Spada Codatronca: The Car That Chopped Its Tail Off

The Spada Codatronca—Italian for “truncated tail”—is profiled as an unusual supercar concept built on a deliberate aerodynamic idea: cutting the rear short to reduce drag while keeping stability. Designed by Ercole Spada and his son Paolo, it drew from earlier Spada work at Zagato, including cars like the Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ and Giulia TZ. The first version appeared in 2007, reportedly attracting FIA interest for a potential GT1 entry, and a production-oriented Codatronca TS was unveiled at Top Marques Monaco in 2008. Powered by a 7.0-liter American V8 with an estimated six-speed manual, it used an aluminum frame, composite bodywork, adjustable suspension, Pirelli P Zero tires (285 front/385 rear), and Brembo brakes, with data logging. A planned TSS variant was reportedly near 700 hp.