Alfa Romeo Spider

Like the GTV, there are so many versions of the Alfa Romeo Spider it’s often hard to know precisely which ones customers are referring to when they call us up. But, whichever variation, it’s probably the model that most people associate with the evocative Biscione badge. There is something particularly special about driving an Alfa Romeo with the roof down, harking all the way back to that classic image of Dustin Hoffman in his Duetto in The Graduate.

Alfa Romeo Spider “Duetto”

Interestingly, the car which first bore the name Alfa Romeo Spider (of course, there were Giulia Spiders, etc, beforehand) was actually meant to be called the Duetto (duet in English). To launch the new model in 1966, Alfa ran a competition to name the stunning Pininfarina-penned newcomer. There were luckily no Boaty-McBoatface style shenanigans back then and “Duetto” was deemed the winner; except they couldn’t actually call it that because of trademark issues. So, simply Spider it was. And, as if that wasn’t confusing enough, this early version is also affectionately referred to as the “Osso di Sepia” or “Cuttlefish”, after it’s iconic boat-tail shape.

Anyway, that’s enough waffle about the etymology of car names (I’ll save that for my book - bound to be a best seller with mass appeal, that one). The Duetto we most remember being involved with is, surprisingly, the rather sorry looking example below. Yes, it desperately needed some serious restoration, but take another look at the image. Notice the steering wheel? Yep, it was an original RHD model. We had people fighting over this when we advertised it but, looking back, we should have kept it and done the work ourselves. It was a very rare opportunity.

Alfa Romeo Spider S3 (Aerodinamica)

One of the models we cut our teeth on back in the early days, we’ve sold and enjoyed several of the third-generation 115 Spiders. Some may not approve of the rear spoiler cluttering up the design, but we’re still huge fans. Even today they offer serious value-for-money in terms of classic soft-top motoring. In fact we have a superb early example currently in stock that has just undergone an intensive italicar restoration, see here.

Alfa Romeo Spider (916)

Topless sister to the GTV Coupe, the 916 Spider was produced from 1993 through to 2004 and underwent two distinct facelifts in this time. The Phase 1 is perhaps the most engaging to drive, with the revvier CF1 Twinspark or 12v V6 engines under the bonnet. The Phase 3 redesign with the restyled front end may be a rare find, and the JTS engine isn’t the most responsive, but a 3.2 V6 example represents the holy grail of 916 Spider ownership.