RE: Duetto vs. Non Duetto, Super vs. Veloce, etc.

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

Chris Idleman wrote "let's not forget that  the Giulietta Spider "Veloces"
were actually "Super Spiders. And it's  my understanding that use of the name
"Normale" to describe a level of  trim/performance was advanced by Alfa
enthusiasts, not the factory.". 

Russ Neely wrote "The models of spider are the spider and the spider veloce .
You are correct, I believe about the Normale disigination. However, the Super
Spider designation was also used by the enthusiasts, not the factory".

In the Giulietta parts book #608, published 11/1957 all Spider references are
to the Spider and Super Spider, while all Sprint references are to the Sprint
and Sprint Veloce. On page 8 it says "La denominazione Giulietta Super Spider
vale solo per il mercato U.S.A. Per tuti gli altri mercati la stessa vettura
viene denominata Giulietta Spider Veloce."  "The name Giulietta Super Spider
has value only for the US market. For the other market the same car is named
Giulietta Spider Veloce."

So Russ is slightly off-base in saying "used by the enthusiasts, not the
factory". It was used in all early road tests in this country that I have
seen, and was used by a fair number of enthusiasts (purists?) who felt that
those who called it a "Veloce" were putting on airs. I had never heard (until
now) of anyone calling it a "Giulietta Super Spider Veloce".

On the somewhat related GTV versus GT Veloce question, I have a 1967 GT Veloce
brochure which does use both terms- GT Veloce in the main heading and in two-
thirds of the text references, but GTV as a shorthand alternative in a couple
of places. I personally prefer GT Veloce, Super Spider for the early Giulietta
"Veloces", Duetto for the 1600 roundtails, but I don't get hung up on it.
"Normale" and "abnormale" seem like legitimate and useful retroactive terms,
as "TZ1" is for the Tubolares which preceded the TZ2. I was never bothered by
the continued use of "Veloce" for the entry-level cars after the less-enhanced
cars were dropped, but I agree totally with Fred's opinion that the
Graduate/Veloce/Quadrifoglio name line-up, where Veloce simply means what
DeLuxe used to mean, is ridiculous.

Most of the "Special Edition" names rub me about the same way that "Monza" and
"Le Mans" do on GM cars. I do have one brochure, from the tail end of that
era, which gladdens my heart; it is for a Spider which was simply called "The
Special Edition Alfa Romeo Spider. It was sometime in the early eighties-
rubber bumpers but no ducktail- and had "a special interior package and top,
plus other special features designed for the purist", but no trick names,
badges, stripes, or other yadda-yadda. 

relatively purely,

John H.
Raleigh N.C.

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