Cars of the time were often bulky and heavy; Zagato envisioned them as lightweight structures with a frame in sheet aluminum; similar to an aircraft fuselage.

Bianchi, Fiat, Isotta Fraschini, Lancia, Maserati, and OM all experimented with lightweight and aerodynamic Zagato bodies, especially for race cars.

He found new premises at Saronno alongside the Isotta Fraschini works, on behalf of which he constructed trucks, military vehicles, and a futuristic 8C Monterosa.

He returned to Milan at the end of the war and re-established his company at Via Giorgini 16, close to the Alfa Romeo historic home at Portello.

Incorporating large, glazed areas made of plexiglass, a lightweight material that replaced heavier traditional glass, the "Panoramic" body style, an invention of Vieri Rapi, chief Zagato stylist at that time,[4][5] would mark the rebirth of his coachwork.

In 1947, Elio Zagato, Ugo's first-born son, received an open-top sports car based on a Fiat 500 B chassis as a gift for his graduation from Bocconi University of Milan.

AC, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Aston Martin, Bristol, Ferrari, Fiat, Fraser Nash, Maserati, Jaguar, Osca, Porsche, and Renault wore Zagato GT bodies.

In this period, Zagato's mission was to design special bodies to be assembled in series and fitted with mechanical parts and interiors supplied by major constructors.

In addition to these, some designs were commissioned by special customers, including Bristol, Fiat, Ford, Lamborghini, Honda, Osca, Rover, and Volvo vehicles.

[11][12] During the early 1980s, Zagato introduced several concept cars, including the Fiat Chicane, the Lancia Thema Station Wagon, the Alfa Romeo Sprint 6, Zeta 6, Alfetta, and 33 Tempo Libero, also available as a 4x4 hybrid.

At the same time, the growing demand for exclusive spiders and coupes led Zagato to produce limited, numbered editions.

[13] To keep up with the new demands of an evolving market, Zagato organized a one-make race series for Alfa Romeo SZ and RZ starting in 1993.

Voted "Best Concept" at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show, the Raptor was produced in less than 4 months, thanks to the use of integrated technology applied to the CAD/CAM/CAE system that allowed the intermediate styling buck phase[clarification needed] to be eliminated.

[14] Special projects created for Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, Spyker, Diatto, and Alfa Romeo consolidate the brand's business in making custom-built models, which are almost exclusively coupés with two seats.

[15] The Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa, a race model with a carbon fiber mono-shell chassis, tubular frame, and lightweight aluminum body, and the TZ3 Stradale, a street-legal model based on the Viper ACR chassis with a carbon fiber body, were notable developments.