| Author | Message | ||
| Tazio Nuvolari (Nuvolari)
Junior Member Username: Nuvolari Post Number: 145 Registered: 9-2002 |
I cannot find a clear answer to the Spider / Spyder spelling of the term however I do know the origins of the term. In the days of horse-drawn carriages there was a well known carriage style known as the 'Spider Phaeton' . It had 2 distinctive features. One was that it was open (ie. it was convertible) and had a lightweight roof that could be erected should it rain. The second feature was that it had really large wheels that were taller than the body of the carriage. This feature reminded people of spiders whose body rests below the arc in their legs and thus the term 'Spider' was used to describe these carriages. The name carried over to convertible cars as we see it today. | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Intermediate Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 1871 Registered: 9-2001 |
No Rob, the U.S. market got them to spell Spider the way we do in the USA. I believe the Spyder spelling is English. The Dino to Ferrari name change was to get American buyers just to buy the V8 cars. | ||
| Bruno (Originalsinner)
Intermediate Member Username: Originalsinner Post Number: 1017 Registered: 5-2002 |
No | ||
| Rob Lay (Rob328gts)
Board Administrator Username: Rob328gts Post Number: 3847 Registered: 12-2000 |
Maybe so Frank, but that's weird, the American market drove Ferrari to change the name to something more Italian. Could beeeeee. | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Intermediate Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 1868 Registered: 9-2001 |
I suspect the change from "y" to "i" was due to the American market just as the change from "Dino" to "Ferrari" for the V8 cars. | ||
| Dr Tommy Cosgrove (Vwalfa4re)
Member Username: Vwalfa4re Post Number: 650 Registered: 5-2001 |
I like the "i" better. It keeps things different from Porsche. | ||
| L. Wayne Ausbrooks (Lwausbrooks)
Intermediate Member Username: Lwausbrooks Post Number: 1107 Registered: 8-2002 |
"For production cars, it was 'Spyder' up until the 348 'Spider.'" For clarification, I was referring to the official designation of the various convertible models, not the terms that might have been used to describe the official "S" designation in brochures on the targa-roof models. Why the change from Y to I? I don't know. I doubt the usage or the change, either one, have anything to do with the Italian alphabet, though. Why doesn't someone just write to Ferrari and ask? Of course, I'm sure that we could all ask and we would each get a different reponse. | ||
| Barney Guzzo (Trinacria)
Junior Member Username: Trinacria Post Number: 141 Registered: 8-2002 |
Good point. But thats what they call it and so do most people here. I could give many other examples. | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Intermediate Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 1867 Registered: 9-2001 |
Barney, there is no "x" in facsimile in any language. | ||
| Barney Guzzo (Trinacria)
Junior Member Username: Trinacria Post Number: 138 Registered: 8-2002 |
There is no "Y" in the Italian alphabet. However, sometimes the Italian language adapts certain English words. For example there is no "X" either but they call a fax "fax" like we do. | ||
| James Glickenhaus (Napolis)
Member Username: Napolis Post Number: 684 Registered: 10-2002 |
Home is where the heart is... | ||
| James Selevan (Jselevan)
Member Username: Jselevan Post Number: 420 Registered: 6-2002 |
I have several 1972 original Brochures that describe, both in Italian and English, the 246 GTS as a Spyder. Similarly, I have original 308 GTS Brochures that use Spider. (BTW, referring to a previous thread, the Brochures all refer to "Modena - Ferrari - Italia" - not Maranello). Jim S. | ||
| Dr Tommy Cosgrove (Vwalfa4re)
Member Username: Vwalfa4re Post Number: 617 Registered: 5-2001 |
I just found an old factory brochure for the 83 308 QV. Evidentally the factory uses the "i" for these targas as well.   | ||
| L. Wayne Ausbrooks (Lwausbrooks)
Intermediate Member Username: Lwausbrooks Post Number: 1084 Registered: 8-2002 |
Rob is correct. For production cars, it was "Spyder" up until the 348 "Spider." | ||
| Jere Dunham (Questioner)
Junior Member Username: Questioner Post Number: 151 Registered: 1-2003 |
Ferrari spells with an "I" while Maserati spells with a "Y". Both Italian, now owned by the same people but with different spellings. Go figure. These spellings both come from official factory literature. | ||
| Dr Tommy Cosgrove (Vwalfa4re)
Member Username: Vwalfa4re Post Number: 610 Registered: 5-2001 |
I always thought spyder was a Porsche spelling and spider was the Italian version. My Alfa owner's manual spells it "spider". I have read about that carriage thing that Frank is talking about too. Somebody look on a Ferrari brochure or owner's manual to see how the factory spells it. I bet it is with the "i" everytime. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Advanced Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 2503 Registered: 8-2002 |
Cool history, Frank, thanks... | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Intermediate Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 1837 Registered: 9-2001 |
the term "spider" was coined when someone in the late 19th century thought an open carriage looked like a spider and that name took hold. | ||
| Ernie Bonilla (Ernie)
Member Username: Ernie Post Number: 568 Registered: 11-2001 |
Why the use of "spyder" why not call it "fly", "ant" or "bee". LOL | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Intermediate Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 2495 Registered: 8-2002 |
"Did the factory in Italy spell it Spider and it was translatted to Spyder..." If so, why...? And another important question that someone recently raised is why are some called spyders and others called spiders...? What's the deciding factor...? Who makes these rules, anyway...? | ||
| William Huber (Solipsist)
Member Username: Solipsist Post Number: 678 Registered: 9-2001 |
The British spelling of TYRE. US spells it TIRE. Hmmmmm??? | ||
| Rob Lay (Rob328gts)
Board Administrator Username: Rob328gts Post Number: 3768 Registered: 12-2000 |
You're too much Des. | ||
| Rob Lay (Rob328gts)
Board Administrator Username: Rob328gts Post Number: 3767 Registered: 12-2000 |
Good question, maybe the answer is more simple than we think. Ferrari was always a very international team and company. From the get go there were international drivers, mechanics, and customers. Ferrari even had non-Italian names and nicknames for their cars like California, Superamerica, and Daytona. Maybe Spyder was just an internationally influenced decision from an international company. Can we document the Ferraris that actually used Spyder. From the Cavallino list I have... 246 GTS Spyder 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder 275 GTB/4 NART Spyder 365 California Spyder 250 GT California Spyder SWB 250 GT California Spyder LWB 410 Sport Spyder/ 375 Mille Miglia Spyder 500 Mondial S2 Scaglietti Spyder 340 Mille Miglia Spyder 250 MM Vignale Spyder 166 MM Spyder S2 225 Sport Touring Spyder 225 Sport Vignale Spyder 166 Spyder Corsa It appears from the list that everything before the 348 was Spyder vs. Spider. Did the factory in Italy spell it Spider and it was translatted to Spyder or was it Spyder right out the factory doors? What's the British way to spell it? | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Intermediate Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 2494 Registered: 8-2002 |
Are you sure there's no Y in the Italian alphabet...? My ex-girlfriend was italian and every other thing out of her mouth was 'why'...  | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Intermediate Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 1836 Registered: 9-2001 |
Why is it that on some Italian cars Spider is spelled as Spyder yet there is no "y" in the Italian alphabet ? This querey was posed in the most recent issue of AutoItalia Magazine. |