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Alfa Romeo Fast-Facts

Alfa Romeo Fast Facts

The Alfa Romeo Spider has always been a favorite among sports-car purists, and the essential late-sixties version can still turn heads. Part of what sets this classic charmer apart is its racing heritage and a brand of technology that, for its time, was uncommon in a street automobile. Below are a few basic facts about Alfa Romeo and the Spider.

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	The Alfa Romeo marque.
	The Giulietta, predecessor to the Alfa Romeo Spider.
	The 1969 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce.

• The name "Alfa" is an acronym for the full name for the Lombarda auto manufacturing company of Italy -- "Anonima Lombarda Farbrica Automobili."

• The Alfa automobile company was founded in Italy in 1910.

• In 1915, mining industrialist Nicola Romeo invested in the company, giving rise to the name "Alfa Romeo."

• Enzo Ferrari managed Alfa Romeo's racing division during the 1920s and '30s.

• The company shifted focus after WWII to mass-producing smaller 4-cylinder cars.

• The introduction of Orazio Puliga's Giulietta design in 1954 helped redefine sports-car standards of that era.

• The 1750 Veloce, introduced in 1967, is commonly regarded as the "classic Alfa-Romeo design."

• Alfa made just over 8,700 of the 1750 Veloce "Spiders" between the years 1967 and 1971.

• Mike Nichols' 1967 film The Graduate featured Dustin Hoffman driving an Alfa Spider which, famously, ran out of gas at a critical moment near the film's finale.
  

• Engine: 1779-cc all-alloy engine block, cast-iron cylinder liners and aluminum head. The twin cam-shafts were chain-driven from the crankshaft.

• Transmission: 5-speed manual.

• Top speed: 115 mph.

• The Italian version came with two twin-choke Webber carburetors. The U.S. version (available from 1969) used an indirect fuel-injection system to meet American emission requirements.

• Interior features: Wood-rim steering wheel, bucket-seats with integral headrests and an instrument-panel angled toward the driver.

• The design of the convertible soft-top was innovative because of its ease of use. It could typically be raised or lowered by the driver from inside the vehicle.