When building a racing car, form follows function is often the case; the looks of the car are an afterthought to its performance. This is far from the case with Zagato’s breathtaking Fiat-Abarth 750 GT. Based on the Fiat 600’s chassis, Abarth replaced the 600’s engine with a 750cc inline-4 producing twice the horsepower of the 600. Combined with Zagato’s lightweight aluminium body made the 750 perform four times better than the 600, leading to a top speed of around 100mph. Built to homologate the car for the 750cc Grand Touring Championship, Carlo Abarth’s superb engineering led to the sublime handling capabilities, a trait proven in the 1957 Mille Miglia, where the 750 GT claimed victory in the 750cc class.

The 750 GT Zagato is a wonderful example of purposeful design. The rear engined shape features Zagato’s usual traits such as a double bubble roof as well as twin boot scoops which accentuate the roof line, gorgeous gills behind the rear windows and a beautiful tapered, streamlined front framed by recessed covered headlamps. The 750 GT is one of Zagato’s finest works.