The Junior Z was a beautiful and innovative aerodynamics study on the Alfa Giulia 1300 GT chassis by Zagato, first seen in 1969. Designer Ercole Spada created a glorious two seater coupe with a sharply cut off tail that incorporated an early form of internal spoiler. At the front the lights and grille were covered in plexiglass, and the car enjoyed a large glass area for the cabin. It also features a rear hatchback that could be wound open electrically for extra through flow ventilation if required. At first, pundits were unsure about the car’s radical shape, but owners raved about the amazing straight line speed of the Junior Z, which was good for 115 mph (184 km/h) on just 1300cc, thanks to its slippery profile. What’s more, its light weight helped to sharpen up the already excellent handling and brakes of the Giulia, ensuring that Junior Z owners got a thrilling drive. The extra visibility was a future of the car which bought with it a certain feeling of invulnerability when you got behind the wheel. The 1300 Junior was replaced by the 1600 Junior in 1972.
This model had new, long tail styling to give increased luggage accommodation and, of course, a bigger engine with improved power and torque. The extra length also introduced a touch more elegance into the already stunning design, which was further accented by a very distinctive front bumper. The Junior Zs were expensive cars with specialist appeal. Just 1108 1300s and 402 1600s were built. Production finished in the year 1975.
