The Alfa Romeo 8c Spider concept - which has thus far remained hidden away - will make its first ever public appearance at Pebble Beach this month.

Flushed by the hugely positive public reaction to the unveiling of the stunning Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione concept sportscar - fitted with a 4.2-litre Maserati V8 engine - at the Frankfurt IAA in 2003, Centro Style Alfa Romeo immediately let it be known that they would be creating a 'Spider' version. However as attention focused elsewhere, this project was never to see the light of day. Now, with Alfa Romeo being one of the featured marques at the famous Pebble Beach Concours this year, and with the 'sporty' brand busy raising its profile ahead of a 2007 return to the United States market, the 8c Spider will be rolled out in public for the first time.

Everywhere the 8c Competizione was presented - including the Tokyo, Sydney, Bologna and Geneva Motor Shows - it drew widespread praise. In fact the "will they build it - won't the build it" saga has tortured Alfa Romeo enthusiasts for almost two years, and a flurry of deposits were laid down by drivers eager to own it.
 

Now the 8c Spider will join a truly mouth watering line up of Alfa Romeos at Pebble Beach. These will include the three famous, futuristic-looking, Bertone-created BAT concepts (BAT 5, BAT 7 and BAT 9) which will be seen together for the first time since 1989, as well as the Alfa Romeo G1 - the first car to bear the Alfa Romeo name - which is being shipped in from its Australian home.

The Pebble Beach organisers revealed today that the Alfa Romeo 8c Spider would be appearing, although their release gave very little away. "Derived from the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, the 8C Spider is purely and essentially a thoroughbred sports car in the traditional Alfa Romeo spirit; it offers sophisticated engineering, a sporty yet elegant shape, and strictly two-seat accommodation," the statement read. It continued, "Created at the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, the 8C Spider expresses all that is most precious in the company’s heritage.

"The low and aggressive front or the face of the car is characterised by the classical Alfa Romeo triptych—the central triangular “scudetto” flanked by horizontal “moustaches.” The lateral view of the car underscores its compactness and its classical mechanical layout, with longitudinally, front-mounted engine and rear-wheel-drive. The car is sure-footed on its prominent wheels, placed in the four corners. The “coda tronca” short tail with generous round taillights, typical for an Italian sports car, adds to the purposeful, dynamic image of the 8C Spider.

"The interior design reflects the same philosophy; the cockpit’s non-compromised ergonomics, style, and choice of materials concentrate on one goal only: the ultimate driving pleasure," the press release concluded.