Petrolicious Talks Episode 2: The CEO Of A Coachbuilding And Design Icon, Andrea Zagato

Welcome to another episode of Petrolicious Talks, our new podcast series with a simple but fulfilling mission: to bring you inspiring stories, deep-dive conversations, and insights into the future of motoring from the greatest minds and most passionate enthusiasts in our community.

For our second episode—which can be streamed above and found on our YouTube channel—Petrolicious founder and CEO Afshin Behnia catches up with Andrea Zagato, a dear friend and the CEO of one of the most influential design firms in history. Founded in 1919 by Andrea’s grandfather, Ugo Zagato, the Milanese studio has remained not just relevant, but at the forefront of beautiful and functional automotive design. Andrea is the third generation of the family to run the business, and he has pushed the brand forward rather than rest on its past accomplishments. Besides discussing the brand’s history in general terms, Andrea also points to five Zagato designs as being the most definitive. They are pictured below, in chronological order (1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato by Scuderia Ferrari, 1957-1960 Porsche 356 Zagato, 1960 Aston Martin DB4GTZ,  2008 Bentley GTZ, and the 2015 Zagato Mostro Coupe, powered by Maserati.)

While the majority of 19th-century coachbuilders were forced to shut their doors as sketches and hand-formed panels gave way to computer-aided design and automated assembly, Zagato has continually evolved and incorporated new technology (whether that be pioneering the mix of aeronautical and automotive design in the 1920s, or embracing CAD in the 1990s), and all somehow without shedding its artisanal identity.

From Fiat to Ferrari, Alfa Romeo to Aston Martin, the history of Zagato’s collaborations reads like a who’s who list of manufacturers, and more recently, Andrea and his partner (in business and life) Marella Rivolta Zagato have also leveraged the brand to venture outside of the automotive industry. We hope you enjoy this Petrolicious Talks installment with Andrea Zagato, and you can also get up to speed on the brand’s 100-plus-year history here. To see the beauty of Zagato creations in motion, catch up with our past films below, featuring Andrea and his 1957 Alfa Romeo 1900 SSZ, as well as Afshin and his Porsche 356 Carrera Speedster Zagato.

We look forward to your feedback and suggestions for who and what you would like us to feature in future episodes of Petrolicious Talks.