Alfa Romeo 8C DoppiaCoda Zagato Debuts at Villa d’Este - AllCarIndex
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At the 2025 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, Zagato unveiled its latest concept, the Alfa Romeo 8C DoppiaCoda. Built as a tribute to the historic 8C lineage, the new model is grounded in nearly a century of collaboration between Alfa Romeo and the Milan-based design house. It is a one-off concept developed in-house by Zagato on the mechanical foundation of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.
The 8C DoppiaCoda represents a direct reference to the “Monza” short-wheelbase racing variants bodied by Zagato in the 1930s. Those original 8C cars, produced between 1931 and 1939, became synonymous with international motorsport success, appearing in events such as the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring, and Le Mans. Only 195 examples of the 8C were built, many using chassis types that Zagato helped shape.
This modern reinterpretation adds a distinctive design evolution. The DoppiaCoda fuses two defining Zagato styling cues: the rounded rear of classic grand tourers and the truncated Kamm-tail, or Coda Tronca, used to enhance aerodynamic performance. The new rear design reflects this synthesis—neither a fully rounded tail nor a pure Kamm-back, but a unique structure that draws on both traditions.
The car also follows Zagato’s recent exploration of rear-end concepts, including the 2024 AGTZ Twin Tail, which allowed configuration changes between short-tail and long-tail forms. By contrast, the 8C DoppiaCoda presents a singular, integrated tail design with both aesthetic and aerodynamic intent. The rear wing appears structurally independent from the body, yet aligns visually when viewed in profile, continuing a sharp contour that rises from the front wheel arch and concludes abruptly at the rear.
According to Zagato President Andrea Zagato and Chief Designer Norihiko Harada, this approach is part of a broader design investigation into how traditional forms can evolve without abandoning their function. Their goal was to blend the aerodynamic efficiency of racing car design with the elegance expected from a modern GT.
Following its public debut at Villa d’Este, the 8C DoppiaCoda will be delivered to the private collector who commissioned the project. It serves not only as a one-off concept but also as a statement of continuity between Alfa Romeo and Zagato—a collaboration that began in 1921 and continues to shape the visual and engineering language of Italian automotive design.