European classic cars are known for their beauty, style and mass appeal. A classic car that ticked all three boxes was the Alfa Romeo Spider. Introduced as the successor to the Giulietta Spider, the car sold for four decades. The Alfa Romeo Spider was considered quite advanced for the time period, and we’re looking into the history of the model to see how it changed up to the modern day.
Creation
The design of the Alfa Romeo Spider was based on a number of concepts from Pininfarina. They included the Alfa Romeo Superflow, built on the chassis of a retired 6C 3000 CM racing car. The Superflow had an aerodynamic body and futuristic front wings and some of its features were carried over into the Spider. The other vehicle to inspire the design was the open-top Alfa Romeo Spider Super Sport.
In 1966, the Spider was launched at the Geneva Motor Show. Alfa Romeo chose to let the public name the car by announcing a write-in competition. Over 100 thousand ballots were sent in, with the majority coming out of Italy. A man from Brescia called Guidobaldo Trionfi won and proposed the name ‘Duetto.’ But the name couldn’t be used due to trademark issues, so the car became the Alfa Romeo Spider 1600.
The Spider came with a 1570 cc twin cam engine, five speed manual transmission and 15 inch wheels fitted with Pirelli Cinturato tyres. Due to the distinctive, round tail, the Spider earned the nickname ‘Osso di seppia’, which meant ‘cuttlebone’ in English. The car was sold for 2,195,000 lire in Italy and sold for the same price as a Jaguar E-Type in the UK.
Later versions
In January 1968, Alfa Romeo introduced the 1750 line of cars, which included the 1750 Spider Veloce. This version was powered by a 1779 cc engine and reached a top speed of 118 mph. Soon, another variation was introduced called the Spider 1300 Junior. More affordable than its predecessors, the Junior came with a smaller 1290 cc engine.
The Series II arrived in 1970, with the tail being changed to have a more conventional shape. New features also included updated door handles, improved luggage space and top-hinged pedals.
The next major change came in 1982 and the Series III was introduced. It had a black rubber front bumper that incorporated the grille. The final change occurred with the Series 4 in 1990. The Spider was given Bosch Motronic electronic fuel injection and plastic bumpers.
The Alfa Romeo Spider was certainly a memorable vehicle. Are you looking to insure your Classic Alfa Romeo Spider?
Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_Spider#/media/File:1967-Alfa-Romeo-Duetto-Red-Front-Angle-st.jpg
