User:Rtan3/Ferrari 3z Spyder

Ferrari 3Z Spyder
1971 marked the start of a new chapter in Ferrari’s and Zagato's relationship. More than two decades had passed since the initial Zagato-Ferrari collaboration, the two prominent names were reunited once again to produce the 3Z Spyder for renowned Italian race-car driver Luigi Chinetti. The 3Z Spyder was built on a Ferrari 250 SWB, specifically chassis number 2491GT.

This 12-cylinder vehicle, designed by Giuseppe Mittino, who had been in charge of projects and designs at Zagato since 1970, was angular and aggressive. The vehicle had a variety of  unique features, such as moveable lids, with openings similar to those found on the helmet of an antique suit of armour, which concealed the front light clusters, as well as rear lights that were recessed into the body.

The car reflected Zagato's current philosophy of styling with clean, bold lines on geometric volumes, which had been successfully applied to the Alfa Romeo Junior Z, the world's first wedge-shaped car.

Zagato
Coach building is the process of creating unique body pieces and designs for a car based on an existing vehicle. Many luxury brands, such as Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, and Ferrari, use it in their one-off programs. Custom, handcrafted automobiles are designed and built for people who seek perfection and the rarest of the rare.

Since coach building was introduced in the early 1900s, Italians have refined this art  by exhibiting their passion for beauty through the vehicle. Such beautiful, hand-crafted, and one-of-a-kind masterpieces are created by companies like Zagato, Pininfarina, and Bertone.

Zagato is one of Italy's most prominent coach builders. The history of this company began with Ugo Zagato and was built upon his passion for aviation and automobiles, where he demonstrated that form and function can coexist.

Ugo Zagato was born in Gavello, Italy on June 25, 1890. He grew up in a home with five brothers and had lost his father when he was 15 years old. He had to emigrate from his home in Italy to Koln, Germany, as a result of his father's sudden death. He returned to Italy in 1909 to serve in the military, and later joined the Carozzeria Varesina coach building company in Varese while simultaneously studying at the Santa Maria design school.

In 1914, Italy enlisted in the First World War. As a result, Zagato relocated to Torino and began working for Italian aircraft maker Pomilio. During his time there, he developed an interest in aviation and aircraft while learning how to construct aircraft bodies out of new lightweight materials like aluminum. In 1919, he formed Carrozzeria Ugo Zagato, a firm that specialized in coach manufacturing vehicles from lightweight materials, which was based on his airplane building skills.

Carrozzeria Ugo Zagato, who had developed close ties with Alfa Romeo, created hand-crafted, lightweight racing and one-off automobiles for the company. Unfortunately, their lone workshop in Torino was destroyed after World War II ended. Later, Zagato renamed the company to La Zagato and rebuilt the workshop outside of Milan.

Like Zagato's previous company, La Zagato specialized in coach building, but this time he also offered aircraft maintenance and construction services. In order to apply the lightweight and strength of airplane materials to their automobiles, he offered both services. Cars were still large, thick, and heavy at the time, so Zagato attempted to re-invent the automobile through the use of lightweight materials, such as aluminum and fiberglass. The application of functionalism to automotive design, as well as establishing to the world that automobiles can be both functional and attractive, was a watershed moment in the European auto industry for Zagato.

Alfa Romeo commissioned Zagato to produce bodies for the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 as well as manufacture and modify some of their Alfa Romeo RLs in the 1920s. Since their association in the days of Carozzeria Ugo Zagato, Zagato and Alfa Romeo maintained a close relationship. Alfa Romeo wanted their new car to be light and quick in order to compete in the Mille Miglia, so they chose Zagato to construct their new race car based on their previous collaborations and Zagato’s expertise.

Zagato had designed an attractive and streamlined racing car using his knowledge of aircraft design, which was lighter than the competition at the time. Alfa Romeo had finished second in the Mille Miglia thanks to the Zagato-built 6C 1500. In 1927, Zagato's lightweight tricks were also applied to the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750. It had previously won the Mille Miglia twice, in 1929 and 1930. Following Alfa Romeo's victory, the Zagato brand exploded in popularity, with famous clients including Bugatti, Maserati, Diatto, and even Rolls-Royce in England.

