Alfa Romeo, 1972, 1300 Spider Junior

Alfa Romeo “1300 Spider Junior”, Pininfarina, 1972

The Alfa Romeo Spider, also known as “Duetto”, is probably one of the longest-running Alfa Romeo models. This new car was launched at the most important Motor Show in March 1966: the Geneva Motor Show. To give a new name to the spider, with its clean, sleek and original design Alfa Romeo launched a rather successful contest and the winner (Guidobaldo Trionfi from Brescia) decided to call it "Duetto"; a name that will be later cancelled by Alfa Romeo because of an homonomy with a snack of the time, but never forgotten by the Alfisti.
The management of the company from Arese thought that a spider model was essential for a commercial placement in the US market, so in May 1966 together with the international exhibition of italian products in New York promoted by Finmeccanica to which Alfa Romeo belonged, Camillo Marchetti and Giorgio Colombo (from Pininfarina) decided to organize a true cruise on one of the most fascinating ocean liner in the world, the Raffaello, on which where loaded 3 Giulia 1600 Spider Duetto. The americans loved it.
The model of the Museo is a Spider 1300 Junior with the Cut Tail, a solution adopted in 1970 together with a better trunk capacity, new fenders, new front and rear lamps and new seats with optional headrests. The production lasted for 28 years throughout which different series were made:

series I - "Osso di seppia" (“Cuttlebone”) (1966 - 1969)
series II - "Coda tronca" (“Cut tail”) (1969 - 1982)
series III - "Aerodinamica" (“Aerodynamic”) (1983 - 1989)
series IV - "Ultima" (“Last”) (1989 - 1994)