The Art of Conservation: Alfa Romeo SZ Coda Tronca

Alfa Romeo SZ Coda Tronca presents an unforgettable story of an abandoned yet influential vehicle’s rediscovery and restoration. Hidden away in a barn for the better part of five decades, a single Alfa Romeo SZ Coda Tronca – a rare and highly significant car in the company’s design development – was found in a nearly perfect state of preservation. Drawing on art and archaeological preservation techniques and taking painstaking care to save as much as possible of the original body, prominent Italian collector Corrado Lopresto decided to restore only half the car, leaving the other half frozen in time. In the uncleaned half, Lopresto preserved everything, including the dust, under a thin layer of transparent lacquer. The other half was not fully restored either but was saved by retouching in such a way that the original aspects are not affected.
This book describes the discovery of a historic vehicle, explains its significance, and the way it has been preserved—a fascinating tale of art meeting automobile.