Original Alfa Spider (Original Series) (Hardcover)

by Chris Rees (Author) "The original 1600-engined round-tail Spider was launched with no name and so everyone referred to it, logically enough, as the Alfa Romeo Spider 1600..." (more)
Key Phrases: chassis prefix, shield grille, minor gauges, Alfa Romeo, Spider Veloce, American Spiders (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Restorer's Guide 1966-1993. Immortalized as Dustin Hoffman's transport in "The Graduate," Alfa Romeo's Spider enjoyed an extraordinarily long production span of 27 years. Launched as the 1600cc Duetto with Pininfarina's simply-styled round-tailed body, it got a 1750cc engine and its tail sawed off in 1969, grew into a 2000cc in 1970 and was saddled with rubber bumpers in the '80s, but lost them in 1990, by which time it was the second oldest car on sale in the U.K. Chris Rees has assembled a comprehensive production history of the car that was offered in literally dozens of different versions with a bewildering multiplicity of minor changes and variants. This task has never been fully attempted before, and the result is sure to be eagerly seized upon by the thousands of Spider enthusiasts hungry for a definitive volume.

---

Product Details Hardcover: 128 pages Publisher: Motorbooks (October 6, 2001) Language: English ISBN-10: 0760311625 ISBN-13: 978-0760311622 Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9 x 0.6 inches Shipping Weight: 2 pounds Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #394,448 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
The original 1600-engined round-tail Spider was launched with no name and so everyone referred to it, logically enough, as the Alfa Romeo Spider 1600. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
chassis prefix, shield grille, minor gauges, body styling kit, headlamp cowls, brown leather trim, bumper treatment, main dials, centre console, filler flap, boot lid, front wheelarches, hand drive cars, tail panel, instrument binnacle, chassis number, chrome bezels, gear knob, brake servo, brake fluid level, standard fitment, handbrake lever, alloy wheels, window winders, rev counter

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Alfa Romeo, Spider Veloce, American Spiders, Quadrifoglio Verde, European Spiders, Niki Lauda, Pirelli Cinturato, Geneva Motor Show, Giulia Sprint, Alfa Red, Spider Junior, United States, Bosch Motronic, Commemorative Edition, Light Grey Metallic, Type Approval, Verde Inglese, British Racing Green, Grigio Chiaro Metallizzato, Hazel Brown, Kleber Colombes, South Africa, Aqua Blue Metallic, Bianco Pininfarina, Black Metallic

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 10 books:

• Alfa Romeo by Evan Green on page 19, page 52, and page 98
• A Visit to the United Kingdom (Visit to) by Rachael Bell on page 54, and page 89
• Original Triumph Stag by James Taylor in Front Matter
• Original Range Rover Carburettor Models (Bay View Books) by James Taylor in Front Matter
• Original Triumph Bonneville (Originality Guide,) by Gerard Kane in Front Matter

See all 10 books this book cites

 

2 books cite this book:

• Original BMW M-Series by James Taylor in Front Matter
• Original Pontiac GTO: The Restorer's Guide 1964-1972 (Original Series) by Thomas De Mauro in Front Matter

---

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Jaguar by Nigel Thorley

Discusses:

• body styling kit
• bumper treatment
• boot lid

Porsche 911 by Brian Long

Discusses:

• main dials
• front wheelarches
• hand drive cars

Original Sprite & Midget by Terry Horler

Discusses:

• chassis prefix
• headlamp cowls
• centre console

MGB by David Knowles

Discusses:

• chassis prefix
• bumper treatment
• centre console

How to Power Tune Midget and Sprite for Road and Track by Daniel Stapleton

Discusses:

• boot lid
• front wheelarches
• hand drive cars

Illustrated Directory of Sports Cars by Ray Bonds

Discusses:

• chassis prefix
• headlamp cowls
• centre console

Jaguar by Nigel Thorley Discusses: body styling kit bumper treatment boot lid Porsche 911 by Brian Long Discusses: main dials front wheelarches hand drive cars Original Sprite & Midget by Terry Horler Discusses: chassis prefix headlamp cowls centre console MGB by David Knowles Discusses: chassis prefix bumper treatment centre console Loading...

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	30% buy Alfa Romeo Owner's Bible: A Hands-On Guide to Getting the Most from Your Alfa 3.2 out of 5 stars (13) $25.51
	23% buy the item featured on this page: Original Alfa Spider (Original Series) 2.3 out of 5 stars (3)
	16% buy Alfa Romeo Spider 1955-1986: (Schiffer Automotive Series) $15.56
	16% buy Alfa-Romeo: Always with Passion (Haynes Classic Makes) 3.0 out of 5 stars (2) $22.76

