This is the new Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato, probably the most beautiful car created in Italy in recent years

For decades, the Italians have fascinated the world with cars designed with such skill that they charmed, inspired speed and passion, conveyed emotion and made you adore them from the first second. For many years now, however, such superb releases have been rarer, being rather sporadic twitches than a rule. Now, however, the legendary design house Zagato, which has created several masterpieces for Alfa Romeo in its history, launched the Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato, probably the most beautiful automobile created in Italy in recent years.

But this car has one huge problem: it's only one. I mean, literally, we are only talking about a single example built by Zagato, unless Alfa Romeo, who seem to be still amorphous, change their minds. So, effectively, the folks at Zagato created this Alfa Romeo with their own hands, designing and manufacturing its body and interior, and putting actual Alfa Romeo mechanical components on it, just as they have done many times before in history. It's just that back then, long ago, the Italian manufacturer used to agree to such experiments, and if they were successful, they ended up in series production, carried out jointly.

This car we are talking about today had to be approved in 2021, when Zatago proposed to Alfa Romeo to mark together 100 years of collaboration with a beautiful model, possibly in a limited edition. But even from today's press release, we understand that Alfa Romeo only told the people at Zagato that it is a good idea, but to do it themselves, and the maximum they can get are some sketches and dimensions, and possibly components. So now Alejandro Mesonero, vice president of design at Alfa Romeo, talks about this car as one created by Zagato, which Alfa Romeo is "happy" to have helped a little.

Therefore, the people from Zagato had to manage on their own. And the best thing they could do is find a buyer for a car, which would be built in a single copy. It's about an Alfa Romeo collector from Germany, who basically wrote a blank check for Zagato to build his unique car. We don't know how many millions he paid, but the amount was supposed to cover the design and manual work of the entire Zagato design house, plus a little help and components from Alfa Romeo. Instead, that collector received probably the most beautiful automobile created in Italy recently, which has official documents of a model built in series, by the factory, only that it is a series of 1 automobile, absolutely unique.

The technical underpin of the car comes from the Giulia Quadrifoglio, and uses a 6-speed manual gearbox and a legendary V6 engine. The car received the name SWB, from the shorter wheelbase, and this is again a nomenclature that Zagato practiced throughout history. It's just that, as the people from Zagato say harshly at the end "this car was actually developed only by us, from Zagato, and the presence of the Alfa Romeo emblem on the hood is only descriptive and promotional and rather reflects our choice to be inspired by a glorious model from the past, such as the Alfa Romeo SZ, than the contribution of Alfa Romeo". It's cruel, but true, that's what Alfa Romeo has become, nowadays, an emblem with a descriptive role, which says a lot about what it once was and far too little about what it is today.

And the car — the car is simply brilliant in its forms and design. It's a shame there's only one. Maybe Zagato and the German collector will have the patience to build at least a few more, for sure there would be enthusiasts in the world for them!