‘World’s most elegant car’ with ‘outstanding’ restoration has incredible link to Ferrari & is one of only five to exist
IT’S been described as the ‘world’s most elegant car’ with incredible links to Ferrari and is one of just five to exist.
This is a rare chance to buy the 1954 Pegaso Z-102 car, which won the Amelia Award in the Pegaso feature class at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours.
The stunning vehicle was most recently presented in the Pegaso class at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it was awarded “Most Elegant Road Car”.
The Pegaso Z-102 remains one of the most fascinating creations of automotive history designed by a Spanish automaker, Ricardo Ricart, who changed the world of sports cars with Pegaso, with sophisticated engineering, over-the-top GT style, and exclusivity matched by its eye-watering price.
It is undeniable that Ricart’s masterpiece is among the greatest European GT cars from the 1950s. This particular example carries a high-end estimate of £731,000.
It is easy to see why it was voted as the “Most Elegant Road Car”, due to an outstanding restoration that featured new leather upholstery but the original radio and heater.
This left-hand-drive Pegaso Z-102 Saoutchik Berlinetta Series II is one of only five of its kind believed to exist.
Ricart moved on to Alfa Romeo in 1936, designing the Tipo 512 Grand Prix car, and while there, worked alongside Enzo Ferrari, and eventually was driven by a passion to build a car surpassing Ferrari’s prancing horses.
Subsequently, Ricart chose as a logo the Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology.
Ricart’s model was complex and heavy (despite having an aluminium body on a steel chassis), conspiring against any real competition success.
While most Z-102s were bodied by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, 18 wore bodies by French coachbuilder Saoutchik, of which three were convertibles and one was a prototype.
One of only five surviving left-hand-drive examples of the Pegaso Z-102 Saoutchik Berlinetta Series II will be offered at Broad Arrow’s Amelia Auction at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, being held March 1 and 2.
Saoutchik’s flamboyant design was a hit, presenting a marked contrast to Touring’s more conservative bodywork.
Originally registered to a Madrid buyer in February of 1956, this Z-102 had two other Spanish owners before being purchased by a United States Air Force pilot stationed in Madrid.
Collector Jim Patterson, commissioned a fastidious, concours-level restoration by RM Auto Restoration, with the car being subsequently shown at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
“The car’s sumptuous curves were complemented by wide, aggressive wheel arches and Saoutchik’s delicate use of chrome trim to highlight the strong lines of his coachwork”, reads the listing.
“Plainly, the Saoutchik-bodied Pegaso was for a discerning customer who wanted something more spectacular than the understated Touring coachwork.
“While under the ownership of renowned collector Jim Patterson, the Pegaso underwent a second, comprehensive restoration to concours standards by RM Auto Restoration.
“This meticulous process included rebuilding the five-speed transaxle, expertly refinishing the exterior in a period two-tone Pearl White accentuated with a Grey Metallic roof, retrimming the interior with new grey leather hides, and carefully refurbishing the original Podomatic radio and Bosch heater.
“Each detail was painstakingly addressed, from the sleek charcoal grey-painted dash to the delicate cross-hatching pattern on the Nardi steering wheel.
“Furthermore, mechanical components such as the suspension and brakes underwent careful disassembly, adjustment, and refurbishment to ensure optimal performance.
“Its numbers-matching 2.8-liter, quad-cam V8 engine features the rare and potent dual four-barrel Weber carburetor paired with an 8.1:1 compression ratio, delivering an impressive 195 horsepower.”