There are cars in this world that have not only the sporting accolades, but also the charm and beauty needed to win the hearts of car-lover around the world. However, there are some that only ever possessed one of these elusive traits. For the A220, it certainly had the looks of a Hollywood A-lister, but its motorsport career never brought home the shiny goods, missing out on a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, thus leaving the door wide open for Poland-based modern collector car specialists La Squadra and the iconic carrozzeria Zagato to pick up the story decades later.
Despite its inability to dominate the mighty Circuit de la Sarthe, the A220 turned its attention to shorter circuits and rally stages, where speed and agility are needed in perfect harmony for success. This tenacity and willingness to rejuvenate itself became the catalyst for La Squadra and Zagato’s creation, bringing a sleek and modern interpretation of the racer based on the A110 to just 19 lucky owners, with production already commencing and order books filling up fast.
Everywhere you look, the AGTZ Twin Tail shocks and awes with its sharp design and historical nods, but something that truly astounded us was towards the car’s rear. A piece of art that can be sensationally transformed by its removable rear bodywork, giving drivers the choice between the tailored elegance of a longtail, or the commanding presence of a shorttail, and as the talented team so eloquently put it, “The choice is unequivocally yours.” Elsewhere, either in longtail or shorttail guise, the bodywork is as muscular as it is beautiful, with sweeping side accents and pronounced hood vents, marking a clear resemblance to the A220.
It seems the key ethos of this collaboration between La Squadra and Zagato is around experimentation, heritage and, above all, playfulness. Afterall, coachbuilding itself is the study of alternative design languages, and building a piece of automotive art that may not just have one purpose, but many. Andrea Zagato, CEO of Zagato, explains in a little more detail: “Zagato was always a Grand Touring coachbuilder, producing cars capable of racing but which you could use every day on the road or grace a Concours of Elegance lawn with. We didn’t want to make a pure racing car because technology, aerodynamics and power have changed a lot since the 1960s. 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.”
Likewise, Jakub Pietrzak, the founder of La Squadra, feels that 2024 is the year in which modernism is celebrated with nostalgia: “The automotive industry is changing faster than ever before. With advancing technology, we are becoming increasingly nostalgic, leading us to grab inspiration from the past to move new ideas forward.”
If these stunning renders and teaser video are only getting you more excited to see it in the flesh, you’ll have to wait a little longer, with plans underway for its reveal in May of this year, while customer deliveries are set to commence in October 2024. As a teaser, though, both the long and shorttail examples of classic A220 will be on display at The I.C.E. St. Moritz on 23rd and 24th February 2024!
