Car of the Day - Ferrari 575 GTZ

Car of the Day - Ferrari 575 GTZ

Ferrari has recently been encouraging a return to coachbuilt bodies for it’s cars. Late in 2008, after the success of a few high profile one-off’s privately commissioned by some well-heeled collectors Ferrari announced it would be officially supporting the endeavour through the “Portfolio” program.

The car that can be credited with the re-emergence of the coachbuilt Ferrari is this one, the 575 GTZ by Zagato. Commissioned by Yoshiyuki Hayashi a noted Japanese collector with some significant models already in his garage. Hayashi approached Zagato with a request to re-body a 575M in the style of the 1956 250GTZ (Ch. no. 0515GT).. After receiving the request Zagato notified Ferrari of the project and as it was coincidently 50 years since the 250 GTZ the project was adopted to celebrate the fact.

The 575 GTZ like its predecessor has a hand formed aluminium body. A donor car was sourced, a 575 Maranello F1 ch no. 127394 with assembly number 44689. The 2002 U.S. car was in Argento Nürburgring (silver metallic grey) with a blue interior. It was offered for sale in February 2003 by Ferrari of Beverly Hills and later and then Silicon Valley Auto Group later the same year.

Like the original 250 GTZ Hayashi’s 575 GTZ is finished with two-tone paintwork, in this case gunmetal grey with a silvergrey roof. The leather interior is in cuoio leather and the dashboard is a deep brown leather.

The 575 GTZ was presented at the 2006 Villa d’Este Concours d’Elégance.

Rod