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Some of the Alfa Romeo Spider 1966 to 1994 details over the years.
Points of significance.

Spider 1600 Duetto   (March 1966-70) Part #2

As for trim, the boot was left in simple painted metal with hard-wearing black carpeting on the floor. The wheel jack was clipped on to the rear bulkhead inside the boot and a full tool kit was supplied in its own bag on the left-hand side of the boot: this comprised a wheel brace, pliers, box spanner for the spark plugs, T-bar for the plug spanner, a Phillips screwdriver and an ordinary screwdriver. The spare wheel was under the boot floor in its own well, accessed by lifting the boot mat. On the opposite side sat the 46-litre (10.1-gallon) fuel tank, with a ‘reserve’ of 7 liters (1½ gallons) – presumably meaning that the warning light was meant to come on with that amount remaining. Two jacking points were provided on each side of the car under the sills.

Chromed clap-hands wipers were standard but very effective. They were replaced on the Kamm-tail by traditional wipers.

Fuel filler flap was round, beautiful design. The filler is on the left rear panel. The engine runs fine on unleaded petrol, but most Alfisti add some fluid to prevent the valve seats from burning. I have never done this on my 1967 engine.

Never had any problems, but it might perhaps be a good idea to protect the alloy head. But do you not agree with me that the design of the cap is excellent. The Italians really made the car perfect.

Engine - incl. carbs + air filter tubing to the left over the engine. Filter made by FISPA and of the cartridge type. There was no plastic cowl between radiator and engine, this came with the 1750 version. The fan was bigger at first. There was a hotter version with an Autodelta Group 3 GT engine = 160 bhp at 7500rpm - shown at 3rd Sports Car Show, Turin Feb 1968

The bonnet hinged at its forward edge to allow fairly generous access to the engine bay, which was illuminated by an under-bonnet lamp as standard – this was activated automatically when the bonnet was raised and the external lights were on. The lever to open the bonnet was sited under the dashboard, in the left-hand foot well. The exhaust tailpipe stuck out rather conspicuously at the back, curving under the rear bodywork and emerging just to the left of center looking from behind. The doors incorporated anti-burst mechanisms but not child locks. The extra-thick laminated safety glass windscreen was more upright than later Spiders and incorporated a high degree of wraparound.

Brake discs, smaller at rear than later cars. Dunlop initially, Ate from '67

Bonaldi vacuum brake servo fitted from mid-1967. Single circuit system, pedal arrangement was on the floor.

Steering - early Duettos had Burman recirculating ball which was later replaced by ZF worm and roller.

Mohair hood was easy to rise. The Duetto’s soft-top itself was made of impermeable mohair and came in only one color – black. There was some criticism about rear three-quarter visibility, for the soft-top canvas began immediately aft of the winding windows and there was effectively no wraparound in the flexible vinylite rear window.

The soft-top folded in one movement. First the over-centre catches securing it to the top of the windscreen frame had to be unclasped , then the soft top could be arched backwards, the folded soft-top encroaching somewhat into the space behind the seats. It was then held tight by pulling a central strap down and fixing it by Velcro, at that time a novelty. An elasticized vinyl cover could then be removed from the boot, its two solid bars having to be joined together by a bayonet fixing and then engaged on the chromed hooks mounted on the body between the soft-top and boot lid. Then forks could be attached in the doorjamb area and the cover could be buttoned down. An elasticized vinyl tonneau cover designed to protect the entire passenger compartment was an optional extra.

Optional hardtop made of alloy. Earliest ones [pre-Nov '66] do not have raised trim above windows. The hard-top is easy to fit even for one person. You use the same clips as on the hood to get it in place  An optional hardtop was available from the outset. Styled by Pininfarina, it was designed to compliment the Duetto’s harmonic lines, although that was always going to be a hard task and some criticized it for looking too square against the curvaceous body shape.

One significant advantage was a large glass area – including sizeable rear three-quarter windows – that improved visibility substantially over the soft-top. The hardtop was made of two pressed and joined plastic shells, the cavity being filled with an expanded insulating material. The top sealed against the body with thick rubber, and no attempt was made to trim the interior – it was simply sprayed in a mock-leather finish. Only one color was available for the hardtop: black with a vinyl finish.

Steering wheel was a three-spoke plastic + alloy construction. The dash was painted in the same color as the rest of the car, very early ones have Alfa badge over radio blank - later ones have Pininfarina badge. Two toggle switches either side of radio cover panel. Instruments showing warning lights next to them, were arranged left to right: fuel, oil pressure and cooling temperature to the right. Minor switchgear and the ignition barrel are easy to spot. The gear lever had a plastic button on top. Very early demo ones have concertina rubber gear lever gaiter, as opposed to vinyl bag-type gaiter

All five dials in the Duetto cockpit were the Italian-made Jaeger brand, with lettering in Italian for most markets, but in English for right-hand drive cars. In a main hooded binnacle (with a crackle-black finish) directly in front of the driver sat the two main chrome-bezel led dials, a speedometer and rev counter, both of them in black with white lettering and white needles. Testers continually remarked on the unusual feature of small stops to prevent the needles returning to zero on either dial.

