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A broken elevator in Turin, Italy, trapped this extremely rare and desirable 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ underground for 35 years. Discovered last November, it was owned by a mechanic who's lift failure left him unable to remove his car from the basement, so he just left it there for over three decades. When he passed away, authorities found he did not have a will so it went to a government auction this morning and sold for almost $650,000 (€547,000).
The SZ, or Sprint Zagato, was the pinnacle of performance for Alfa's Giulietta. In 1956 when a crashed Sprint Veloce was sent to Zagato to be rebodied, the resulting lightweight “SVZ” proved to be lighter, more aerodynamic and much more competitive. Alfa Romeo adopted this creation in 1960 naming it the Giulietta SZ, with the new car having a curvaceous body designed by Bertone's Franco Scaglione and hand built by Zagato from aluminium panels.
This 1962 example is an original “Coda Tonda” rounded rear tail car, which must have been one of the final cars built produced. Considering it's been in a basement for 35 years, the Turin car is in surprisingly good, original condition, and it appears totally complete. With any luck, it's found a loving new home and soon will be back on the road and singing its four-pot heart out across the Italian countryside.
This 1962 example found in the basement, with the original “Coda Tonda” rounded rear, must have been one of the final cars built before the switch. Considering it's been in a basement for 35 years, the Turin car is in surprisingly great condition, and it appears totally complete.