1959 Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider

After World War II, Alfa Romeo resumed automobile manufacturing fairly quickly using designs and technology from the pre-war era. It was not until 1950 that a new design became available. This was the 1900, a unit body sedan powered by a twin overhead cam 1,884cc four-cylinder engine. All previous Alfa Romeo vehicles had been largely hand-built, making the 1900 the first Alfa built on a real production line and the first with left-hand drive. Up to 1950, Alfa Romeo vehicles had remained exclusive, with production totals of approximately 400 vehicles annually. With the introduction of the 1900, this output increased nearly tenfold. A 1900C Sprint Coupe was introduced with a body by Touring and a Spider Cabriolet by Pinin Farina, both built in much smaller quantities.

The Alfa Romeo 102 Series '2000' Spider was an updated version of the preceding Model 1900. First introduced in 1957 at the Turin Auto Show, the new sedan body style was quickly followed by a Spider version featuring an entirely new body design by Carrozzeria Touring. A Bertone-bodied (designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro) Sprint coupé followed in 1960. Carrozzeria Touring's association with Alfa Romeo dates back to the late 1920s, and the liaison was perpetuated into the post-war era. With the 1900 Spider, Touring's renowned Superleggera (Superlight) method of body construction was employed, though now the panels were machine-pressed rather than hand-beaten, greatly speeding up production. This enabled Touring to manufacture bodies in greatly increased volume, though this was still far from mass production.

The 1,975cc DOHC four-cylinder engine featured two Solex side-draft carburetors and hemispherical combustion chambers, with 112 horsepower, and coupled with a fully synchronized five-speed manual transmission. The twin-cam 2000 engine combined elements of the superseded 1900 and new Giulietta, retaining the former's cast-iron block and separate cam covers but featuring the latter's bucket-and-shim method of valve adjustment. The suspension used coil springs and telescopic dampers at all four corners, with the front being independent with double wishbones while the rear used a solid axle. Alfin drum brakes with a hydraulic system provided the stopping power. The tires were Pirelli Cinturato CA67 measuring 165HR400.

Approximately 3,443 examples of the Series 2000 Spider were produced between 1958 and 1961 before it was replaced by the ALfa 2600. Spider and Sprint production comprised nearly half of all 2000 sales, including the 3,443 of the Spider and 704 of the more expensive Sprint Coupe. The four-door Berlina was manufactured by Alfa Romeo, while the Spider and Sprint were designed and bodied by independent coachbuilders. The 2000 sedan had the uncommon feature of a column-mounted shifter for its five-speed transmission, while the Spider and Sprint retained the more sporting-oriented floor-mounted gear shift. Berlina sales reached 2,799 units, and an additional 15 examples were sold as chassis, bringing the total production of the Series 2000 to 6,961 units.

The unibody styled by Carrozzeria Touring on a 98-inch wheelbase presaged what would become the six-cylinder 2600 convertible in 1962.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2009