ZAGATO 356 COUPE SANCTION PROGRAMME
As part of the design to secure the future of the family business, Andrea Zagato and its team started a painstaking work in organising and digitalising the impressive archive that Milan’s Coachbuilder created over the years. In 2015 this research unearthed a full study by Zagato for the production of a Coupe’ version designed following a specific order from Porsche to create a lightweight sports version of their 356. Stuttgart’s sportscar has always been a great favourite for gentlemen drivers but the real surprise must have been the one-off Speedster that French works driver Claude Storez ordered from Zagato in 1957. The striking design consisted of a lighter, more streamlined and elegant bodywork that proved very successful, striking and efficient. Storez successfully entered his Zagato Speedster in many events covering the whole 1958 sports car season but sadly crashed the car on a fateful February 7th 1959. The car was never to be seen or heard of again.
A design sketch of the Porsche 356 Carrera by Zagato that dates back to 1959.
Fast forward to 2015, Andrea and Mirella Zagato are running Zagato, and to future proof its heritage they decide to have all the archive digitized an organised, implementing a state-of-the-art 3D mapping system. Among these papers they discovered that Porsche was so impressed about Storez’s success that they approached Zagato with the task of designing and producing a closed version of the little speedster, with a weight limit of 700kg. Zagato assigned the project to their lead designer and from the unmistakable signature and elegance of Zagato, the Porsche 356 Zagato was born. It was 1959 and it’s not clear what happened next as the project would never see the light of day but today, from a series of sketches and drawings it was possible for Zagato to create a small run of nine of these beautiful coupes’ with Stuttgart’s consent.
ZAGATO 356 COUPE BUILD
In 2015 a 1960 Porsche 356 BT5 Coupe was sourced from United States and shipped to Italy to be dressed in the beautifully proportioned alloy body from Milan’s master panel beaters.
The vehicle used for the build was chassis number 123978, supplied new with a Super 75 engine and finished in Slate Grey over Red Leatherette which Alessio and Danilo Tesciuba decided should be retained as the colour choices on the car when finished.
The car was completed in late 2017 and kept on display in Zagato’s Galleria with the idea to enter it in a suitable Concours in the near future.
This car represents a very rare opportunity to acquire one of the most beautifully styled Zagato bodied cars ever produced.
For more information about this Porsche 356 Zagato Coupe for sale or to arrange an appointment, please contact our sales team on 01908 921256 or 07956 349877
