Duetto vs. Non Duetto

[Joe Senesac <senesac@domain.elided>]

I would like to add to the discussion of  Duettos versus non Duettos.  I
own a '67 and two '67 parts cars, both of which I always call Duettos.

In fact, as evidenced by the osso di Seppia Roundtail Register website
(http://SiteCentral.com/osso), probably the more important distinction
in my mind is roundtail spider versus kamm tail spider.  We have
established a register at this site, and call all roundtail spiders
Duettos.  Even if the proper name for the 1750 spider roundtail is "1750
spider veloce," it has seemed logical for many people to call ALL
roundtail spiders "Duettos."  One can argue the same for the 1300 spider
junior, if it is a roundtail spider, then we have classified it as a
Duetto.  The key point is the roundtail body design that many consider
magical  - I for one cannot understand why alfa ever changed to the kamm
tail, imagined wind tunnel arguments aside.

So, regardless of what the factory name was for these cars, the working
definition that I have learned from many others is that if it is a
roundtail spider, it is a Duetto.  Whether perfect or not, this is what
my experience about the cars has been.  Some may call the 1750 roundtail
a "1750 Duetto," same for a junior as a "1300 Duetto," but the name
sticks all the same.

One other point to add to the discussion is that the distinction between
1966 and 1967 model years is largely semantics - there is such a mix of
cars that were built early and were first registered as 1967s that
saying there was a 1966 or a 1967 model year is trying to add precision
where there is none.  The same holds true for 1750s, etc., over the 1967
to 1970 period.

A couple of other sites you might want to visit to find out more about
Duettos are Wille's european site at
http://hem.passagen.se/veloce/HEM.HTM and my home page at
http://home.sprintmail.com/~senesac.

Joe Senesac (with Bo Monroe, Brian Wermeyer at the Osso website)
Duetto Register Keeper

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