I know you're probably getting tired of the fiat talk
(I sure am). But I just wanted to share a small blurb
of the entomology of the "SPYDER", which I found on
another Itlian marque web page. You can get the whole
write-up at...
http://hem.passagen.se/veloce/WELCOME.HTM#spider
What follows is the relevent excerpt to the origins of
spiders.
Quote:
The word "Spider", like so many coach-building terms,
comes from the days of horse-drawn vehicles, when a
Spider was a light two- or four-wheel carriage, with
no entomological associations. It was an English or
possibly American term which found its automotive
application in Europe, especially in Italy.
Some Italians say the word comes from "speed", which
becomes "speeder" or "Spider".
The facts are, that it is Spider and not Spyder
because of an official statement by National
Federation of Body makers in 1924 in Milan (Italy),
that declared the word to be written that way. The "y"
was not in the Italian alphabet since it was a fascist
and nationalist period. It's, as you know, the
equivalent for "roadster", "speedster" or
"two-seater". Spyder comes from a kind of horse-cab
manufactured by Holmes in Dublin (Ireland), developing
an idea born in GB in 1860 as a mix of the
Tilbury-type cab (two seats, two wheels) with the
phaeton (four seats). Holmes named his cabs "Spyders",
as they resembled "Spiders" for their large and light
wheels and the body (very light) suspended among them.
The Spyder had two "main" seats (with a "cabriolet"
cover)+ 2 "emergency" seats on the rear, for the
"valets". So, when that decision was taken in 1924,
they thought to oppose to "Anglicanism" but, as a
matter of fact, they "corrected" Mr. Holmes !
end quote.
Personally, I'm tired of the affectations of vicious
or creepy animals that automakers put on cars,
"COBRA", "VIPER", "COUGAR", "THUNDERBIRD", "GOAT"
(okay, that one's not so vicious but it's still an
animal).
I think the Spitfire should have an animal
representative which symbolises it's feral animalistic
duality. Like maybe a opossum or a three-toed sloth.
It would probably be easier to choose, if there were
an animal that rusted. :)
-Terry
P.S. When cutting out your dash, make sure you bought
3/8" plywood and not 3/4" plywood. Here's a play back
of me this evening..."BUZZZZ...Damn! Something looks
out of proportion on this thing...what the... Why the
heck don't the trim pieces fit?!"
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