Matt's really cool round 101 mirror

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

Matt from ReOriginals writes:

> There is a really cool round mirror that did become an "official" 
> Alfa accessory but not until the 101 cars came out. It's the one 
> with the Alfa emblem on the peak of the round back and the 3" long
> teardrop base.

W.A.D.R. I question the 101 connection. My parts books show two versions of 
this mirror, #105.03.61.017.00 which first appears on the 105.03 Duetto and 
is still listed in the 1750 parts books for cars exported to Germany and 
Denmark, but which does NOT have the Alfa emblem on the peak of the round 
back in the illustrations in either the Duetto or 1750 parts books, and which 
is shown mounted on the fender on the Duetto and on the door on the 1750; and 
#105.64.61.017.00, WITH the Alfa emblem on the peak of the round back, which 
is shown in US Supplement parts book for the 1750 and which was fitted to 
both my 1750 GT Veloce and 2000 Berlina when I bought them new. The 105.64 
indicates original use on the Montreal. I did not find any exterior mirrors 
in my early Giulietta, late Giulietta, Giulia TI, TI Super, or Super parts 
books, and would wonder if that type was used originally on the 101 cars. 

Scott Fisher mentions  that his "Junior has one of these, or more likely it's 
a knock-off -- it's made out of what appeared to be gray plastic, as though 
it had once been chromed and the plating had worn or oxidized off.". The last 
time I bought a mirror of this form from ARI, the factory store in Englewood 
Cliffs, as a replacement for a damaged one it came in gray, which I assume 
was primer, and assumed from that that some late version was used painted. It 
is quite possible that Scott's "knock off" is a completely genuine offside 
undo. 

Matt mentions using the Lucas mirror which was ubiquitous on popular British 
sports cars. Another widely used brand of the period (still available) was 
the Desmo Boomerang which had a spring-loaded base, returning the mirror to 
its original position if it got banged by a pedestrian or otherwise 
deflected. The Desmo Boomerang base comes in straight, curved, and "winged", 
which has a longitudinal pivot at the base for optimum adjustment, and all 
were available with extensions for caravan towing, as well as round, oval, 
and wedge (trapezoidal) heads in flat or convex glass.  

Matt also writes that "There is an "official" Pininfarina mirror used on any 
cars made by them, Fiat, Alfa etc. It's a trapezoid mirror, the arm attached 
slightly off center with a triangular base about 1 1/2"- -"  Skimming the 
photos in d'Amico & Tabucchi, mostly (but not all) vintage factory publicity 
photos, eight Giulietta Spider shots have no exterior mirrors and the ninth 
has a little round base looking very Desmo, but that photo (used as a 
Giulietta Spider on p.420 in volume 1) is also used as a Giulia Spider Veloce 
on p.561 in volume 2. All of the other Giulia Spider shots (four, of three 
different cars) have a trapezoidal mirror matching Matt's description. The 
Duetto shots have the round shallow conical preciously discussed, and 
trapezoidals are shown on both the nekkid kammtail (w/big end out) and the 
'83 spoiled (literally and figuratively) versions, w/big-end in on that 
version, so it seems to cover the period Scott is concerned about.

John H.
Raleigh, N.C.

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