Alfa Romeo Spider. Brand Showcase
When it was new, it was a bold proposition for a fun car. Too bold for some. The film role and the passage of time changed everything. Alfa Spider proved to be extremely long-lived. Most of the rivals and many of the journalists who hung dogs on her survived.
The Italians vehemently compared it to the bone of the cuttlefish (Italian: osso di seppia), the longitudinal dorsal membrane in the body of the cephalopod. Canary breeders know what it is. Cuttlefish bone is placed in bird cages as a source of calcium, especially during breeding, molting and maturation. Over time, this nickname stuck with the first generation of Spiders and lost its negative pronunciation.
Half a century ago, the shape of the Alfa Romeo Spider could be shocking, especially when compared to the traditional British roadsters of the time. It was streamlined, with oval-shaped headlights, and a long rear and short interior gave it the proportions of a motorboat.
The silhouette was designed by Pininfarina studio, which boldly deciphered the shapes of the cars, relying on the aesthetics of the "age of the atom". Traces of the later Spider can be found in the Super Flow series of prototypes from the second half of the 50s, whose flattened bodies with transparent domes covering the cockpit (and more) made it look like the wheels tying them to the ground were only temporary additions.
The debut of the Alfa Spider took place at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring of 1966. It was received with restraint, although it seemed that numerous race cars and the introduction of the Jaguar E in 1961 accustomed the public to the "pancake" forms of the car. body. Fortunately, relief came from a key market for "teens with a 1967 budget": the US. In XNUMX, shortly before Christmas, the play "The Graduate" came out on the screens with the sensational Dustin Hoffman and his beautiful car in the lead roles. The red Alfa Romeo looked as gorgeous as Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Bancroft. Robinson, and she moved just as seductively. The car attracted attention, although its annual production never exceeded four figures.
In the best case, in 1991 there were 907 3 of them. Demand strictly depended on the economic situation in the US market and fluctuated along with it. During the crisis of 1981, only 165 triples were built.
Spider stayed afloat because it was a good source of income and a great "marketing tool". It was built using elements from the popular Giulia, including a shortened chassis, so it was inexpensive to produce. It had independent double wishbone front suspension. At the rear there was a rigid axle with wishbones and linkage. In addition, both axles had coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. Disc brakes were on all wheels. The four-cylinder engine was paired with a five-speed gearbox from the start. In the mid-60s, these were modern solutions that were rarely seen, especially in a complete set. The main thing that spoke to the drivers was the aura of the car. Its gracefulness, sporty tailpipe spike and all the best that a car without a roof has.
The spider was the showcase of the brand. She wanted to make cars that were fun to drive, and that was the model that gave pleasure in abundance. He was fast, but not very fast. Unlike other Alf Romeos, most of the time they did not compete with enthusiasm for high results in motorsport. Something made drivers prefer to use it for carefree trips, rather than battles for hundredths of a second.
Initially offered 1600 Duetto with 109 hp. was replaced in 1967 by the 1750 Veloce with 118 hp. (in the USA even 1 hp) and 32 Junior with 1 hp. in 300. From then until the end, the Spider range consisted of two options. : weaker and stronger. The appearance has been periodically adjusted to match current trends. The clear change was the flat back, cut off by the designers in '89. The Italians call this version "coda tronca" - a short tail. In 1968, the 1969a series abandoned the streamlined headlight covers with plastic body cladding. Anyway, they were only used in Europe, the cars sent to the USA did not have them. The Germans talk about the third generation of the Spider "Gummilippe", which means "rubber lips".
Changes made under the pressure of temporary fashion and American safety regulations did not always add beauty to the car. That is why the pre-1969 model with a rounded back is most valued. It was consciously referenced by the Italians in the latest generation of the 1990-9 Spider 3, which is on reserve in the "nostalgic" car category. They are so much better than the Volkswagen New Beetle, for example, that they are direct derivatives of the original. As part of the latest series, Alfa gave the Americans a gift in the form of 190 pieces of anniversary Spider Veloce CE (Commemorative Edition). Each of them had a badge with a number on the dashboard. They were offered as a "1994 model". There were also special series, incl. "Niki Lauda" in 1978 and "Bote" in 1991, inspired by the French fashion designer Jean-Louis Scherrer.
