Ercole Spada

By Chris Koopmann

Ercole Spada

Ercole Spada Portrait (2788 Bytes) Born in Busto Arsizio (Italy) 26th of August 1938.

With self taught formation he began to work with Zagato in 1960.
Spada had his personal ideas: Aerodynamic,soft and fluent shapes.
In 1963 he integrated the clipped tail section in the Alfa Romeo Tubolare Zagato (TZ1 and TZ2), both unforgettable racing cars.
Alfa Romeo owes this designer a lot of success in the field of light and fast race cars.
He influenced Giorgietto Giugiaro, who, inspired by the Alfa Junior Zagato, designed the Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV and the Alfasud Sprint five years later.

Ercole Spada is undeserved a greatly unknown Italian designer.
The Carozzeria Zagato is indebted to Spada for its most creative and successful time.

In 1969 Spada worked as a free-lancer.
From 1970 to 1977 he worked for Ford, Ghia and Audi.
From 1977 to 1983 he worked for BMW. In 1983 he came to IDEA.

His best designs:

Working in Zagato (1960-69):
  • Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ
  • Lancia Flavia Sport
  • Alfa Romeo TZ1
  • Alfa Romeo TZ2
  • Alfa Romeo SZ 2600
  • Lancia Flaminia 3c
  • Alfa Romeo Junior Z
  • Lancia Fulvia Sport
Working free lance (1969-70):
  • Fiat 500 Zanzara (with Zagato)

Working in Ford (1970-76):

  • Ford GT 40

Working in BMW (1977-83):

  • BMW 5 & 7-series
Working in IDEA (since 1983):
  • Fiat Tipo
  • Lancia Dedra
  • Alfa Romeo 155
  • Lancia Delta II
Most important Spada designs during his time with Zagato for Alfa Romeo:
Giulietta Sprint Zagato (7126 Bytes) Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint
Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ 2600 Sprint Zagato (12427 Bytes)
Tubolare Zagato 1 (7510 Bytes) Tubolare Zagato 1 (TZ1)
Tubolare Zagato 2 (TZ2) Tubolare Zagato 2 (15476 Bytes)
Junior Zagato (7646 Bytes) Alfa Romeo Junior Z
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