Duetto Rescue Society: An Introduction
SUMMARY
The Duetto Rescue Society was founded with the mission to rescue the beloved, yet often neglected, Alfa Romeo “Duetto”, while fostering a community of like minded Duetto appreciators, craftsmen, and historians.
Specifically, the Duetto Rescue Society goes to unreasonable and illogical lengths to rescue the venerable Alfa Romeo Spider series one “boat tail” automobiles produced in Italy between 1966 and 1969. The Duetto captured worldwide fame as Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) desperately dashed across the Golden Gate Bridge to the music of Simon and Garfunkel in the movie Graduate.
The market value for Duetto has appreciated dramatically in recent years and the quantity available is finite: in total just over 10,000 automobiles were produced in Italy for European and USA markets for model years 1966 to 1969. The quantity in existence today is unknown; many thousand acknowledged to be lost forever due to damage and decay.
The Duetto Rescue Society finds, historically documents, and then professionally restores each individual Duetto project. The end-product is either sold at an on-line auction or built specifically for a predetermined client. Upmost care is taken to insure authenticity and unparalleled quality. Modern driving performance and safety upgrades assure reliability and joy.
THE PROBLEM
The Alfa Romeo Spider series one “boat tail” automobiles produced in Italy between 1966 and 1969 initially received high acclaim as a driver’s convertible with sports car handling, innovative mechanical systems, and reasonably high-quality production methods. Alfa Romeo automobiles have been in existence since 1910 with a long and rich history in automobile racing. Notably, Enzo Ferrari was a driver and engineer with Alfa Romeo before going on to form the famed Ferrari Scuderia in 1939.
Unfortunately, several factors hindered Alfa Romeo automobiles produced in the 1960’s, namely inferior body panel metal feedstock and lack of substantial undercoating to protect against rust.
The finished Duetto produced in Italy and headed for USA were shipped across seas, and thus exposed to ocean saltwater air. It’s extremely rare to find an original Duetto today without rust and poor collision or rust repair. Many have been totally lost to protracted rust and become parts cars.
During the 1980’s and 1990’s the Alfa Romeo brand suffered quality control issues and discounted the Spider line and eventually all USA imports. The end of import largely meant the end of aftermarket support. Values depreciated resulting poor maintenance and even worse repair methods.
Adding to these issues, skilled craft, artisan, and trades people began to vanish. While the Duetto was built in a factory, repairing and maintaining one requires detailed hand work. In an era of wind tunnel design and digital controls, an analogue artifact such as the Duetto has a limited, yet devoted following.
Fortunately, the heart of the Duetto – the aluminum block four-cylinder Nord engine was developed on racing experience and proved to be extremely resilient with a 29 year production run. Additionally, the Duetto was ahead of its time mechanically with disk brakes at all four wheels, 5 speed transmission, crumple zones front and back, independent suspension in front, live axle rear, sports car handling, and more.
OUR SOLUTION
Find, document, restore, and enhance… and thoroughly enjoy.
First, to find neglected, but not too neglected Duetto’s. Rust occurs in relatively the same spot on all Duetto’s. Accidents are common on the nose and tail due to the Duetto’s low profile (and the increasing size of modern cars on the road).
Each rescue starts with the ‘donor Duetto’ being carefully documented and lovingly disassembled. Parts are cataloged, rust is investigated and tracked to the source. The history of the car is revealed with each part removed. The original color detected. Modifications discovered. The stripped car is ready to begin the intensive phase of the rescue. Full body restoration is our specialty. Working with skilled and marque acknowledged trades people, we remove and repair all signs of rust, damage, or unwanted alterations. Next the body is epoxy primed and painted to today’s high standards. A period correct body color is preferred, custom colors are possible.
The finished assembly is enhanced with high performance parts and higher than original safety precautions including: improved engine horsepower and torque, suspension upgrades, brake reliability upgrade, fuel delivery upgrade, higher quality interior finishes, better seatbelts, and additional custom features.
What we don’t do is alter the Duetto form – it is design perfection. We go to lengths to insure that fit and finish is better than original. Stance is critically important. Wheel and tire selection is paramount. No detail is missed. Everything matters. We are Duetto owners and drivers too, testing our methods first on our own cars.
We believe these cars have a soul. Throughout the Rescue we’re keenly aware that each Duetto has lived almost sixty years – there are memories imbued. Each has a personality, a history, and now a future. We give each Duetto a name – whether it’s Cecilia, Dutch, Dad’s Car, Juni, or Rusty, each name holds meaning and sentimentality. This all is presented to the new steward in a history book that lives on with the finished Duetto.
