more than 170,000 Spiders to the United States. An instant
and enduring classic, the Spider has enjoyed continued
popular support in the automotive press. In 1976 Car and Driver, comparing the Fiat Spider against eleven other convertibles, including the Alfa Romeo Spider, MGB, Jensen Interceptor III, Triumph TR6, and Mercedes Benz 450SL, described the Spider as "one of life's rare finds" and concluded that the Fiat was
the "best all-around convertible money can buy."
Twenty-eight years later, in choosing its top collector cars
for 2004, Classic Motorsports included the Fiat Spider noting,
"at their best they are a wonderful-to-drive classic Italian
roadster with great styling and a terrific engine. They are
also a very livable classic daily driver as long as they
are correctly maintained. There is no more affordable
classic Italian roadster available today. "
I have included a brief design history of the Spider,
information on the number of Spiders produced, and pictures
of my beloved Spider. I'd like to hear from you if you have
any comments, suggestions or suggested links. Enjoy!
-Ken Watkins