Luigi Chinetti
Luigi Chinetti was a race car driver from Italy who immigrated to the United States during WWII. Throughout his career, he won three outright races in a row at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and won two more at the SPA 24 Hours competition. In 1958, Chinetti founded the North American Racing Team, which competed in sports car and Formula One races with privateer Ferraris.

For a long time, he was the sole U.S. importer of Ferrari automobiles. His close friendship with Enzo Ferrari had led to Enzo designating Chinetti as his Ferrari factory agent in the United States. Chinetti, then, established the nation’s first Ferrari dealership in Manhattan, New York. He eventually moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, and that dealership remains open today and owned by Miller Motorcars as a Ferrari-Maserati dealership.

Chinetti's first sale to the United States was a Tipo 166 MM Touring Barchetta, chassis 0002 M, to Tommy Lee in Los Angeles in the first three months of 1949. A Ferrari Tipo 166 Spyder Corsa, chassis 016-I, was sold to Briggs Cunningham as the second car sold and the first through the dealership. In 1949, Cunningham drove it to a second-place finish at Watkins Glen. Cunningham's motorcar museum eventually acquired the car. The third car was a Tipo 166 MM Barchetta 0010 M that was sold to Jim Kimberly, the heir to the Kimberly-Clark tissue-paper fortune. Kimberly and the Ferrari raced in some eastern events, but it would be the first Ferrari to compete and win west of the Mississippi on April 1, 1951, with Marshall Lewis at the wheel. Near the start of Phil Hill's eventual World Champion career, Chinetti sold 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Barchetta 0078E to him in 1952. Hill would eventually be hired as a driver by Chinetti, who would later recommend him to Ferrari, who put him in sports-racing cars at first before adding him to their Formula One (F1) team. The majority of Chinetti's other sales were kept under wraps to preserve his rich clients' privacy.

With the help of George Arents and Jan de Vroom, Chinetti created the privateer North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T.). For many years, Chinetti's reputation and existing relationship with Ferrari ensured a steady supply of ex-works cars and support. Chinetti Motors also became the U.S. agent for Automobili OSCA of Bologna until 1967.

Until the 1970s, the team had a very successful endurance racing program at both Sebring and Le Mans. At the end of the 1964 season, Ferrari's F1 158s raced in N.A.R.T. blue and white for two races. [16] Enzo Ferrari returned his competition license and vowed never to race in Ferrari Red again after the FIA refused to homologate the Ferrari 250 LM for international sports car racing. Ferrari's vehicles were painted in N.A.R.T. colors for the 1964 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen and the 1964 Mexican Grand Prix, with the title on the line. The controversy was settled at the start of the 1965 season, and the cars were once again painted red. The team also commissioned limited-run customized variations of Ferrari road cars in addition to the racing cars,  the 275 GTS/4 NART Spyder was one such effort. After the manufacturing of the 250 GT, the company was left without a convertible vehicle. Chinetti secured factory approval to have coachbuilder Scaglietti modify a series of 4-cam 275GTB/4 coupés into open-top cars after the California season finished in 1962. Only 10 are believed to have been built out of a planned run of 25. Giovanni Michelotti was commissioned by Chinetti in the mid-1970s to start a series of Ferrari Daytonas with substantially altered bodywork known as the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona NART Spider. [18] The first was unveiled at the Turin Auto Show in 1974. The second conversion, chassis number 15965, was prepared as a racing car in preparation for an appearance at the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans, but it was withdrawn before the event. In 1975, Chinetti placed an order for three further Michelotti conversions to be manufactured to road car standards. Chassis 14299, one of the three, was finished in 1977 and subsequently customized by Chinetti as a gift for his wife. Ferrari Tipo 166 Spyder Corsa, chassis 016-I; this was sold to Briggs Cunningham, an American entrepreneur and sportsman, who had won second place in this car at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix in 1949. The third car sold was a Tipo 166 MM Barchetta 0010 M, and was bought by Jim Kimberly, the heir to the Kimberly Clark tissue paper fortune. Kimberly and the Ferrari raced in some eastern events, but it was the first Ferrari to compete and win west of the Mississippi on April 1,1951, with Marshall Lewis at the wheel. In 1952, Chinetti sold a 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Barchetta 0078E to Phil Hill, an American race-car driver, when Hill was on the verge of his eventual World Champion career. Eventually, Chinetti had hired Hill as a driver for his racing team, and then later recommended him to Ferrari, who initially placed him in sports-racing before adding him to their Formula One team. Throughout Chinetti’s career, his reputation drew clientele from all around the country. The majority of his other sales were kept under wraps to preserve his rich clients' privacy.

