In 1951, the Spanish industrial manufacturer ENASA, under the leadership of former Alfa Romeo engineer Wilfredo Ricart, debuted an exotic 8-cylinder sports car, the Pegaso Z-102, as way of broadening its brand and international prestige. Two, one-off, custom-bodied show cars were produced in 1952, one designed by Carrozzeria Touring called the “Thrill Berlinetta”, the other a reputedly in-house ENASA design dubbed the “Cúpula” Berlinetta.
The Cúpula was first displayed at the 1952 Paris Motor Show and then the World Motor Show in New York the following year. The car was then purchased by the president of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Trujillo, but when he was assassinated in 1961, it was confiscated by the government and eventually sold to an American buyer. After several subsequent owners the car now resides in the Louwman Collection.
