Spyder 635337 225353613 2008-07-13T06:43:42Z 216.68.56.218 /* Ferrari */ Fixed links for "250 GT California Spyder series I" and "250 GT California Spyder SWB" (pretty sure I got the right ones) {{Otheruses4|the car body|other uses of "Spider" or "Spyder"|Spider (disambiguation)}} {{Refimprove|date=February 2008}} '''Spyder''' or '''Spider''' is a term for a [[convertible]] [[car body style]]. ==Origin== As with [[car body style|other automotive terms]], the term derives from horse-drawn carriages. A "spider" was a lighter version of a [[phaeton (carriage)|phaeton]], having narrower, spindly wheels and two-seat accommodation. The name implied an extremely rudimentary top mechanism originating from a small two-seat horse-cart with a folding sunshade made of four bows; with its black cloth top and exposed sides for air circulation it resembled an eight-legged spider. This term was subsequently applied to automobiles. Alternatively, a native Italian who has had no English influence in the pronunciation would pronounce "spyder" or "spider" as speeder. Thus a car labeled by an Italian car manufacturer as "Spyder" or "Spider" is intended to be simply a "speeder" or a sports car. In Italy, it was decided that the word is to be written as "Spider" in 1924 by National Federation of Body makers.<ref name="veloce.se">{{Cite web|url=http://www.veloce.se/WELCOME.HTM|title=Welcome|accessdate=2008-01-26|work=veloce.se}}</ref> ([[Aston Martin]] used to have a car labeled "spyder" but now have a model labeled "[[Aston Martin Volante|Volante]]", an Italian word that translates into English as "speeder".) The Italian word "volante" translates into English, in this context, as "flying". There are, in Italy, police patrols called "volante", the term referring to their ability of rapid deployment. In the world of cars, "volante" also means steering wheel. ===Porsche=== Contrary to popular belief, the first car to be officially called a "spyder" was not the [[Porsche 550 Spyder]]. Aston Martin produced a spyder in the same year. Spyder is found on a wide assortment of car names since the advent of the automobile—for example, the [[Alfa Romeo Spider|Alfa Romeo]] 8C 2900B Spider that won the [[Mille Miglia]] in 1938, before Porsche existed, by [[Clemente Biondetti|Biondetti]] of the [[Scuderia Ferrari]] team—but arguably did not receive particular notoriety or significance until the popularity of [[James Dean]]'s 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, "Lil Bastard", which he was driving when he crashed and died. ===Ferrari=== Based on popular American demand Ferrari in 1957 produced the prototype for the [[Ferrari 250#250 GT California Spyder LWB|250 GT California Spyder series I]] - which went into production in 1958 - and the 1960 refined version named [[Ferrari 250#250 GT Spyder California SWB|250 GT California Spyder SWB]]. The cabriolet - based on the Berlinetta - was pretty much a a copy of the Granturismo coupé. The car was deliberately named "Spyder", not "Spider". In the USA, many still call Ferrari's Spiders for "Spyders". ===Later years=== Other later spyders include [[Mitsubishi]], numerous [[Ferrari]]s and later [[Porsche]]s. However, the most significant and known model to wear this name was the [[Fiat 124]] Spider/[[Pininfarina]] Spider, of which approximately 200,000 were manufactured, of which 75% were sold in United States. ==Spyders== The following cars are examples of Spyder models: * [[Ferrari 360 Spider]] * [[Toyota_MR2#Third_generation_.2F_ZZW30_.281999-2007.29|Toyota MR2 Spyder]] * [[Porsche Boxster]] * [[Porsche 550 Spyder]] * [[Fiat 850]] * [[Fiat 124 Sport Spider]] / Pininfarina Spider Europa / Spider America * [[Chevrolet Corvair]] * [[Triumph TR7]] * [[Aston Martin DB2]] Spyder * [[Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder]] ==Spyder in name only== In more recent times, the term has been used by many automakers as a [[synonym]] for [[convertible]]. The following cars' names include Spyder or Spider but they do not meet the basic criteria (a roadster-like vehicle with nose slant pointing downwards to create a wedge) for "true" Spyder vehicles: * [[Mitsubishi Eclipse]] (only the convertible version is dubbed Spyder) * [[Lamborghini Gallardo]] * [[Mitsubishi 3000GT]] * [[Maserati Spyder]] * [[Alfa Romeo Spider]] * [[Porsche RS Spyder]] ==See also== * [[Cabriolet]] * [[Convertible]] * [[Roadster]] == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Car body styles]] [[it:Spyder]] [[pl:Spider (pojazd)]] [[sv:Spyder]]