It’s Pininfarina’s 80th birthday and this corrozzeria to the stars is doing nothing less than paying tribute to an even older more storied automotive company, Alfa Romeo with a particularly breathtaking roadster concept dubbed

Thoroughly modern yet paying respect to Alfa's glorious past, the 2uettottanta Concept is why Pininfarina should pen the next Spider... just don't let them name it. (Photo: Pininfarina)

. 

For Alfisti the first half of the name is easy to decipher, the numeral “2” substituting for the original “Due” (two in Italian, depicting its two-place sports car configuration) and “etto” a common suffix added to Italian nouns for an emotional connotation (or 100 grams at the butcher’s counter).  The beginning of the name quite obviously pays tribute to the beautiful little Alfa Romeo Duetto roadster that eventually became the Spider, Pininfarina designed as well.  “Tanta”, on the other hand, means “so much” or “so great” in Italian, and all you need is a quick glance at this beautifully shaped two-seat drop top to realize our Italian friends named it well. 

Pininfarina

A shapely rear end. (Photo: Pininfarina)

has been designing Alfa Romeos since the company was named Pinin Farina, the first model being the Cabriolet type 6C 1750 Gran Sport that spanned the years 1930-32, followed by the 1935 Spider Sport Aerodinamico, and therefore it only seems natural for the upcoming model to be penned by the original Duetto.  The next-generation Spider, or whatever it will be called, is also a car that is likely to make its way to North America, whose shores first learned of Alfa Romeo and its little Duetto en masse via the same film that brought Dustin Hoffman household fame, The Graduate. 

The little

If built, the upcoming 'Duetto' would stand alone as a unique statement of rolling art. (Photo: Pininfarina)

concept roadster gets powered by the correct number of cylinders, four.  While a turbo resides under its graceful hood, the new engine’s displacement remains true to the Duetto’s heritage with 1.7+litres at its disposal, just like the top-line 1750 of the past. 

Each disc gets framed by a specially designed alloy rim wrapped in a low-profile Dunlop performance tire, the rotors being high-performance Brembos made of a carbon-ceramic combination. 

No one outside of Pininfarina or Alfa Romeo knows for sure if the 2uettottanta concept will get the nod for production, but a modern interpretation of Alfa’s classic Duetto

Gorgeous! (Photo: Pininfarina)

would likely do wonders for this Fiat-owned brand that’s unfortunately been struggling as of late, capable of doing well on the sales charts as well as potentially becoming an automotive icon that the next forty years of car enthusiasts will drool over. 

But some advice from outside Turin, Alfa:  let Pininfarina design the car, but name it yourself.  We think Duetto Spider would work well, now that you’re pulling classic names like Giulietta from the past.