Petrolicious – 1969 Alfa Romeo Spider – Video

“1969 is really about an era when I grew up,” says Keith Helmetag, “and when I did things like surfing at the beach, hiking in the woods…”

“This car really embodies that outdoors, ‘go for it’ spirit.”

He may just be right: 1969 was a particularly great vintage for Alfa Romeo’s long-lived Duetto “Spider”. With hardly any option but to motor with the top down, the tiny car’s form drops away at each end—a stylistic trick that helps immerse both driver and passenger in the scenery around them.

An artist and designer by trade, Helmetag was also drawn to this particular car’s color.

“In choosing a color, most Alfa Romeos are red. But I’m an eccentric, I like something a little bit different,” he says. “The green really appeals to me because I love nature, I love being outside.”

Don’t think you’ll catch this stunning Duetto tucked away in a garage somewhere: with tastefully applied upgrades, he covers more than 5,000 miles per year, often taking it to meetings and other more practical engagements.

Still, the open road is never far away. “I’ve just gone through another restoration…so the car is ready for another decade or more,” he says.