History of Ferrari 3Z Spyder
Before the creation of the Ferrari 250 SWB with chassis #2491GT, this vehicle started as a California Spyder built by Scaglietti. It was originally ordered by a Mister Attilio Cupido of Portofino, Italy, who then sold it to Luigi Chinetti in 1969, and was subsequently sent to Carrozzeria Zagato. In preparation for the Turin Motor Show in October 1970, Chinetti commissioned a new open Spyder body for the car. Luigi Chinetti personally oversaw all elements of his Ferrari's design and manufacture. He went to Zagato very often and had lengthy discussions with Elio and Gianni Zagato, in which they discussed elements of his Spyder to a granular level. Since there were many delays due to constant changes made to the car, they felt compelled to make a second début at the Turin Motor Show in October 1971 with the designation "3Z”. It was originally finished in metallic blue with Borrani wire wheels, but Campagnolo 10-slot alloy wheels were later added.

Giuseppe Mittino, who was in charge of Carrozzeria Zagato, was the mastermind behind the creation of the 3Z Spyder. The car had a lot of unique characteristics, such as the front "eyelid" treatment that partially obscured the lights. Its smooth, unmarked geometric lines had set it apart from any of the already exceptional SWB coachwork; in fact, the car bears no resemblance to any previous Ferrari custom body.

In February 1972, #2491 was collected from Carrozzeria Zagato and was transported to Luigi Chinetti Motors Inc. "Used car GT 250/2491" was written on the payment forms and Chinetti paid $5,000. Then, Chinetti sold the car to a local doctor from Long Island, New York, it was suspected to be Irving Meltzer.

Anatoly (Toly) Arutunoffis a long-time racer, socialite, and supercar aficionado, a long-time member of the SCCA, and a national H-Production champion. He had raced in Targa Florio, Sebring, Daytona, and the renowned Cannonball Run, among many others. He also created Hallett Raceway and opened the first Ferrari store in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 3Z had caught Arutunoff’s eye at the 19171 Turin Motor Show. When he had inquired about the car, he was told that it was only for show and not for sale. When he returned to the Turin Motor Show the following year, he had asked again if the 3Z was for sale, but was told it had been sold. Over the years, he couldn't get the car out of his mind and decided to contact Stan Nowak, a Ferrari historian and part-time dealer, to see if he could locate it for him. Stan informed him that it was available for purchase in Long Island. Eventually, Arutunoff  bought the automobile in 1979 from the Concours International Motors. Despite the fact that he had spoken with Zagato representatives extensively about the possibilities of purchasing the car directly from the show stand, his proposals were simply rejected. When it became available for only the third time in history, he did not hesitate to purchase the car at the full asking price of $50,000 plus $2,500 for Stan Nowak’s finders fee. Arutunoff has kept the car since then.

Reference
https://www.supercars.net/blog/1971-ferrari-3z-spider/

https://www.coachbuild.com/2/index.php/encyclopedia/coachbuilders-models/item/zagato-ferrari-3z-spyder

http://fabwheelsdigest.blogspot.com/2016/01/1971-ferrari-250-gt-swb-3z-spider.html

https://rossoautomobili.com/blogs/magazine/meet-the-italian-racer-who-made-ferrari-big-in-the-states

https://drivetribe.com/p/the-story-of-zagato-for-the-love-Y_10p00BQvCAHcLv6HDHRw?iid=WneY7nDfRUqJuif1GiDjOw