Alfa Romeo Duetto

by Pat Braden

A streetable show car, the Alfa Duetto.

Pininfarina died just a month after the Duetto’s introduction in March, 1966, so the model carries the distinction of being his last design. Its design is virtually perfect in concept: an aerodynamic profile with a dramatic blood trough down the sides that ties the symmetrical front and rear together. The Duetto, whose side concavity appeared later in muted form on the Daytona Ferrari, comes very close to being a streetable show car. Its rarity is indisputable: the car was produced for only two years. The 1968-’71 spider, with almost identical bodywork but with a 1779 cc engine, is properly called a 1750 Spider Veloce. The Duetto’s 4-wheel disc brakes, twin cams, five-speed gearbox and an all-alloy 1600cc engine were significantly ahead of the market in ’66. It comes very close to being the ideal minimalist sport car, with only enough creature comforts (such as a water-tight top) to make it usable in all climates. The Duetto’s dash is unashamedly metal, and...