The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
In 1947, Zagato produced its first innovation. Called the Panoramica concept, it employed a raised roofline and glass areas that curved up into the roof. The execution was, in many cases, awkward (the roof shapes did not always harmonize with the bodies they were attached to), but drivers appreciated the increased visibility. Still, Zagato abandoned the Panoramica design after mounting examples on Fiat, Maserati, and Ferrari chassis.
One of the first “Panoramica” was built by Zagato on the Fiat 1100 chassis. The concept was simple: a raised roofline and glass areas (plexiglas) that curved up into the roof. With this feature, the driver and passenger window was fixed and couldn’t be opened. Not the best solution for hot summer days but race drivers apprechiated the improved visibility: Basically a fast greenhouse!
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.
The 1910s: Aeronautics Ugo Zagato was born in Gavello, near Rovigo, on June 25, 1890. He began his coachbuilding career in 1919 when he…
