QF
Classic & Sports Car

ALFA ROMEO STELVIO QF

Rewriting the rulebook on what an SUV can do, and how it can make you feel

time-read
2 dak  |
November 2024
FLOATING INTO THE FUTURE
Classic & Sports Car

FLOATING INTO THE FUTURE

Citroën's DS-replacing CX was at a cutting edge so sharp it still looks fresh today, and it had the drive to match - as five superb survivors reveal

time-read
8 dak  |
November 2024
"It's a car for posing in really"
Classic & Sports Car

"It's a car for posing in really"

Broadcaster Michael Buerk reflects on more than three decades with his beloved Jaguar E-type S1 3.8 fixed-head coupé

time-read
8 dak  |
November 2024
HONDAS DECK THE HALL
Classic & Sports Car

HONDAS DECK THE HALL

The Japanese firm's Los Angeles collection is now on public display for the first time in two decades

time-read
4 dak  |
November 2024
ABSOLUTELY buzzing
Classic & Sports Car

ABSOLUTELY buzzing

Honda's Si Civics brought agile, cheap fun to motorists long before the Type R name got anywhere near a hatchback

time-read
7 dak  |
November 2024
THE FEMININE TOUCH
Classic & Sports Car

THE FEMININE TOUCH

In 1955, General Motors styling guru Harley Earl brought 11 talented women into the male-dominated world of automotive design. What was their lasting impact?

time-read
7 dak  |
November 2024
Out on a limb
Classic & Sports Car

Out on a limb

Panther's innovative Solo 2 was something completely different, both for its maker and the sports car market

time-read
7 dak  |
November 2024
Restyles with substance
Classic & Sports Car

Restyles with substance

Panther Westwinds blended a passion for pre-war designs with modern-era mechanical usability and remarkably fine coachbuilding

time-read
10 dak  |
November 2024
Dead ringers
Classic & Sports Car

Dead ringers

The Maserati Kyalami and De Tomaso Longchamp share much, having emerged from the same stable, but are poles apart at heart

time-read
8 dak  |
November 2024