DUETTO HISTORY (BRIEF)
For more than a century, Alfa Romeo has designed and developed some of the most beautiful and capable racing and road cars ever conceived. Immediately after World War II, Alfa Romeo concentrated on delivering a complete line of production-based cars to enthusiasts eager for something new. Inspired by a series of Pininfarina prototype cars, the beautiful new Series 1 Spider was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966, captivating motorsports press and international customers. Originally named through a novel customer competition, the winning entrant “Duetto” had to be delayed due to trademark issues. Alfa Romeo officially released the sporty convertible as the Spider 1600, but is affectionately still known today as the Duetto.
In Alfa Romeo’s Duetto, Battista Pininfarina infused his 36 years of design evolution and sophistication. The simplicity of the Spider’s biconvex streamlined body established his principle of less being more, a doctrine often unattained by today’s industry. Disciplined to form following function, the Spider was shaped to dress a well proven race-bred technology felt in the heel and toe pedals, 5 speed gearbox, high revving twin cam engine and disc brakes. The overall result was in accordance with Alfa Romeo’s racing pedigree and long tradition as manufacturer of sporty barchettas.
The Series I Duetto (manufactured from 1966-1969) was delivered with 1570cc twin cam engine and dual Weber side draft, two-barrel carburetors, producing 108hp. Mated to a 5 speed manual transmission, and sporting disc brakes, the Series 1 also featured the beautifully tapered rear “boat tail” or “round tail” body design, directly carried over from the Alfa Romeo S3000 Superflow show car. This distinctive feature was later changed to the Kamm tail design in series II cars, adding to the original Duetto’s appeal. The basic design of the Duetto Spider however would continue largely unchanged for three decades – a tribute to the astonishing yet pure and flowing design of these capable cars.
TARGET MARKET
MARKET SIZE & SEGMENTS
Obviously, the Duetto is not intended as a primary vehicle, though the less pristine Duetto are occasionally used as daily drivers. The vintage car market has grown over the last decade, especially spurred by online auctions, Bring a Trailer (BaT) in particular. The Duetto occupies a unique spot in the convertible vintage sport car market that is stronger than a Miata, BMW Z3, or MG but less precious than a 911 Targa, Austin Healy, Mercedes Benz SLK, or BMW Z8. Annual Production (estimates are that possibly half have been lost to damage or rust) Year Model Quantity Produced – USA only
1966 1600 Spider 3265
1967 1600 Spider 2675
1968 1600 Spider 2
1969 1750 Spider 1146
The BaT auction website keeps all historical data from sales online available for easy access. A brief Duetto market analysis 2014 to May 2024:
Series 1 (1966 – 1969)
Total Cars Listed: 125
Cars Sold: 95
Reserve Not Met: 30
No Reserve: 29
High Sale: $97,000
Sales Price Qty Year Sold
$90K – $100K 1 2022
$80K – $90K 3 2 in 2022, 1 in 2024
$70K – $80K 2 1 in 2022, 1 in 2023
$60K – $70K 6 5 in 2022, 1 in 2024
$50K – $60K 7 2020 to 2023
Less than $50K: 107 2014 to 2014
(note: the highest priced sales all occurred for 2022 to 2024)
MARKETING
We are amazed how quickly interest in the Duetto Rescue Society has grown. Certainly, much of that is due to the Duetto’s existing appreciation. Additionally, there is a palpable enthusiasm for restoring a unique piece of art. The initial pulse has been generated by word of mouth within the Alfa community.
The objective is to establish a highly respected reputation and position within the tight Alfa community. This is fostered and given a broader public identity by a presence at various online venues: AlfaBB, Instagram, and Bring a Trailer. Listing and sale of the first project on Bring a Trailer is targeted for the late 2024.
Duetto Rescue Society aims to place the first project for sale on BaT, demonstrating proof of concept, and staking out a position in the marketplace as Duetto ‘authorities’ with high quality builds. Based on that success, the goal will be to continue to offer Duetto’s for auction or direct sale, with the desire to move into bespoke builds to Duetto enthusiasts and alfisti.
Several baseline items are in the works: a logo (seen here), a website, and establishing a business structure. However, significant marketing action can commence only with the completion of the first Duetto. Professional photography and video production will accompany a launch. The aim is to show what’s possible with the first Duetto delivery. Additional opportunities for membership and Duetto Rescue Society events will arise when the time is right.
COMPETITION… OR COMMUNITY?
A “Restomod” industry has developed of late. Singer for Porsche 911, Eagle for Jaguar E Type, Caton for Austin Healy, Cyan for Volvo P1800, and Alfaholics for the Alfa Romeo GTA and Giulia. These restored vintage classics are heavily modified with price tags starting at $300K. There are a couple vintage shops specializing in Alfa Romeo most notably Brad Co in Michigan. These are custom restoration shops with long lead times and $150K estimates (not including donor car). Typically, an Owner finds or brings in their old, rusty Alfa and two years later a beautifully restored Alfa Romeo is delivered.
