Why Alfa Romeo’s SZ Is Such A Polarizing Classic Sports Car – SlashGear

It only took 19 months for Alfa Romeo to turn the SZ from design sketches to a working prototype. Helping the cause is a chassis from Alfa’s Group A touring race car, while the 3.0-liter Busso V6 engine was mounted longitudinally in the front to feed the rear wheels using a five-speed manual transaxle. Pumping out 207 horsepower, the Alfa SZ is not as quick as its contemporaries like the Lancia Delta HF or the BMW M3 E30, but nothing sounds as good as a Busso V6.

Meanwhile, the SZ has a double-wishbone front suspension and a De Dion rear suspension from the Alfa Romeo 75 Group A touring car. The SZ could scoot like a proper racing car, equipped with hydraulically-adjustable Koni dampers on all fours. If the engine had more power, it would have been easier to justify the SZ’s astronomical price tag and its “Il Monstro” (The Monster) nickname. 

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Alfa only sold 1,036 SZs between 1989 and 1991, with only 100 units reaching the United Kingdom. Alfa released the RZ (Roadster Zagato) from 1992 to 1994, a drop-top variant of the SZ with custom body panels. However, Alfa only built 278 RZs due to financial troubles. 

It may be considered the worst-looking Alfa Romeo, but the SZ commands big money in the collector market. How big? A decent example could sell for about $56,000, but a mint unit could fetch upwards of $110,000, and the numbers are rising.