The Spider first broke cover at the 1961 Turin motorshow, but a combination of Italy's economic problems and Alfa's ongoing success with its existing models meant production was delayed until 1966, and the official launch took place at the Geneva show of that year. The pretty two-seat roadster then known as the 'Duetto' is said to have been the last project with which 'Pinin' Farina was personally associated, and it was his company that produced the monocoque body at its plant in Grugliasco. Just one year later the model was immortalised by the Dustin Hoffman film 'The Graduate'. The chassis was based on that of the Giulia 105 and the Series One examples were powered by a 1,570cc version of Alfa's sonorous four-cylinder twin-cam unit. The car boasted a sporting specification, including independent front suspension, disc brakes all round and a five-speed manual gearbox. In 1967, the Duetto was replaced by the 1750 (1,779cc) Spider Veloce. Though the new version's looks were relatively unchanged, useful upgrades were made to the suspension, brakes, electrics, wheels and tyres. The Series 2 Spider arrived in 1970. The rounded tail was replaced with a distinctive 'Kamm' design and a year later engine capacity was increased to 1,962cc, prompting the name to be changed to 2000 Spider Veloce. With 131bhp on tap, this was the quickest Spider yet and capable of over 120mph. From 1975 the interior was modified to include a pair of occasional rear seats.

The 1976 righthand drive example on offer was supplied by Bell & Colvill of West Horsley. It is finished in silver with a black vinyl interior. A very rare one owner car, it is said to have covered just 52,200 miles and even the original rubber floor mats apparently still look as new. Indeed, the vendor describes every aspect of the Alfa as 'lovely', and only used on sunny days for the last 10 years. It is MOT'd into October. A one owner Spider of this age is a rare animal indeed - especially with so modest a mileage. Its sale represents an interesting opportunity for the model's many fans.

Image and description kindly supplied by H&H Classic Auctions