Oral Traditions & Apocrypha

[Scott Fisher <sefisher@domain.elided>]

Zachary Kator asks about an apparent 5200 RPM redline in his '69 Spider.

There's an old story, which may or may not have any basis in fact, but
it's a good story nevertheless -- so with that grain of salt, here's the
oral tradition, with variants that I've heard noted:

In the late 1960s, an Italian law was passed making it illegal to sell
automobiles capable of exceeding a certain speed (which varies from
story to story; I've heard 112 mph and 122 mph) to people over or under
a certain age (I've heard under 21 and over 65).  As a way around this,
Alfa allegedly marked the tachometer at the RPM which corresponded to
that speed -- not because there was any mechanical necessity, but simply
to get around the law.  

It's a charming story, true or not.  I'm interested in hearing from any
of the first-hand Alfisti on the digest who might know the genesis of
this story -- rather like the old game of "telephone" where kids whisper
a phrase to each other and compare the final phrase against what they
started with, I suspect the history of this "Alfa urban legend" is
probably pretty entertaining.

As for where to shift, I routinely hold my Spica-equipped '74 Spider
(once it's warmed up, of course) to 6500 RPM in as many gears as I have
room for (usually no higher than 3rd, given freeway traffic around
here).  In the three lower gears, at least, it still pulls *quite*
strongly up to that point.  If you shift at 5200 RPM, you're missing the
good part of the engine...

- --Scott

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