Alfa Romeo Spider

Alfa Romeo Spider at a glance

Development and production history

The Spider was designed at Pininfarina by Aldo Brovarone and Battista Pininfarina, for whom the 1600 Spider was the last project he was involved in. It was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. Alfa Romeo ran a write-in contest to name the car. Guidobaldo Trionfi of Brescia won with "Duetto", but a court ruled that the confectioner Pavesi held the rights to that name, so the car was officially sold as the Spider 1600. Its rounded tail also earned it the nickname osso di seppia, "cuttlebone".

The Spider was a car of the sixties that lasted into the nineties. Series 1 was built until 1969. Series 2 of 1970 cut off the tail in a Kamm shape, the "Coda Tronca", to gain luggage space. Series 3 of 1982, called "Aerodinamica" or "Duck Tail", added a rear spoiler and, in North America, Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection. Series 4 of 1990 introduced Bosch Motronic injection, full-width bumpers and an optional automatic gearbox, and moved assembly to San Giorgio Canavese. Production ended in 1993, and a new Spider (916) was presented in 1994.

Design and engineering

The first Spider had a long, rounded tail, the feature behind its "cuttlebone" and "roundtail" nicknames. The Kamm tail of the Series 2 was a redesign of the rear for more luggage space; the Series 3 earned the names "Aerodinamica" and "Duck Tail"; the Series 4 received full-width bumpers. Through all four series the Spider remained a two-seater with the engine at the front and rear-wheel drive.

The Spider uses Alfa Romeo's twin-cam four-cylinder engines and a five-speed gearbox driving the rear wheels. In 1966 it cost US$3,950 in the United States, compared with US$3,991 (1966) for a Lotus Elan and US$2,607 (1966) for an MGB, according to English Wikipedia.

Engines and drivetrain

In the United States the 1750 was rated at 97 kW (132 PS), and from 1969 US cars used SPICA mechanical fuel injection to meet emission rules. Our power converter translates the DIN figures into kW and hp.

Alfa Romeo Spider specifications

English Wikipedia does not give the weight and dimensions of the Spider, so they are not listed here.

Series and production numbers

Series 2, built for 13 years, accounts for 42% of all Spiders; the original Duetto for only 11%. The individual Series 1 versions listed in the source add up to 13,504 rather than 13,678, a small inconsistency.

Variants and derivatives

From 1968 the 1300 Junior and the 1750 Spider Veloce widened the range below and above the original 1600, a pattern of several engine sizes that continued in the later series.

The Spider in numbers

A few calculations from the figures in English Wikipedia show how the Spider sold. Over 28 calendar years, the 124,104 cars correspond to about 4,400 a year. Series 2 sold about 4,000 cars a year over its 13 years. Series 4 reached more than 5,300 a year in its four years — the highest yearly average of any series, at the end of the car's life. In 1966 the Spider cost about 52% more than an MGB in the United States but almost exactly as much as a Lotus Elan, only 41 dollars less at 1966 prices.

The engines changed little in specific output. The first 1,570 cc engine gave about 51 kW per litre; the Series 4 2.0-litre, with Bosch Motronic and emission equipment, about 47 kW per litre. The 1300 Junior, at 65 kW (89 PS), was the entry model with the smallest engine, and its top speed of 170 km/h was only 20 km/h below that of the 1750 Spider Veloce. Our power-to-weight calculator helps to compare such figures with other roadsters.

The Graduate and special editions

A 1966 Series 1 Spider 1600 is driven by Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate (1967). Alfa Romeo later used the connection: a "Graduate" trim was sold in the US from 1985 to 1990. The Series 3 also offered a Quadrifoglio Verde version, listed at 94 kW (128 PS) or 92 kW (125 PS) in different places of English Wikipedia. More of Alfa Romeo's history, from the early racing cars to today's models, is in our history of Alfa Romeo.

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