Everywhere you look on this outstanding Alfa Romeo SZ, there are signs of the painstaking care that has been lavished on it by its current owner, and it must be one of the best surviving examples of this charismatic Italian sports car.

The Certificate of Authenticity from Alfa Classiche shows that it was built in May 1991 and given the build number 597. It was first registered in Japan in May 1994, and in October 1995 it passed to its second owner, who would keep it for the next 22 years.

In 2018, the SZ was imported into the UK by a specialist and sold to its new owner, who has kept it ever since. In August that year, it was inspected by Alfa Aid and the work subsequently carried out included the fitment of a stainless-steel exhaust system, reconditioned steering rack, and modified cambelt pulleys and tensioner, as well as a new belt.

The owner is a well-known suspension specialist and had the dampers re-valved, which has provided more suspension travel and more compliance, transforming the way in which the car drives, while retaining the original damper bodies and the standard hydraulic ride-height adjustment.

The driving position has also been improved thanks to a spacer in the steering system that increases the distance between the steering wheel and the pedals. The modification looks original and has made the driving position much more comfortable.

Due to the methacrylic resin body panels being stored outside during the factory build process, and taking in moisture as a result, SZ paintwork can often suffer from microblistering. To properly eliminate it on this car, the paint was stripped off all panels, which were then placed into a dehumidified room in order to fully dry out. A two-part resin sealer was applied and cured, before the panels were resprayed in their original colour.

The aluminium roof section was also painted after removing two small pieces of corrosion, and the end result is a superb paint finish throughout.

Other external work has included having the headlight units reconditioned and sealed, to avoid water ingress and fogging. Incredibly rare new door seals were fitted, and a set of new glass seals – now impossible to find – was commissioned from someone in Sweden who had remade the necessary tooling. Wheel spacers have also been fitted so that the three-piece alloys – which still display the etchings showing the name and size of the wheel – better fill the arches.

An incredibly rare set of brand-new rear lights was fitted, the black electric aerial is still working and, unlike many SZs, this car even has the correct size and colour of panel rivets.

Such fastidious attention to detail is apparent throughout this beautifully presented Alfa Romeo SZ, which is now being offered for sale with its rare tailored cover, complete with even rarer carry bag. It also still has its leather-bound handbook and both keys, and its extensive history file includes a period press pack and books.