Pininfarina was given the responsibility for styling and building the coachwork for the Fiat 124 Spider. Battista Farina, a personal friend of Enzo Ferrari, was also responsible for the design of some of the most classic Ferraris of the 1960s. The Fiat Spider clearly reflects several of the stylings of the Pininfarina-designed Ferrari roadsters, most notably the 275 Gran Turismo Spyder and the 365 California Spyder.
The Ferrari 275 GTS, introduced in 1964, clearly shows an unmistakable resemblance to the Spider, especially in its overall proportion and recessed-headlight treatment.
The inward sloping rear fender and trunklid are also clearly visible in the 1966 Ferrari 365 California. The Ferrari's design also included chrome quarter bumpers which were integral to the Spider's AS and BS models.
The Spider also shares significant design similarities to the Corvette Rondine, a one-off show car, developed in 1963 by Pininfarina. Both cars clearly share a similar inward sloping rear fender treatment and trunklid. Both designs also reflect a character line which extends from the front fender and swoops above the door handles to form the edge of the rear fender.
Pininfarina also contributed to the design of the early MGB, which like the Spider, shares similar treatment in the slightly recessed headlight nascelles.
The Fiat Spider also contributed to subsequent Pininfarina-designed automobiles including the Peugeot 504 Cabriolet, which clearly shares design and proportion similarities with the Spider.
