ALFA ROMEO Spider 1983-1990 Photos, engines & full specs

Alfa Romeo introduced the third series of its original 1966 Spider in 1983 and improved it over its predecessor in every way, without losing its sex appeal.

At the beginning of the '80s, the new safety regulations were stricter, and the carmakers had to adapt their models. Some just added fatter bumpers, which made the designers annoyed, while others tried to integrate the mandatory features into the original shape. Alfa Romeo took the second path, even though it was a harder road.

For the 1983 model, the light and nimble Spider kept the original design as a two-seat roadster with only the windshield poking up the sky above the beltline. At the front, the car featured a new hard rubber bumper with integrated turn signals and parking lights underneath it. The round headlights stayed in their place with a similar design and chromed rings around them. An apron was slightly extended behind the bumper. Alfa Romeo offered a removable hardtop with a glass windscreen in the back for colder days.

The two-seat cockpit was heavily revised. The dashboard was modern and featured a radio-cassette player mounted on the center stack, just above the angled gear stick and under three-round vents. An instrument panel with more dials arranged into a semi-circular layout showed a better view for the driver. Even the seats were enhanced with bucket seats but no bolstering.

Under the hood, Alfa Romeo installed a 2.0-liter twin-cam engine. In Europe, the carmaker offered it with three carb-choices: Solex, Weber, or Delorto. The Italian carmaker chose to play safe with the emission tests and installed a Bosch mechanical fuel-injected system for U.S. customers.