Lid evolution during the early Genesis (and Spirit) years

[HankBates]

I think that in the early 90s when Weber decided to make a lower end machine (as opposed to the 1/1000 Genesis line) with the introduction of the original Spirit series, they wanted to make it visibly different.
Smaller size (lids and cookbox) and fewer options. Both the 500 and the 700 used lower volume lids, and shallower cookbox and single layer flavorizers. After several years they used what they had learned to make the Genesis alphabet units, and abandoned the dual layer machines, and saved some mfg cost.
The Spirit 500 and the Genesis A had virtually all dimensions reduced, with virtually no interchangeability of components with the 3 burner machines.
I don't think the shallower lid was a good choice, and they abandoned it sometime before 2000, not sure that late 90's 700s (and perhaps 900s) lids changed, and I think that some Silver As had 500 lids.
The Junior looked like it was squished sideways, and the 500/700 top to bottom; neither looked as good as the early Gennys.

 

[Jon Tofte]

That's a pretty good analysis. The Spirit name has had different applications. In ~2006 when Weber abandoned the SIlver/Gold/Platinum models and embraced the entirely new 300 series grills, I think they had a smart idea to ship the tooling of the old model overseas and rebadge the 2-burner Silver A and 3-burner Silver B now as Spirit grills. It let this classic design live on a little while longer and gave buyers a low-cost entry model.

The Jr. indeed looks like a regular Genesis that has been "squished sideways." Same front to back depth as the 3-burner. It kind of resulted in a bit of a "hacksawed" look a little like the Studebaker Lark or AMC Gremlin. It does look a little "off" but now that is part of its charm as a collectible grill. Some say it wasn't a good cooking machine in spite of retaining the Genesis double row of flavorizer bars. My limited experience with my own Jr. doesn't support this assessment.

 

[Steve Hoch]

I find it interesting that although a Spirit 900 looks very much like a Genesis 1000 it shares very few common parts. Even more interesting is that if you compare them they do actually share many parts with the first Silver B models.

 

[Bob Erdman]

My 2001 Silver A has shallow hood, I think they switched to the taller hood on the A's when they started making them overseas. I like the look of the smaller hood and I think it helps heat up the grill faster because of the reduced volume. With my CI grates it's does an excellent job grilling steaks.

 

[Jon Tofte]

That probably explains why my 2-burner Skyline easily gets very hot. I swapped the Skyline hood (which is the same size as your blue one) onto the body of a late Silver A that originally had the larger, more rounded hood.