When talking about 1970s American cars, you probably think of performance-choked V-8 engines that were a shadow of their former selves, from the Muscle car era. You probably don’t think of coach-built Cadillacs with an Italian connection, but the 1970 Cadillac NART Zagato is exactly that and this is what we know about it.

It was the child of an Italian racing driver

Luigi Chinetti was an Italian racing driver who lived in the US. He was a three-time LeMans winner – two times behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo (1932 and 1943) and once behind the wheel of a Ferrari (1949). He ended his racing career in 1953, after which he created the North America Racing Team (N.A.R.T.).

Chinetti had good relations with Enzo Ferrari, which allowed him to remain the exclusive Ferrari dealer for North America, between 1947 and 1970. It was at this time the Cadillac NART Zagato came out, after two years of development, which started in 1968.

The Cadillac NART was created to counter the reduced import of exotic cars

In 1968, the threat of strict emissions regulations was made apparent. While at that time, most of the iconic Muscle cars were available to buy, the new regulations had already reduced the number of exotic car imports. All of a sudden, rich people were looking for an exotic car, but getting your hands on a Lamborghini, Ferrari, or Maserati wasn’t as easy as it once was. Chinetti took advantage of the opportunity and work on the Cadillac NART started.

General Motors played a big role in the development

GM supplied the underpinnings, engine, and gearbox. The car was, essentially, an Eldorado, as it used the same chassis. However, it was modified in order to fit the 8.1-liter (500 cu-in) V-8 in the back, giving the car a mid-engine layout. The V-8 was rated at 400 horsepower and was mated to a Turbo Hydra-Matic, four-speed automatic gearbox, and a front-drive transaxle.

Some sources indicate that the engine was actually a 7.7-liter (472 cu-in) V-8 and on some images, you even see the air filter cover that says "NART 472 CID 400 hp". However, the engine is largely believed to be the 8.1-liter unit, since the 7.7-liter was originally rated at 375 horsepower.

GM also supplied the Cadillac dashboard, which was adapted to fit the slightly narrower interior. Some European parts were also used, but most parts came from GM’s parts bin, with many believed to have been of an Oldsmobile Toronado. The taillights came from a 1968 Pontiac GTO.

What was Zagato’s involvement in the NART?

While the design was originally drawn by Luigi “Coco” Chinetti Jr, it was transformed into full-size drawings by a hired Art center graduate. After a full-size clay model was made in the General Motors design studio, Zagato was tasked with executing the project. The finished car was then taken back to GM where it received a serial number 001. In the end, Zagato built the body out of aluminum, making the car surprisingly light for its size.

To note Zagato's involvement in the project, "Z" badges were installed on the front fenders as well as on the modified 1967-1968 Cadillac Eldorado hub caps.

GM withdrew their support of the project in 1969, but even so, the design, which was heavily inspired by European (predominantly Italian) sports cars, progressed to a second stage. The car featured a weird “humpback”, which was supposed to be fixed. Despite the exotic car look, the car had a bench seat at the front. There was also a third design, dubbed the “breadbasket”, which would have been something of a Cadillac bread van. That never happened.

What happened to the Cadillac NART Zagato?

GM’s withdrawal from the project meant that the car would never go into production. The one-off was displayed in the 1971 Turin Motor Show, at the Zagato stand. A few months later, the same car was showcased at the New York Motor Show, at the Chinetti Motors stand.

The car was acquired by a man named Melvin A. Olshansky and at some point, was fully restored. This involved companies like Mill Creek Motors, Upholstery Unlimited, and Baileywicks. The car’s trail vanishes in 2015 when it was put on sale on Anamera, by a dealership in Italy, for the price of €125,000. Similar to the futuristic Cadillac XP-840 Eldorado Fastback, the Cadillac NART Zagato is one of the boldest and most unique projects we have ever seen.