Cernobbio, 21th April 2006
Yoshiyuki Hayashi is a famous Japanese car collector, who owns numerous
cars of greathistorical value, including several Ferraris such as the 166 MM,
the 250 Spider California, two Daytonas – a coupé and a spider – and the
Enzo. In the classic tradition of the keen purchaser of exclusive cars who
stimulated the creativeness of Italian coachbuilders in the 1950s and 1960s,
Yushiyuki Hayashi asked Zagato if it would be possible to create a body for his
575M, in the style of the famous 250 GTZ berlinetta.
When Zagato received this request, it informed Ferrari of the project, which
would be a good opportunity to celebrate the model’s anniversary, and then
created a car that harked back to the 250 GTZ, built around the Ferrari 575.
Like its forebear, the 575 GTZ has an all-aluminium body, and, as a tribute to
Ferrari and to two-seater Italian sports cars, it has joined the exclusive group
of cars that are the fruit of the tradition of custom-built cars.
Like the 250 GTZ, it sports two-tone paintwork with styling cues and volumes
that explicitly refer back to the 1950s, and sublimates the character of the
many cars built by Zagato to clothe original engineering, with the pure style of
traditional sports cars. For Zagato, the project represented an opportunity to
celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari 250 GTZ of 1956, one of the most
outstanding GT cars, which has already gone down in history.
The model, which was also commissioned by a gentleman driver and
collector, in the best Zagato tradition, is a sublime synthesis of prestige and
performance, elegance and sportiness, to the point that it can boast the
highest value of any car in the luxury period sports car market. The 250 GTZ
has won numerous competitions and concours d’élégance, and it represents
a dream come true, because experts and fans consider it one of the most
beautiful cars in the world.
The new 575 GTZ has the Ferrari prancing horse on its bonnet and the Z of
Zagato on its side, an expression of eternal Italian excellence in its form and
content. It is a winning combination, linking the most powerful, famous
engineering in the world with the most refined, fascinating sporting style, both
made strictly in Italy.
The concept of sporty elegance, functional design that does not merely follow
the trend of the moment but strives for pure performance, and the ultra-light
aluminium body are Zagato’s strengths which become a universally
recognised value.
Just as in the 1956, the 250GTZ was showed at the most important concours
d’elegance, 50 years later, the 575GTZ will be presented in a world premier at
Villa D’Este Concours D’Elegance, Cernobbio (Italy) April 22 th -24th.
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