However, simply put, there is no other group, individual, or society dedicated to exclusively restoring the Series 1 Alfa Romeo Duetto. In some ways the largest known competition is time – rust simply eats away at the unmaintained Duetto over time, at some point making a Duetto prohibitively expensive to rescue.
Similarly, unreasonable expectations of current owners is a limit. As values for restored Duetto increase, current owners or opportunistic scavengers begin to demand unreasonably high asking price for Duetto’s needing rescue.
Fortunately, in our work thus far we’ve found a cooperative community willing to help in the effort to save as many ‘round tails’ as possible. This is seen in locating hard to find parts, sharing fabrication and mechanical specifications, and promoting brand history. Seems everyone loves the Duetto.
TIMELINE
The Duetto Rescue Society is in operation now, with a pipeline of found Duetto projects either in the process of rescue, or awaiting rescue. Several other Duetto have been identified and are in negotiation to purchase. The object is to is find a rescue donor car every six to 12 months, complete that rescue within 15 months, and offer the finished project to the public for purchase. Concurrently, the aim is to promote a demand for the custom built Duetto rescue: a specific model and year built to an individual client’s specified color, upholstery, engine performance, suspension setup, wheel and tire look, and more. That all said, this is a handmade product, rescued one at a time, each with its own challenges and opportunities. Timelines are flexible.
Duetto Rescue Society projects in the pipeline:
Build Year Name Status
001 1966 DuSI Purchased in 2022, paint, suspension complete, engine build started
002 1966 Cecilia Purchased in 2024 and current undergoing body restoration
003 1967 Sophia Stalled project, from son after father passed, partially disassembled
004 1969 Jimmy Barely road worthy, stalled restoration referred to by our mechanic
005 1969 Rusty Non running, very rusty fully assembled, awaiting start of rescue
006 1968 Brigette A real euro 1750 – running, but not great, rust issues, etc
KEY ASSUMPTIONS
1. A readily available pipeline of neglected and rusty Duetto can be found at a
reasonable price point : condition ratio.
2. There is a finite number of candidate Duetto available for rescue and restoration.
3. Demand for vintage automobiles in America continues at current levels.
4. Demand for vintage Italian everything continues to capture America and the world’s heart.
5. Parts and trades people are available at reasonable schedules and costs.
COMPANY OVERVIEW
We founded the Duetto Rescue Society during the pandemic – a time when all harebrained ideas came to light. We’re located in one of America’s true vintage Alfa mecca – northern California SF Bay area. We’ve owned / restored / driven and even wrecked Duetto, Giulia, and GTVs, but we come back to the convertible as our favorite, mostly for its sheer beauty. The Duetto is, unquestionably, rolling art.
FOUNDERS
Matthew Wadlund is an architect (M Arch UC Berkeley 1999), builder and former chef. His firm Wadlund+ Design Studio, has designed, built, and sold 23 single family houses in Berkeley over the last eight years. In 2014, after the great recession, Matthew came upon a neighbor’s (Christopher Off, Off Enterprises) Alfa Romeo shop. This led to the purchase of a 1975 Series 2 Spider, followed by a 1967 Series 1 Spider, then a 1968 GT 1300 Jr, and then a 1967 GT Veloce. Matthew is current finishing up the restoration of “DuSi” a 1966 Duetto that’s serving as the Duetto Rescue Society prototype restoration.
Daniel David is a Bay Area native, having grown up in the wine and food business and proudly claims to have attended every public school available in Berkeley. His uncle has been in the automotive business his entire life and continues to the present, repairing, restoring, and selling vintage vehicles. Daniel manages family-owned real estate in California and out of state as well as a book publishing business, and a Napa Valley vineyard which produces estate wines. Daniel currently drives a 1971 Alfa Romeo Spider.
CRAFTSMEN
Duetto Rescue Society has developed a relationship working closely with:
Jim Cestarollo, AlfaMan: engine build, assembly, final tuning and quality control
Dan Marvin / Christopher Off: Alfa specialists and engine builders
John Norman, Norman Racing: Alfa Parts and advice
Dorin Valenzuela, DV Mechanics
Gordon Raymond, expert in Weber Carburetor rebuild
Rex Chalmers, AlfaSport gearbox rebuild
Paul Spruell, performance 105 parts
Brian Bendix, American Stripping: media blasting and priming
Marcos Body Shop / Sons Body Shop: Body and paint
Jim Silva, Sure Fit: upholstery and convertible tops
California Covers: upholstery and convertible tops
FAQ
