Alfa Romeo Spider
Many autos have born the name Alfa Romeo Spider over the years. Originally hitting the market as a front-engine, two-seater, rear-drive roadster made and marketed by Alfa Romeo between 1966 and 1994, the Alfa Romeo Spider came in four distinct series. There were different modifications from the moderate to the more intensive. The Alfa Romeo Spider was the successor of the Giulia Spider and it spent nearly three decades in production.
The very first Spider was the Duetto (boat tail) and many feel that this is among the most attractive versions of the Alfa Romeo. This is the auto that Dustin Hoffman drove in The Graduate. The original Spider to arrive in 1966 was a combination of multiple design studies from Pininfarina. It combined elements of the Alfa Romeo Superflow concept from the 1956 Turin Motor Show and the Alfa Romeo Spider Super Sport from the 1959 Geneva Motor Show. From there, Alfa Romeo moved onto the Giulietta SS Spider Aerodinamica, showing it off at the 1961 Turin Motor Show. This final concept was very similar to the production Spider, with the exception of its hideaway headlamps.
The first variant of the 105-Series Giuliana that was actually new was the Spider roadster styled by Pininfarina. This version had the boat-tail rear end that would become iconic and enclosed headlamps.
The Spider drove on a 1,570cc twin-cam engine and was known for delivering all-around disc braking, sharp steering, and great handling. The Duetto 1600 disappeared, being replaced by the 1750 Spider Veloce after just 18 months. This was a relatively minor change with the biggest differences between the engine and improvements to braking and the suspension. That engine was a 1,779cc twin-cam. In 1969, the Spider Veloce turned into the 2000 Spider, complete with a 2,000cc engine. There was also some restyling, swapping out the boat-tail for a Kamm tail. The Spider’s more modern appearance was further enhanced by the loss of the plastic headlamp covers.
There were just light changes in the following years, including a set of new bumpers for the Spider in 1983. The Alfa Romeo Spider underwent its final restyling in 1990. This is when the automaker made more sweeping mechanical changes. Pininfarina took care of updating the Spider’s styling, rounding it off with slimmer light clusters in the rear and smoother bumpers. There was also a new set of engines with fuel injection plus power-assisted steering.
