If you’re anything like me and the words Cizeta and V16T spark only a dim glimmer of recognition, then buckle up, because the car is more spectacular and weird than you might imagine. And after you find out more, you may also be tempted to buy this engineless styling mock-up, which just came up at auction.
Cizeta was founded by Claudio Zampolli (the name is the Italian pronunciation of his initials), who started his career as a test and development engineer at Lamborghini. He then struck out on his own, starting a business to sell and maintain sports cars.
In his line of work, he got to meet a lot of luminaries, including Giorgio Moroder, the Oscar-winning composer who regularly had his Lamborghini Countach serviced by Zampolli. Together, they decided to make their own car.
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Indeed, this design mockup is one of the few physical reminders of that collaboration, because it still bears the Cizeta and Moroder names, the latter of which was later edited off the production model. His wasn’t the only impressive name that didn’t end up on the back of the car, though.
The car would eventually be powered by a transverse mounted 6.0-liter V16 engine that was designed by chief engineer Oliviero Pedrazzi. This mock-up, though, was intended to show off the Marcello Gandini design and the actual coach-making would be handled by Giancarlo Guerra, a former Scaglietti craftsman, whose main claims to fame were building Ferrari 250 GTO bodies and coming up with an economical way of making the Lamborghini Countach’s chassis.
His workmanship will not be in evidence here, though, because this mockup was just made out of wood and composite in order to show off the design. Never really intended to stand the test of time, the body is now cracking in some places and the paint is in poor condition according to the seller.
The five-spoke OZ racing wheels look decent, though they can’t be steered, and they aren’t hooked up to an engine, because there is none. The interior, too, was only intended as a place-holder, and is made out of styrofoam loosely covered in fabric.
The spectacular design, with its wide rear hips (the better to fit a V16 in) and its quad pop-up headlights (a design cue originally intended for the Lamborghini Countach) can all be seen in this fascinating piece of memorabilia.
Unrestored, it was bought from Zampolli by the current seller, and is now being offered at auction by Car and Classic with the original bill of sale. Admittedly an odd object, its historic value is hard to deny.
“This styling model belongs to a classic car collection, or even a museum,” said Car & Classic Head of Editorial Chris Pollitt. “It would not be out of place among a collection of other prototypes, or perhaps Italian sportscars. It is a completely original, unmolested and clear legacy of a time when talented people decided to create a unique car and just went ahead and did it.”