Explore similar items

---

Tags Customers Associate with This Product  (What's this?) Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people. Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below. alfa(1) pininfarina(1) See all 4 tags... Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews 5 star:    (0) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (2) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 2.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars George Rickerson Only Scratched the Surface, March 29, 2004 By  Alfa Male (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews This book is not only inaccurate but it contains virtually some of the same text originally published in "Alfa Romeo Spiders" by David Owen in 1982. The similarity of certain passages is just too similar to be coincidence. 7 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars Chris Rees is not an expert, January 12, 2003 By  George Rickerson (Columbia, MO USA) - See all my reviews One would expect a book with this title to be written by someone who is an Alfa expert. But twice in the opening chapter Mr. Rees states unequivocally that the original Alfa spider was designed by Bertone. This is, of course, ridiculous. All Alfa spiders have been designed by Pinifarina. The photos are good, and Mr. Rees appears to be thorough. It is just that the error about such a fundamental fact undermines my confidence in the rest of his work. 3.0 out of 5 stars Bertone spider?, July 7, 2009 By  Alfabean - See all my reviews There's no question that the production Alfa Giulietta Spider was by Pininfarina. But what about the photo of the Bertone prototype at page 18 of David Hodge's "Essential Alfa Romeo" (1995 ed.)?		Ad feedback   Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)   Discussion Replies Latest Post   No discussions yet Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   [Cancel] Guidelines Active discussions in related forums   Discussion Replies Latest Post science Create the controversy 23 3 minutes ago science Chemical Triggers to Make A Cell Go Cancerous? 4 28 minutes ago science The emperor of evolution has no clothes. Who is the Emperor? 2021 29 minutes ago science Global warming is nothing but a hoax and a scare tactic 9027 29 minutes ago science Evolving or Involving 1 30 minutes ago science Step up and point out the flaws of evolution/science 2714 33 minutes ago science The TRUTH about evolution. 1579 36 minutes ago

The Science community Latest activity 6 minutes ago 8,905 customers have contributed 8,504 products, 1,023 discussions and more... › Explore the community Related forums science (1023 discussions) Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Listmania!

Bibliography about the European cars: A list by Massimo Capaccioli   911 Buying List: A list by Stephen Wills   Jaguar E-Type/XK-E:the ideal books.: A list by Chris Sellick Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > History
• Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Luxury
• Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Pictorial
• Books > Nonfiction > Transportation
• Books > Science > Technology > History of Technology

---

Tanaka Landscaping Power Tools Tanaka provides commercial-grade blowers, trimmers, accessories, and other landscaping equipment for the homeowner. ›Shop all Tanaka

Big Savings in Books Find great titles at fantastic prices in our Bargain Books Store.

Measure Twice, Cut Once A tape measure offers the greatest flexibility for all types of measuring. ›Shop all tape measures

Breathe Safely Protect your home and family with carbon monoxide alarms and detectors. Get one this winter, when furnaces, gas fireplaces, and portable heaters are in use. ›Shop for carbon monoxide detectors

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Where's My Stuff? Track your recent orders. View or change your orders in Your Account. Shipping & Returns See our shipping rates & policies. See FREE shipping information. Return an item (here's our Returns Policy). Need Help? Forgot your password? Buy gift cards. Visit our Help department.

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)

You have no recently viewed items or searches. After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.	Continue shopping: Top Sellers Free by Chris Anderson 3.5 out of 5 stars (15)$0.00 Paranoia by Joseph Finder 4.1 out of 5 stars (202)$0.00 My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent 3.6 out of 5 stars (5)$0.00 Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.8 out of 5 stars (313)$6.59

Amazon.com Home  |   Directory of All Stores

International Sites:  Canada  |  United Kingdom  |  Germany  |  Japan  |  France  |  China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Build an eCommerce Site  |  Advertise With Us  |  Developer Services  |  Self-Publish with Us

Help  |  View Cart  |  Your Account  |  1-Click Settings  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage

Careers at Amazon  |  Investor Relations  |  Press Releases  |  Corporate Responsibility

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks (October 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760311625
• ISBN-13: 978-0760311622
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #394,448 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars George Rickerson Only Scratched the Surface, March 29, 2004

By	Alfa Male (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This book is not only inaccurate but it contains virtually some of the same text originally published in "Alfa Romeo Spiders" by David Owen in 1982. The similarity of certain passages is just too similar to be coincidence.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Chris Rees is not an expert, January 12, 2003

By	George Rickerson (Columbia, MO USA) - See all my reviews

One would expect a book with this title to be written by someone who is an Alfa expert. But twice in the opening chapter Mr. Rees states unequivocally that the original Alfa spider was designed by Bertone. This is, of course, ridiculous. All Alfa spiders have been designed by Pinifarina.

The photos are good, and Mr. Rees appears to be thorough. It is just that the error about such a fundamental fact undermines my confidence in the rest of his work.

3.0 out of 5 stars Bertone spider?, July 7, 2009

By	Alfabean - See all my reviews

There's no question that the production Alfa Giulietta Spider was by Pininfarina. But what about the photo of the Bertone prototype at page 18 of David Hodge's "Essential Alfa Romeo" (1995 ed.)?