MAKE & MODELS OVERIVIEW

The Spider was launched at the 36th Geneva Motor Show in March 1966, and together with the Giulia Sprint GT Veloce tested by the press at an event organised in Gardone Riviera. To choose a name for the spider Alfa Romeo announced a write-in competition, offering an example of the new car as a prize. Over 100,000 ballots were sent in, the great majority from Italy; the winner was Guidobaldo Trionfi from Brescia, who proposed the name “Duetto” (duet). However it could not be officially adopted due to trademark issues: the confectionery manufacturer Pavesi had launched on the market in 1965 a chocolate snack called, indeed, ‘Duetto’; the Court of Milan ruled that Pavesi, having already registered the name, had exclusive rights to it, thus the car was named simply Alfa Romeo Spider 1600. The Spider’s 1,570 cc twin cam engine had dual Weber two-barrel side-draft carburetors, and produced 109 PS DIN (80 kW; 108 hp; or 129 PS SAE). Sparsely fitted inside but including five speed manual transmission, disc brakes 15″ wheels fitted with Pirelli Cinturato 155HR15 CA67 tyres. The price on launch in Italy was 2,195,000 lire. In the US the car sold for $3,950 (compared to $3,991 for a Lotus Elan and $2,607 for an MGB). In the UK the car’s price was close to a Jaguar E-Type.

In January 1968, in Vietri sul Mare (Salerno), Alfa Romeo introduced the press to its 1750 line of cars, which included the new 1750 Berlina saloon, the Giulia Sprint-based 1750 GT Veloce coupé, and the 1600 Spider-based 1750 Spider Veloce, which replaced the original Spider 1600.[19] All were powered by the same engine, a new 1,779 cc, 118 PS DIN (87 kW; 116 hp; or 132 PS SAE) version of the Alfa Romeo twin cam engine. Top speed rose to 190 km/h (118 mph). The car did not bear any Spider badging, just a “1750” script below the rear Alfa Romeo badge. During the production run, the front repeater lights were moved ahead of the wheel arches.