Back to FAQ. First published 2 November 1999

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Alfa Romeo Spider Frequently Asked Questions. FAQ!

Production figures

In Spider terms, there is no more contentious an area than that of production statistics. Full records simply do not exist and in many cases production figures are only available by inference. However in the case of the Duetto there is general agreement on how many were made, when they were made, and what the chassis numbers were.

All left-hand drive European and American Duettos bear the type prefix 105.03, while right-hand drive cars have the prefix 105.05. The first left-hand chassis number was 105.03.660001 (March 1966) and the first right-hand drive number 105.05.710001 (September 1966). Some sources (such as Fusi) quote the final LHD chassis number as 666321 but this is almost certainly erroneous, as LHD and RHD sequences were different and the number 6321 corresponds exactly to the combined production totals for the years 1966 and 1967. The highest known surviving Duetto chassis number is 665996.

According to records disclosed at the time, the UK importer quoted the final chassis number of the RHD sequence as 105.05.710385 (imported in February 1968). This is slightly mystifying, as officially the total number of RHD Duettos built is recorded as either 379 (according to Fusi) or 382 (according to the official Arese production record source), while the highest known surviving chassis number is 710380. In all cases the total is less than the 385 indicated by the UK importer’s final chassis number. As ever with Alfa Romeo chassis numbers, the exact truth will probably never be known.

1966
LHD 3288 (chassis: 105.03.660008 * to 663298, except 660015 [produced in 1969] and 660016 and 660028 [produced in 1967]) Fusi = 3265
RHD 108 (chassis: 105.05.710001 to 710108) Fusi = 98
* It must be presumed that chassis numbers before 660008 were pre-production prototypes; the earliest known surviving chassis number is 660012

1967
LHD 665 – >> THIS MUST BE 2000 OUT (chassis: 105.03.663299 to 663961, plus 660016 and 660028) Fusi = 2677
RHD 274 (chassis: 105.05.710109 to 710382) Fusi = 281

1968
LHD 0 Fusi = 3
RHD 0

1969
LHD 1 (chassis: 105.03.660015) Fusi = 0
RHD 0

1970
LHD 0 Fusi = 1
RHD 0

TOTAL
LHD 3954 Fusi = 5946
RHD 382 Fusi = 379
GRAND TOTAL
4336 Fusi = 6325

PRODUCTION CHANGES

1966 March The Duetto is officially launched at the Geneva Motor Show

Almost immediately some minor changes are made, including changing the rubber concertina gear lever gaiter for a vinyl bag gaiter, and swapping the Alfa Romeo badged radio blank for a Pininfarina blank

 1966 NovemberAt the Turin Motor Show, a new design hardtop replaces the previous version, having a raised strip behind the rear window line

1967 Owing to problems with the rocker cover gasket being sucked inwards, a modification is made to the rocker cover (retro-fit available); also a Bonaldi brake servo is made available in mid-1967. Although production effectively ended towards the end of 1967, the Duetto continued to be offered into 1968 and solitary examples were also built in 1969 or 1970