Cars
Spider USA: a symbol of sporty well-being
This article discusses the history and evolution of American open-top two-seater sports cars, or "spiders", from their origins as racing cars in the early 20th century to their current designs.
To start a conversation about American spiders – or rather open-top two-seater sports cars – you have to start from afar. The first open-top two seaters were originally created for racing and today rank amongst the most coveted models at the Concours d'Elegance events. We're talking about Mercer and Stutz.
Proud adversaries on the track between 1911 and 1914, the two cars also represented an aristocratic example of road-going super sports. And it didn't take long for the idea to catch on, as demonstrated by Fred Duesenberg who, among his models, boasted the magnificent model J form the 30s. It's sad to remember that the founder of the company lost his life in an accident with this same, very high-performance model for the time. In the pre-war period, another flagship of the American car industry was Auburn, whose muscular silhouette made no secret of its intentions.
