It was unveiled as the ES-30 at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show[3] as a prototype by Zagato with the styling house assigned the responsibility of assembling the car.

[4] The SZ was an attempt to revive Alfa Romeo's sporting heritage after its acquisition by Fiat in 1986, and was meant to recall the Giulietta Sprint Zagato from the late 1950s and early 1960s.

An unusual design detail is its six headlights positioned in a trio on each side - a feature used also on later Alfa Romeo models in the 2000s.

The RZ had a revised bumper and door sills to give better ground clearance and the bonnet no longer featured the aggressive ridges.

Although the interior layout was almost unchanged from the SZ, the RZ had a painted central console that swept up between the seats to conceal the convertible roof storage area.

Wheels are 16 inch OZ three-piece items fitted with Pirelli tires, of which each team received three sets.