The speedometer was calibrated up to 220kmh or 140mph depending on the market. Within the speedometer were contained the odometer and, above it, the trip meter The reset button was sited below it, under the dashboard. Towards the right-hand side of the speedometer was an electric fan warning light with ‘RISCALD’ script or, in English-speaking markets, ‘HEATING’. Within the rev counter was a dynamo charge warning light with ‘DYNAMO"  script or ‘GENERAT’ for English-speaking countries. The rev counter itself was red-lined at 6.300rpm up to its maximum marking of 8.000rpm, by concentric red arcs. Between the two main dials were four warning lamps: the upper pair were left and right indicator lamps while the lower pair were for headlights on (left) and headlamp main beam (right), the latter with the word ‘HEADLIGHTS’ written on it.

In the center of the dash were three further individual circular gauges set in chrome bases that were angled towards the driver. These were for water temperature, oil pressure and fuel level. The latter incorporating a ‘fuel low’ warning lamp. Directly below these gauges sat a radio blank fill-in panel. The very earliest cars had an Alfa Romeo badge sited centrally in this panel but later ones had ‘Pininfarina’ script with an Alfa badge at the right-hand end. If you specified a radio, it would replace this panel. To the far end of the panel was a toggle switch to operate the blower, while on the side nearer to the driver was the windscreen wiper toggle switch. In front of the passenger was a lockable glove box, still in body-color paint. A twist knob with a keyhole opened it up.

Underneath the lower padded facia edge in the centre of the dash was a chrome-plated panel containing the sliders for the heating and ventilation: the upper slider was the air control, the lower slider the temperature control. To the outer edge of the main instrument panel was a sole switch that operated the dash panel lights. The minor controls were praised in the press for their good location, including the column stalks, which were two in number, and always mounted to the left of the column, whether left-hand or right-hand drive. The longer one operated the side and headlamps, plus the headlamp flasher/dipper, while the shorter one was for the self-canceling indicators. Under the dash, to the right, was the fuse box, supplemented by an extra fuse holder box.

Seats were of the vinyl type. The main dashboard was simply painted the same color as the bodywork. Another example was the choice of rubber floor mats instead of carpets, but this had more to do with weatherproofing practicality than penny-pinching. As for the painted dashboard, looking back we can recognize it as a strong design feature. Unlike the molded plastic dashboard of the post-1971 Spider Veloce, the dash construction was quite involved. The main dash was a single metal pressing, with a single extra section on the opposite side of the main instrument binnacle. The dashboard top was a molded plastic item incorporating the main twin-dial binnacle, while underneath the dash were three separate trim pieces and a fuse box support.

The two seats were well-designed and form-fitting, and offered an infinitely rake-adjustable reclining facility, operated by knurled knobs on their inner sides. An outer lever unlocked the seat position for tipping. Fore-and-aft adjustment (up to 16.5cm, or 6½ inches) was by a small lever positioned under the seat edge closest to the transmission tunnel. These were upholstered in what Alfa Romeo called "elastic leatherette" – which is flexible plastic to you and me. The shape of the seat was, it was said, developed by reference to scientific studies of human anatomy. Certainly they were more effective than the quite different seats in other models of the 105 series range. There were nine straight ribs to each seat base and back. Initially the vinyl was plain but at some time during 1967 this was changed to a grained, imitation leather effect. Black was the most common seat color, but purple, red and beige were also listed.

The red carpet was an optional which made the interior more exclusive. Rubber mats on floor were often swapped for real high quality carpets instead. The door trims incl. handles and a ticket pocket in foot well. Note the plastic steering wheel.

In many ways the Duetto’s interior bucked tradition every bit as much as the exterior. By 1966 the age of vinyl and plastic was well and truly established but criticism was invited over the seemingly basic nature of many of the fittings. What would today be regarded as tasteful simplicity was then chastised in some quarters as Spartanism.

As an example, the main dashboard was simply painted the same color as the bodywork. Another example was the choice of rubber floor mats instead of carpets, but this had more to do with weatherproofing practicality than penny-pinching. As for the painted dashboard, looking back we can recognize it as a strong design feature.

Unlike the molded plastic dashboard of the post-1971 Spider Veloce, the dash construction was quite involved. The main dash was a single metal pressing, with a single extra section on the opposite side of the main instrument binnacle. The dashboard top was a molded plastic item incorporating the main twin-dial binnacle, while underneath the dash were three separate trim pieces and a fuse box support.

Rear-view mirrors on wings, right mirror was optional. The Duetto should correctly have a single shallow-bullet circular chrome rear-view mirror placed on the front wing on the driver’s side, a position that was sometimes criticized because you had to look through the quarter light to see it, and could not adjust it from the driver’s seat . The windscreen surround was in stainless steel, as was the fill-in bar at the top of the doors. A chrome-surround swiveling front quarter light with thief-proof catches formed the only framed glass aft of the windscreen, the winding windows having no framing.

Pedals

Tool kit + bag

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