1972 Fiat Zagato Aster Coupe Prototype #01

The 1970s automotive design era was a transitional and eclectic period, and in Italy who better to sum this up, than the distinctive coachbuilding company Carrozzeria Zagato. 

The Fiat Zagato 132 Aster Coupé Prototype was a bold expression of Italian design and engineering when presented in 1972. Created by Zagato’s Head of Design, Giuseppe Mittino, the prototype was based on the mechanical underpinnings of the Fiat 132, a mid-size executive sedan introduced that same year. The Aster was never intended for mass production but instead served as a design and engineering showcase.

Giuseppe Mittino is known for his designs of other prototypes such as the Ferrari Zagato 3Z Cabriolet, Ferrari Zagato NART Coupe and the Alfa Romeo Zeta 6 Zagato but most notably, the 1984 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato that would be an artistic and commercial success for Aston Martin. 

The Fiat Zagato prototype featured a sleek 2-door coupé body with sharp, angular lines, a fastback silhouette with a distinct wedge profile, hallmarks of Zagato's style in the early '70s. Lightweight aluminium panels and a minimalist, driver-focused interior in velvet reflected the prototype’s performance-oriented philosophy.

The prototype was exhibited at the 1972 Salone dell’ Automobile di Torino and was test driven by Gianni Agnelli himself at that occasion. 

Under the hood, the Aster Coupé used the Fiat 132’s 1.8-liter inline-four engine with twin overhead camshafts producing around 100 horsepower, paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. Though not a high-performance sports car by modern standards, the combination of reduced weight courtesy of the alloy chassis and aerodynamic styling gave the Aster nimble handling and very respectable performance for its class. However, the full alloy coachwork was not profitable for mass production and in the end, Fiat went with the X 1/9 designed by Bertone.

While the Fiat Zagato Aster Coupe remained a one-off concept, the car stands as a fascinating intersection of Zagato's avant-garde design language and Fiat’s practical engineering, offering a glimpse into what could have been an interesting grand tourer of the 1970s. Today it is a rare artifact of the 1970s automotive creativity and is a running testament to Italian automotive design collaborations.

One other protype version of the Aster Coupe exists and was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1973. This second prototype had subtle design changes and was painted in a striking orange.

Both the 1972 and the 1973 prototype are available and come out of long-term ownership with the same owner. Having covered just 26.266km from new, the 1972 Zagato Prototype remains in beautiful, time warp condition. 

This is a unique opportunity for the enthusiast or collector to own not only the first Fiat Zagato prototype, but also the second, thereby offering a full set of this distinct design from Zagato. 

Both cars are in incredible unrestored, time warp condition. Coming from long term ownership, the 1972 Fiat Zagato Aster Coupe has enjoyed just three passionate owners since 1972.

Both cars are ready to be enjoyed on the road or for participation in one of the major concours events. Having appeared at the Villa D’Este and Zurich Classic Car Award in recent years, the 1972 Fiat Zagato Aster Coupe will certainly be welcomed to many other major concours events.

A FIVA Identity card from 2013 confirming the identity and ownership history of the car, is included.

The Fiat Zagato is registered with current Swiss registration documents.

Please get in touch for more info, photos and a video of the car running.

We are located in Copenhagen, Denmark with easy access to view all cars in stock. Please email or phone ahead to arrange a viewing.

We ship anywhere in the world at competitive rates and have great experience shipping all over Europe, UK, US, Japan and Australia.