Now that the Fiat Spider has been discontinued, for the second time, opportunity knocks for Alfa Romeo to resurrect its very own roadster.

It has been almost thirty years since the last Alfa Romeo Spider was produced for the United States. There is an entire generation of car enthusiasts who don't know this Italian classic ever existed.

Like in the music and fashion industries, artists sample old records and designers bring back clothing trends all the time. They do so because if it worked in the past, it could work again for a new generation who never experienced it before. Luckily for Alfa Romeo, they're based out of Milan, the fashion capital of Italy, so designing a retro yet contemporary Spider should be a catwalk, I mean cakewalk. Now tell that to a coach-builder having to work around modern government regulations; easier said than done.

With the auto industry on the brink of completely transitioning to electric motors, the time is now for Alfa Romeo to bring back the Spider. A vehicle that once took Americans by storm with its sleek Italian styling and revolutionary power-train has an opportunity to reinvent itself. Whether you're crossing the Bay Bridge or zipping through a tunnel along Southern California, there's a new generation of Graduates that need to experience the Spider again.

Quadrifoglio: The Luck Of The Italian

spider alfa romeo
Source - Victor Troia

The Alfa Romeo Spider was in production from 1966 to 1994 with four series' making up its iconic run. By the mid-eighties, the series 3 Spider introduced the Quadrifoglio trim. It had front and rear spoilers along with a matching color hardtop and side skirts, the Quadrifoglio was the top trim among series 3 Spiders. Red carpeting, gray leather seats and power windows and mirrors rounded out the interior options. Even the series 3 base model was cool because it was called the "Graduate", named after the 1967 film the Spider was first featured in.

Quadrifoglio means four leaf clover in Italian, but it means much more than that to Alfa Romeo. The Italian automaker has reserved the Quadrifoglio badge for only its very best performance cars. It all began in 1923 Sicily, with a race car driver named Ugo Sivocci.

Sivocci raced for Alfa Romeo along with teammates Antonio Ascari, Giulio Masetti and a fourth driver you may have heard of named Enzo Ferrari. Before the Targa Florio race in Sicily, Sivocci was never able to reach the top of the podium. Tired of being second best, he decided to paint a green four leaf clover inside a white diamond on his Alfa Romeo race car for good luck. As a result, Sivocci went on to win the 1923 Targa Florio race and attributed his victory to the Quadrifoglio.

The now superstitious race car driver would continue to have success all year with the painted four leaf clover on the hood of his car. Prior to the iconic Italian Gran Prix in Monza, Sivocci was testing a new Alfa Romeo race car on the track. He had yet to paint the Quadrifoglio badge on his car, when tragedy struck. Sivocci crashed his race car and died before he ever had a chance to race at Monza. Ever since then Alfa Romeo elected to pay tribute to Sivocci and paint the four leaf clover on all their race cars, although this time on a white triangular background. The three corners of the triangle symbolized the three drivers for Alfa Romeo, Ascari, Masetti and Ferrari, with the missing corner in honor of Sivocci.

Related: The 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider Is A Forgotten Star From The Graduate

Timeless and Emotionally Stimulating

Spider Little Italy
Source Victor Troia

There is a reason why the Spider is Alfa Romeo's longest running model. Not only is the Spider aesthetically pleasing, but it encapsulates everything you want in a sports car. Perhaps it's the distinct smell of Italian leather or the perfect sound the doors make when you close them; the Spider will make you appreciate its classic appeal.

When you get inside an Alfa Romeo Spider, it's almost like you're stepping back in time. The chassis, powertrain and front end of the car essentially hasn't changed since the mid-sixties. The bespoke placement of the gear shifter at the top of the center console puts the driver in such a unique yet natural position. When you drive an Alfa Romeo Spider, it doesn't matter if it's a series from the 1960s or 1990s, people are going to always ask you, "What year is that thing?"

Like all things we love, if it brings us joy, it will also bring us pain. Alfa Romeo Spiders operate with the same concept. You can't live with them, and you can't live without them. They require attention and care, if you neglect them, be prepared for it to not function properly afterward. If you ignore it, chances are a bigger problem will arise later on. If you've ever been in a somewhat toxic relationship, all this might sound familiar. Spiders are surely temperamental, but that's what makes them so exciting. They will tap into a passion you may have never known existed.

Related: 10 Greatest Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio Models Ever Made

The Perfect Time For A Roadster

Spider San Diego
Source Victor Troia

Roadsters have been around for a while, especially in America. Whether you're carving through a desert canyon, or cruising by the beach with your hair flowing in the wind; Americans love a good convertible. If you look at today's selection of roadsters, you won't find many new options. Mercedes-Benz discontinued the SLC and SpaceX will send a man to Mars before you see a Tesla Roadster on the streets. Of course there is the Mazda Miata, Audi TT, Porsche Boxster and BMW Z4 which have all been in production since the late eighties and nineties. But there has yet to be another affordable luxury option to come to market since. Many have come and gone because its such a niche market and roadsters rarely turn a profit for their manufacturers.

Enter a new Alfa Romeo Spider, priced below their European competitors but more refined than the Miata and the 124 Spider that came before it. A design that only an Italian coach-builder can sculpt accompanied by a smooth responsive power train with the stiffest handling capability. Combine that with a throaty exhaust note that emulates the sounds of an Italian Soprano echoing inside an opera house. And you have yourselves a proper roadster that can reach an entirely new generation of enthusiasts.

O Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore Art Thou Alfa Romeo?

alfa romeo spider
Source Victor Troia

Celebrity car collector Jay Leno once dubbed the Alfa Romeo as one of the "most iconic sports cars of all time". The car was born on the silver screen back in 1967. Since then generations of car enthusiasts aspired to own an Alfa Romeo Spider. Fast-forward 55 years, and those same enthusiasts are now collecting social security. It's time for Alfa Romeo to reach a new demographic of passionate car aficionados.

Alfa Romeo is going through a metamorphosis, so now is the perfect time to innovate and bring back the sports car that Americans once fell in love with. It may take some ingenuity and a little-bit of luck to recapture the heart of an American audience. But with some Italian styling and a four leaf clover on the fender, how could you ever bet against a new Spider Quadrifoglio?