ex. 5) Alfa Romeo Spider
By Gunnar Heinrich
CHE BELLA MACCHINA!
Battista Pininfarina must’ve fallen into a bed of four leafed clovers to have found the inspiration to direct his artistic team to draw the original ‘66 Alfa Romeo “Duetto” for the 36th Geneva Auto Show.
Among the longest lived production models ever built, the little Alfa Romeo Spider – locked into US car history by The Graduate – sold in four variants worldwide over the course of three decades. Such was the sweet ‘n chic longevity of the design that two of the last four years proved to be the Spider’s best selling years; 7,106 and 9,073 units in 1990 and 1991, respectively.
Not a fast car by any stretch (the most powerful Spider featured a 130 horsepower straight-four) the small but sexy Alfa featured style and driving charm over mechanical substance to woo a select group of car buyers out of their dollars and lire for 28 years.
[IMG Wikipedia]
About the Author: Gunnar Heinrich is publisher of Automobiles De Luxe online and is executive producer of the Automobiles De Luxe Television series on PBS member station CPTV.
Zarba | Aug 15, 2008 | Reply
My wife has owned a 1990 Spider since new, and I can attest to the charms of this wonderful design. Pininfarina got it right. And even though Alfa made changes along the way, the basie endures. A beautiful car.
The Alfa DOHC four is a wonderful engine, and makes beautiful noises. Never blessed with enormous power, the Spider has always been adequately fast, and a joy to drive. Well maintained, this engine is bulletproof.
The chassis reflects its 60’s-era heritage. Lots of cowl shake and body flexing inhibits handling beyond 8/10ths, but it hangs on and on. Steering is wonderfully direct, and the ride is smooth, mostly because the body takes on most of the abuse. Braking is excellent, with 4-wheel discs.
Creature comforts and ergonomics are not an issue, as they aren’t present. The HVAC is 60’s-efficient, the top leaks, and the wind roars. Everything’s close at hand, though, so you don’t have to go searching for witches, buttons, and such.
Spiders can rust, but at least the Italians never figured out how to do thin-guage steel, so there’s lots of it to eat through. The body is strong, heavy, and takes heaps of abuse. Hit a Miata and win. Big.
Reliability is OK. Electrics are usually the biggest headache, and finding a bad ground can take ages, but everything’s pretty basic. There’s no ABS, complex computer controls (beyond the Bosch Motronic engine-control system), or fancy HVAC, stereo, or nav systems. It’s a basic car, and so relatively easy to fix, once you find a competent mechanic. Parts can be a hassle, but again, there are sources. Patience is a virtue.
However,on a starry night with the wind in your hair, nothing’s better. It rides decently, handles decently, and gets good fuel economy. The little 4 sings a beautiful Italian song, the steering feels connected directly to the wheels, and you can talk to your partner.
A great automobile, and worthy of any collector’s garage.