1967 Alfa Romeo 1600 'Duetto' Spider

Description

A replacement for the popular 101-series Giulietta Spiders, Alfa Romeo's new open-topped sports car debuted at the 1966 Geneva Salon with sleek styling by Italian design studio Pininfarina. Originally dubbed the ‘Duetto’ following a contest held to come up with a suitable name, the Spider - as it became known - shared its underpinnings with the 105-series coupes, including the classic twin-cam 1600cc engine and five-speed gearbox. With a great ride, sharp handling and disc brakes all round the Alfa was a fine performer and remains a superbly satisfying car to drive today. The original 1600 model was later joined by 1300 and 1750 versions, and in 1971 the engine was enlarged to a full two litres offering useful gains in both power and torque. The 1962cc engine had a 9:1 compression ratio and two twin-choke Weber carburettors, boosting the power output to 133 bhp at 5500 rpm. The hefty asking price - the Spider was more expensive than Jaguar's E-type in Britain, for example - meant the Alfa Romeo was destined for the fortunate few in most export markets, including Australia. In a production career spanning almost 30 years, the Spider changed remarkably little, although a new squarer Kamm-inspired tail section introduced in 1969 updated Pininfarina's original shape. Forever associated with Dustin Hoffman in the movie The Graduate, Alfa Romeo's Spider is an affordable classic Italian sports car without equal and they remain hugely popular with enthusiasts today.