1968 Rover TCZ 'Zagato'...

T

Three Thousand Five

Member
I was having a shuftie through soem old Motorsport mags this weekend and found an intersting ad in the classifieds in the May '71 issue, no photo sadly but here's the copy...

UNIQUE ROVER TCZ fastback. The only one designed and exhibited by Zagato at the Motor Show three years ago, registered in 1968 after being built by Zagato on standard Rover 2000TC chassis, mileage 29,000 approximately. All offers over £2,500 considered. Tel : Leicester 769797

Where is it now, does it still exist...?

Nidge :wink:
 
Three Thousand Five said:
I was having a shuftie through soem old Motorsport mags this weekend and found an intersting ad in the classifieds in the May '71 issue, no photo sadly but here's the copy...

UNIQUE ROVER TCZ fastback. The only one designed and exhibited by Zagato at the Motor Show three years ago, registered in 1968 after being built by Zagato on standard Rover 2000TC chassis, mileage 29,000 approximately. All offers over £2,500 considered. Tel : Leicester 769797

Where is it now, does it still exist...?

Nidge :wink:
Click to expand...

That is slightly incorrect. She started life as a 1965 2000S (that's S, not SC..) with an experimental 2000TC engine fitted to her, and is currently back on her XC plate with a C suffix.

The TCZ was on display at the Salon Prive earlier this month, and will be seen out again soon after more than 20 years away from the public.

Nick Dunning and I had the priviledge to crawl over her a few weeks ago in her keepers' garage.
 
chrisw said:
The TCZ was on display at the Salon Prive earlier this month, and will be seen out again soon after more than 20 years away from the public.
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This is a picture I took about 20 years ago! Be good to see her out again.

15390168015_01e1e49577_z.jpg
 
First time Ive seen that ! Whow . Back in the day it would have been a world beater . Any other angles and interior shots taken .
 
GRTV8 said:
First time Ive seen that ! Whow . Back in the day it would have been a world beater . Any other angles and interior shots taken .
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Ahh - just spotted it elsewhere - thanks for getting ready to send those pics , through !!
 
PeterZRH said:
Great looking, but take the badge off then I reckon 90% of petrol heads will think its an Alfa.
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Alfa? I don't think so. It's obviously a Zagato, and given the work he had done those days for Lancia, perhaps someone would have a guess at being a Lancia.
Actually it looks a lot like respective Zagato designs for Lancia, but definately not an Alfa.
However, to be fair, it retains some P6 design elements, like the bonnet and front grille.
 
It's very definitely a Zagato, and to be honest I'm not that keen on it. It's all a bit front end heavy for my liking.
 
Guess you are thinking of the Fulvia Zagato?

Actually the Rover is a more elegantly proportioned in my view, the Lancia looking both chubby and less elegant the Fulvia Coupe on which it is based. I'm sure a productionized TCZ would also be better in detail around the rear.

Alternatively the Flavia Supersport zagato (which I wasn't familiar with before). Again this is even clunkier than the Rover around the rear.

http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1967_la ... ges/29844/

Some definitely design recycling on these prototypes.
 
PeterZRH said:
Some definitely design recycling on these prototypes.
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Indeed, common practice for the Italian designers back in those days.
The BMC farina / Peugeot 404 / Fiat 1800 is another striking example of selling the same desing to different manufacturers.

As for the TCZ, i like a lot the front end, but i am not so sure about the sides and back. But then, i also never liked the proposals of Zagato.

The Graber coupe is a much more elegant design in my opinion.
 
PeterZRH said:
Some definitely design recycling on these prototypes.
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I think that's par for the course with all the Italian styling houses from that period.

Demetris said:
But then, i also never liked the proposals of Zagato.
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Me neither. I think Zagato purposefully designed slightly ugly, ill proportioned or outlandish cars in order to attract attention for whoever they were commissioned by. Heck, we're still talking about it nearly 50 years on.
 
testrider said:
I think Zagato purposefully designed slightly ugly, ill proportioned or outlandish cars in order to attract attention for whoever they were commissioned by. Heck, we're still talking about it nearly 50 years on.
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In that case, job done!
 
Demetris said:
PeterZRH said:
Great looking, but take the badge off then I reckon 90% of petrol heads will think its an Alfa.
Click to expand...

Alfa? I don't think so. It's obviously a Zagato, and given the work he had done those days for Lancia, perhaps someone would have a guess at being a Lancia.
Actually it looks a lot like respective Zagato designs for Lancia, but definately not an Alfa.
However, to be fair, it retains some P6 design elements, like the bonnet and front grille.
Click to expand...

I happen to agree with Peter on this. It does have a lot of similarities with the Alfa GTV. I had this discussion with her owner a few weeks ago, and he also agreed.

Most people wouldn't think that it was a Zagato, as most wouldn't know what one was. I had certainly never heard of Zagato until I saw the TCZ.

As for the grille; it is a standard P6 grille that has been cut down slightly at each end to fit. It's amazing just how much of the P6 bodyshell still exists under the panels. The bonnet is interesting, as it flips forward, but really does suit the car. The Rover badge is still in place on the grille, and is standard except for a few paintwork modifications.
 
The zagato body work plants the car firmly in the late 60's and 70's and like most zagato designs is both generic to zagato and looks like every other zagato designed car and to me that is a very retrograde step. Rovers origional design on the other hand is both timeless and very beautiful and cant really be said to be evocative of any particular era hence its inclusion in some of those classic Sci fi movies.
But like every thing in the world of design fashion its all subjective with P6 prices being down in the mud and zagato's some where up there in the stratosphere....... So plainly I know nothing.

Graeme
 
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