Starter
Meeting the man behind the monster The Zagato Mostro Barchetta by Maserati stunned showgoers in 2022 – its designer explains all
Words Nathan Chadwick
Photography Matt Howell
THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE a Zagato car. Close your eyes, and you may recognise engine-sound timbres from what lies beneath – but the surface impact will make you think, even if you don’t always fall in love. There’s no mistaking a Zagato. The roofless version of the gullwing coupé first revealed in 2015, the Zagato Mostro Barchetta by Maserati is one of only five built; it debuted at Villa d’Este in 2022. Even without those gullwing doors, there’s no doubting the impact of the design from Zagato’s Norihiko Harada. While influenced by the Maserati 450S Costin-Zagato that was dubbed ‘The Monster’ by Stirling Moss, it still looks like something beamed in from another universe. Zagato’s uniqueness is what attracted Norihiko to the firm in the first place. “Beauty and technology
interact directly and spontaneously,” he says. “Zagato designs are always very sporty, and they have their own identity – evergreen and pure.” His first exposure to the brand’s work came at an early age. “I was 12, an elementary-school student; I saw an ad for the Alitalia airline in one of my father’s magazines,” he explains. “An Alfa Romeo Junior Z was parked under the wing of a Douglas DC-8. I fell in love with the car right away – the Plexiglas-covered headlights on the sleek nose seemed so impressive, with such a mean and proud look.” Norihiko has been with Zagato since the mid-1990s. He defines the brand’s style as representing the spirit of the automobile itself, pushing the car forwards: “Zagato’s style is the best way to understand how beauty has been created between designers and engineers throughout history,