Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce
The Alfa Romeo Spider was one of the classic 2-seater sports cars of the 1960s through 1990s.
Its design evolved ever so slightly during that period, bridging the decades that witnessed the disappearance of most other true sports cars in the U.S., such as MG and Triumph.
The Spider was released in 1966 as the "Duetto", initially with an elongated tail section. The engine was a 1600cc variant of the Alfa Romeo twin camshaft four cylinder engine. The Italian firm of Pininfarina was responsible for the design of the body, also being involved in the manufacture of the monocoque construction of the vehicle. In common with the rest of the contemporary range of Alfa Romeo vehicles, the car featured a five speed transmission, disk brakes and independent front suspension. The monocoque was designed with the relatively new principles of crumple zones incorporated into the front and rear.
In 1969, the body design was changed - the elongated tail was shortened into a flat Kamm inspired design which the car retained until 1991. During that period, the spider received drivetrain updates from the rest of the range, culminating in the fitment of a Bosch fuel injected 2000cc engine.
The design was revised again at this stage to incorporate design elements from the Alfa Romeo 164 (particularly the tail lights). Production ceased in 1994.