The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Ugo Zagato abandoned his Milanese home and sought refuge on the shores of Lake Maggiore. Here his desire to experiment with new forms led Zagato to create an original automotive concept, the so-called ‘Panoramica’, destined to mark the rebirth of his coachworks in the post-war period.
Fiat 1400 Panoramica: The Zagato experiments were oriented towards a search for more spacious and more comfortable interiors for sport cars. The use of a new material, Plexiglas, in place of traditional glass permitted both the novel curvatures and weight savings. Under this unique style, several models were build by Carrozzeria Zagato Milano, using the chassis of Fiat 500 Topolino, 1100 and this 1400, Lancia Ardea, MG 1500, Alfa Romeo 8C and also the more expensive Ferrari 166 MM and Maserati A6G. The Fiat 1400 Panoramica was exhibited at the 1951 Turin Auto Salon.
Photo courtesy of Ruote da Sogno
The car with which Zagato inaugurated the “Panoramica” series in 1947 was a Fiat “1100”, characterized by a large and bright passenger compartment, in which the transparent surfaces were expertly made with a mix of crystal and Plexiglas, an experimental material that allowed the curvature.