In the fourth series, for the first time, a 3-speed "automatic" was offered as an option. Much earlier, the factory began to offer a removable hard top. There was also a Targa version, with a removable roof fragment over the seats. The 2 + 2 option also flashed in the offer, which did not remain warm for a long time, since the back seat did not allow the installation of seat belts.
In almost 30 years, 124 spiders were built. Alpha's advantage is not in "quantity", but in "quality". He is remembered by people, as evidenced by the number of nicknames given to specific generations of him. Almost every Alpha attracts attention, but only the Spider has so much Italian, unpretentious, laid-back elegance.
Four times
The spider was produced for 27 years. Four generations were created. The first 1a “osso di seppia” from 1966-69 featured a round flat back. 2a of 1969-81 had a shortened, perpendicularly cut “Kamma back”. The 3-1982 "Aerodinamica" 89a, also known as the "duck rump", was sheathed in black plastic and surmounted by a large rear spoiler.
The fourth 4a "Ultima" of 1990-93 returned to the purity of the original. Although he received huge bumpers, they were painted in body color. The barrel, with a strip of narrow lights running across its entire width, smoothly tilted and bent to the sides.
Spider was equipped with 4-cylinder engines with a displacement (rounded) of 1300, 1600, 1750 and 2000 cm3 in several versions. The weakest reached 89, the most powerful 132 hp.
Duet for two
This unofficial nickname was to become the name of the model. It was chosen in a competition, but, unfortunately, it turned out that another company reserved it. It is used to describe the original version with the 1600 engine. The name Junior was used to refer to later versions with weaker engines, Veloce with more powerful ones. In 1986, the Quadrifoglio Verde (Italian four-leaf clover) appeared, referring to racing cars. In the US, from 1985 to 1990, a modest "Graduate" was also sold.
Julia, Juliet...
Spider engines were enviable. They had a light alloy block and head, and dual overhead camshafts (DOHC), but only two valves per cylinder. The company used them in many modifications in various models. They evolved from a 1290 cc twin-shaft engine. cm, which was introduced in year 3 on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. They were discontinued only in 1954, and the last versions, installed on the 1994, 75 and 155 Alfa models, had variable valve timing, electronic injection and two spark plugs per cylinder (Twin Spark).
Selected technical data of the Alfa Romeo Spider
| Model | Spider 1600 Duet series 1a | Fast Spider 2000 series 2a | Spider 2.0 series 4a |
| Yearbook | 1966 | 1975 | 1994 |
| Body type / Number of doors | spider/2 | spider/2 | spider/2 |
| number of seats | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Dimensions and weight | |||
| Length Width/ height (mm) | 4250/1630/1290 | 4120/1630/1290 | 4258/1630/1290 |
| Wheel track front / rear (mm) | 1310/1270 | 1324/1274 | 1324/1274 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2250 | 2250 | 2250 |
| Own weight (kg) | 990 | 1040 | 1110 |
| capacity trunk (l) | 230 | 300 | 300 |
| capacity fuel tank (l) | 46 | 51 | 46 |
| Drive system | |||
| fuel type | gasoline | gasoline | gasoline |
| Number of cylinders | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| capacity engine (cm3) | 1570 | 1962 | 1962 |
| driving axle | rear | rear | rear |
| Gearbox type / number of gears | manual / 5 | manual / 5 | manual / 5 |
| Performance | |||
| Power (hp) at rpm | 109 on 6000 | 128 on 5300 | 126 on 5800 |
| Torque (Nm) at rpm | 139 on 2800 | 186 on 3500 | 167 on 4200 |
| acceleration 0-100 km/h(s) | 10,3 | 9 | 9 |
| Speed maximum (km/h) | 185 | 192 | 192 |
| Average fuel consumption (l / 100 km) | 9 | 10,4 | 8,7 |
