Background
As iconic sports cars go, the Alfa Romeo Spider is up there with the best. Made famous by its starring role in the Dustin Hoffman film The Graduate, it is even more desirable today as good examples are becoming increasingly hard to find. On sale for almost 30 years, four distinct models were produced. The first three series were assembled by Pininfarina, Italian designers and coach builders extraordinaire, at their Grugliasco facility. What made these cars so very special was the beautifully balanced rear-wheel drive chassis, range of lively twin-cam engines and the charming and characterful interiors. As the Spider passed from generation to generation, the cars increasingly became more refined and sophisticated. The Series 3 had the longest production run, coming close to leaving its teenage years behind. Styling updates included the fitment of black rubber bumpers front and rear. We can blame those pesky Americans and their crash testing regimes. The more powerful 2.0-litre engine boasted around 126bhp, a modest figure by todays standards, but enough to accomplish the 0-60mph benchmark sprint in just over nine seconds. Mated to a slick five-speed gearbox, the ingredients were in place for a sparkling and engaging drive. The last Spider rolled down the production line in April 1993. There were high hopes for a spiritual successor in 2012 when the FCA Group were at the early stages of developing a new Spider with Mazda. In the end, the MX-5’s Italian sister wore the Fiat badge, a missed opportunity perhaps.
