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MAN AND MACHINE
Charmed by Romeo
PRINCE FREDERICK
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With his Alfa Romeo Spider Junior, Anil Punjabi can make a stunning entry, anywhere
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Photos: R. Ragu
Super car Just like Spiderman, Alfa Romeo Spider will remain ever popular
When launched in 1966, the Alfa Romeo Spider received a lukewarm response. As the roadster had not been built to conventional design standards, potential buyers adopted a wait and watch approach. The negative public opinion was partly shaped by a few automobile writers who compared the roadster to the skeleton of a cuttlefish.
Ironically, the car went on to gain cult status on account of its design. Pininfarina was responsible for the Spider’s design. The two-seater car was Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina’s final masterpiece, as the celebrated designer died when the Spider was ready for the world.
Unveiled at the 36th Geneva Motor Show, the car did not get the name of the arachnid immediately. It was Duetto for a while. Duetto’s design was acknowledged to be revolutionary, because of the crumple zones Battista had incorporated in its body.
Powered by an inline-four, 1.6 litre engine, built on the same technology applied in Alfa Romeo’s popular twin-cam four cylinder engine, the Duetto was stopped by disc brakes. Duetto was discontinued in 1967 when the 1.8 litre Spider Veloce was introduced, with more power (118 hp) and better suspension. There were a few cosmetic changes, too, but they failed to make the Veloce markedly different from its predecessor. In fact, Spiders, ranging from Duetto (1966) to Spider Type 4 (1993), share much in design and mechanics. Due to this quality, the Spider line contrasts sharply with many other successful car lines. Credit to Pininfarina for a design, created in 1960s but good enough even for the 1990s.
Mechanically, every Spider model was different from the other. From model to model, there were also differences in design, but they were minor and succeeded only in scratching the surface. Even without the quarter-lights, headlight fairings and hubcaps of the Spider Veloce, the Spider 1300 Junior (1968-69) could be mistaken for the first generation Veloce (1967-69). The Spartan approach did little to disguise her identity.
In performance, the 1300 Junior was less effective than the Veloce. With a 1.3 litre engine, the Junior was in a lesser league. And, unlike the Veloce, its braking efficiency was not improved by a brake servo. While the Junior had twin carburettors, some Veloces received the advantage of fuel injection.
For anyone drawn to the Spider because of its looks, a Spider 1300 Junior would do as well as a fourth generation Spider. With a 1969 Spider 1300 Junior (left hand drive), Anil Punjabi is a contented man. This Spider has given him a reason to feel lucky. Being owned by Mumbai-based Parsi businessman Freddy Dhondy is the best thing to have happened to this Spider Junior and to him, says Anil. A man with discerning taste, Dhondy goes only for very rare cars (aren’t a Rolls Royce, a Pagoda Mercedes Benz and a Fiat Spider rare enough?) and spares no effort to keep his cars at their shining best. “After I bought the car from Dhondy, I did not have to spend one rupee on its restoration,” Punjabi discloses.
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