Alfa Romeo Duetto

Guide Note

Film aficionados may recall Dustin Hoffman's character, Benjamin Braddock driving an Alfa Romeo Duetto in The Graduate. Despite the recognition gained by the film and the buzz with the auto industry, the Alfa Romeo Duetto was only produced from 1966-1967 as part of the Alfa Romeo Spider series.¹

Developed with Pininfarina, the Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider debuted at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show. When Alfa Romeo's management created a contest to name the convertible, Mr Guidobaldo Trionfi won his very own Duetto for his winning suggestion.²

There are now rumors that the Duetto may return to Alfa Romeo's lineup.³

Fast Facts

1. Known for its cuttlebone shape
2. The Duetto refers to a specific model of the Alfa Romeo Spider series
3. In honor of the film, a special series of the Spider was given the name "Graduate" in the U.S.²

When Alfa Romeo began to produce open-top vehicles there was not yet an English word for them. Since the convertibles were capable of achieving high speeds, they were called "speeders", which eventually morphed into "spiders"²

1. 1950s: Giulietta Spider⁴
2. 1966: 1600 Spider, which was renamed Duetto²
3. 1970s: Spider Veloce⁴
4. 1990s: Spider⁵
5. 2000s: 8c Spider⁶