1966 alfa romeo duetto 1600 spider roadster

Alfa Romeo ‘Duetto’1600 Spider We are delighted to offer an original Australian delivered Alfa Romeo ‘Duetto’1600 Spider which is of some significance.

Original RHD cars are rare enough, however, based on the chassis number the FUSI records suggest this car is the 37th RHD Spider produced making it an incredibly early car and certainly one of the first to be delivered to Australia.

The initial production had no brake booster fitted which is the case with our car underlining its very early production. The records we have with the car confirm it was produced in July and delivered in September 1966 to Addison Motors in Adelaide in white with black interior – which it still wears today. The Alfa Romeo 105/115 Series Spiders were produced in 4 Series and the Series 1 cars were the last designed by the great Pininfarina himself.

It is arguably one of the most stunning Alfa Romeo designs to date and was a result of a number of Pininfarina design studies and concepts cars including the incredible Superflow concept car. As a result, the Series 1 cars remain the more desirable of the four series of cars being produced between 1966 and 1969 with the series 4 cars finishing production in 1994.

The current owner has cherished this car for the past 19 years however due to a loss of parking space it now needs to find a new owner. The car was subject to a bare metal restoration some 25 years ago with photographs evidencing the car was very solid with no significant corrosion present. Today the car still remains very solid however the paint could do with a refresh and there are several small dents and blemishes evident.

You could of course leave it as is just as the current owner has or take it to the next level and paint the car to bring it back to its former glory. The interior is a lovely place to be. The wooden steering wheel greets the eye and the classic dash is very appealing. The instruments are clear and in good condition and the dash is without any cracks at all.

The seats are original however they have in the past been recovered in cloth to replace the original vinyl. They have been done to the same pattern and actually look ‘right’ to the eye. They are also quite practical in hot weather. They are in great condition without any marks or tears. The correct type of mohair hood was fitted by the current owner and is in perfect condition.

The car wears ‘JWS’ alloy wheels which whilst not fitted in period do suit the car. All the stainless steel brightwork is in excellent order. Start the engine and you immediately know you are in an Alfa Romeo. The 1600 cc engine fires up with that familiar growl and then you are away. Out on the open road this car drives incredibly well and the gearbox is a delight to use without any issues on any of the synchro’s. We understand some mild modifications were made to the engine during its rebuild some 15,000 miles ago, and this has translated to an incredibly responsive and usable power delivery.

Of note is the car still retains its correct ‘536’ type 1600 engine. We took the car on a thorough 3 hour test drive which included sitting in heavy traffic and the car performed perfectly. Overall, whilst it is currently ‘no show queen’ it can be enjoyed as is with no known mechanical issues. However, this is a rare and early Spider and would warrant a sympathetic restoration given its potential and provenance.

The body is in excellent structural condition without any signs of corrosion with the motor having been subject to a rebuild in the past. Keep in mind the body was also subject to a bare metal restoration too. A thick folder of invoices and documents accompany the car including regular service documents, the most recent being in September.

The car has always been looked after by specialists. There is a lot to like about this car, particularly given the asking price with restored series 1 Spider’s fetching $150,000. A wonderful opportunity to own a rare Duetto with scope to improve back to its beautiful original condition.