Why do the call Convertibles Spyders?

[Chaos in 1983!]

How come they call convertible cars "spyder" or "spider"??

[Fleischmann]

No particular reason I think. And only the two spiders I can think of is the Ferrari and the Maserati.

[Chaos in 1983!]

How about the Toyota MR-S...S for Spyder...

[Fleischmann]

ok...so we have 3 cars....

[kawa22]

http://www.autonews.ru/img/motor2/b/alfa-spider_b4.jpg
s2000 is s-spider?
zonda spider

[Fleischmann]

http://www.autonews.ru/img/motor2/b/alfa-spider_b4.jpg
s2000 is s-spider?
zonda spider

The Alfa- OK
S2000- The S doesn't neccesarily have be short for spider
Pagani- I think it's called the roadster, not the spider

[deth]

http://www.autonews.ru/img/motor2/b/alfa-spider_b4.jpg
s2000 is s-spider?
zonda spider

The Alfa- OK
S2000- The S doesn't neccesarily have be short for spider
Pagani- I think it's called the roadster, not the spider

actually from just a quick search on supercars.net alfa, aston, ferrari, porsche, fiat, maserati, mitsubishi, plymouth, siata, spyker, toyota, ultima, abarth, ital design, lancia, and renault all ahve spyder/spider cars. well now that thats settled, back to the question, why are they called spyders/spiders?

[Fleischmann]

http://www.autonews.ru/img/motor2/b/alfa-spider_b4.jpg
s2000 is s-spider?
zonda spider

The Alfa- OK
S2000- The S doesn't neccesarily have be short for spider
Pagani- I think it's called the roadster, not the spider

actually from just a quick search on supercars.net alfa, aston, ferrari, porsche, fiat, maserati, mitsubishi, plymouth, siata, spyker, toyota, ultima, abarth, ital design, lancia, and renault all ahve spyder/spider cars. well now that thats settled, back to the question, why are they called spyders/spiders?

damn !! I hate loosing !!

Well maybe we should ask a different question...who was first to name their car a spider?? Maybe the rest just copied. Because I don't know what a real spider has to do with convertibles...

[kian]

maybe the frames of the soft top look like a spider ....
well ...perhaps

[jasc]

Here's my best guess. The word spider (the insect) originates from spinnan to spin. So spiders were so named because of their webs. Perhaps spiders/spyders were named for this fact too; be it spinning heads/tires.

An interesting tidbit: Maserati insists on calling its spiders "spyders"

[hemi_fan]

Eclipse Spyder...

[HeilSvenska]

http://www.autonews.ru/img/motor2/b/alfa-spider_b4.jpg
s2000 is s-spider?
zonda spider

The Alfa- OK
S2000- The S doesn't neccesarily have be short for spider
Pagani- I think it's called the roadster, not the spider

The name S2000 comes from the old classic(and beautiful) Honda Coupe/Roadster S600 like from sixties...did Alfa come up with the spider stuff

[Caplax40]

Mitsu 3000gt VR-4 and SL Spyder
Eclipse GS, GS-T, GT Spyder

[Chaos in 1983!]

Back to the question please...we've got clear that most manufacturers call their convertibles spider...but why?

[corvette97]

believet or not while going on the school bus today i was thinking the exact same thing...

[brijoel]

the answer to your question is........

......." It's just an attractive name for this body style, normally used by Italian manufacturers. Originally the word was an Italian designation for a light, open two-seater carriage."


essentially the word evolved itself into racing by all of the sports/race cars that were built as open/no top cars back in early motorsport. the TRUE sports car :D

Brian