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Alfa Romeo Duetto 1966 - 1969 FAQ --

There were three Duettos being used in the Graduate

The Graduate Duetto was in fact three different. They were all US specs with no headlamp cowls. One had the number OUP367 and another had 5600 on the plate. That car appears on a photo from the takings in the book Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider by Giorgio Nada, p79.  The movie can be seen here.

Long-time Duetto owner and friend Axel R.  has good input. 

"Sun visors or internal mirrors (e.g. in the "Drive-In-Scene") are often temporarily dissmantled in movies due to better visibility while shooting into or out of a car. For me, its not shure, that there are visibly differences between two or three used Duettos, if these minor things are temporarily mounted or dismantled. The antenna is in the same position in the Movie and I can't recognize other differences in the Duettos. My version of the movie is only the Duetto-Scenes (9min.). The Duetto never had headrests as a factory option.

There are more than one (continuity) errors in the movie. One scene eg.: Benjamin comes out of the pool, next scene: he is totally dry and his hair is dressed perfectly. One Duetto-scene: The Duetto without sun visors drives into the gas station. It leaves with sun visors and btw with the original engine sound.

The Duettos used might be italian versions. They have white indicator lenses. Plexis are probably dismantled, but I couldn't see any holes. There were no US versions in 1966/67 IMHO. Perhaps there was an European version without plexis. The movie was shot starting April 24 in 1967 and launched in December same year.

In a comment to the review of the silver Duetto by Harrys Garage. User "Individual1" says: "I met a man who worked for Alfa in California when the Graduate was being made. Alfa actually made the film company buy the cars!I say cars because there were 2 used. Apparently Dustin Hoffman ran the first one into a curb and rendered it undrivable. The film company had to buy the second one. Apparently, there are subtle differences seen in the 2 cars."

The mentioned "curb accident" might be seen in the movie, when Benjamin hits the curb hard on the passenger side with the girl Elaine in the Car. (It can be seen in the mnovie at approx 1h 1m here when Elaine syas "Let's go to the Taft Hotel). The entire front of the Duetto seems to be up in the air by this hit. There is some bright smoke too in this scene (damaged oilpan? and perhaps the lower crossbar and the whole drivetrain too)".

The recognizable licence-plate OUP 367 is likely to be fiction. The movie is produced during 1966/67 and was introduced on 21. December 1967. The dark blue or black colour of the plate can be seen several times in the movie.  Regarding the license plate OUP367   here is a site with more details about US license plates.

More about Californian license plates here. 

The 1/B xy 5600 plate:
Is not visible in the Movie. Shown at the external Picture of the "rainy Scene" in the Book "Duetto Spider", Editione Giorgio Nada, Page 79. The Plate seems to be sticked with bright tape on a bar or something similar. Perhaps its a Plate for Trailers or a Filming Studio Area. This Plate could be a Plate of Idaho as they have a Countrycode at first Letter. 1/B is the Countrycode for Bannock (Potatello) in Idaho. Seen here. and here.:  

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