I can picture this Duetto wafting along the B-roads of Oxfordshire countryside on a beautiful summer evening, bathed in late evening sunshine. Outside of that idyllic scenario though, these are perilous to own in the UK because we salt our roads heavily, and they rust…badly. However, few cars capture the romance of 1960s Italian motoring quite like the Alfa Romeo Duetto. This 1967 example, currently for sale on eBay here with 63,306 miles showing, represents the original “boat tail” or “osso di seppia” (cuttlefish bone) design that made the car famous. Finished in white with a red interior and located in California, this was the last project personally overseen by Battista “Pinin” Farina himself before his passing. The Duetto name came from a public competition drawing over 100,000 entries, though Alfa couldn’t officially use it due to a confectionery company’s trademark – but the name stuck anyway. Only 6,324 of these round-tailed 1600 Spiders were built during the brief 1966-1967 production run before the design was revised, making these early examples the most sought-after of the entire Spider lineage.

As you probably already know, the Duetto gained worldwide recognition starring alongside Dustin Hoffman in the 1967 film “The Graduate,” cementing its status as a cultural icon. Built on a shortened Giulia Sprint GT chassis, the Spider featured Alfa’s 1,570cc twin-cam inline-four with dual Weber side-draft carburettors, producing 109 horsepower. That doesn’t sound like much today, but with a kerb weight of just 990kg and a slick five-speed manual gearbox, these cars were renowned for their handling. The independent front suspension, live rear axle, and four-wheel disc brakes made the Duetto a proper driver’s car, whilst the flowing Pininfarina bodywork ensured it looked spectacular from every angle. The distinctive, rounded tail was both beautiful and aerodynamically sound, though Alfa would later switch to a more practical Kamm tail design for improved boot space.

The seller describes this as being in “fair condition,” which could mean anything from a solid driver to a project requiring substantial work. The VIN is listed as AR662374, and with the original red interior against white paintwork, it retains its classic colour combination. At 63,306 miles, this Duetto has been used but hopefully not abused. Looking at the photos, it appears rather rough and is parked at the back of a yard, which suggests that even though it’s a California car, it will still need restoration. The listing doesn’t provide much written detail about rust, but the photos tell their own story. There’s some rust visible under the car, though mostly surface corrosion – it’s hard to tell from the images if there’s anything more serious lurking. Under the bonnet, there are signs of surface rust as well, but it’s difficult to see if there’s more significant corrosion elsewhere without a proper inspection. The interior is tatty but looks salvageable with some work, and the hood will definitely need replacing. It mostly just needs a good clean and mechanical tune-up to get it back on the road, though a thorough inspection would be essential before committing.

These early Duettos have been climbing steadily in value, with pristine examples fetching $40,000-$60,000 or more at auction. The sparse listing and “fair condition” description suggest this might be a project rather than a turn-key example, but for someone willing to put in the work, these are charming cars to own and drive. Would you take a chance on this Graduate-famous Spider, or does the lack of information raise too many red flags?