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.’
AGTZ Twin Tail, from €650,000 plus tax, AGTZTwintail.com, @agtztwintail
