Alfa Romeo axed the Spider in the USA when the original model’s production stopped in 1993, but the series continued elsewhere with a modern successor designed by Enrico Fumia at Pininfarina.
Neither the Spider’s replacement nor its coupe sibling, the GTV, were ever sold here, as Alfa Romeo abandoned the US and Canadian markets in 1995, but some examples have made it over to this side of the Atlantic.
Normally, you would have to wait 25 years to import the Spider that was made from 1995 to 2004 without much trouble into the USA, but this car’s owner brought it in from Canada.
It’s a 1996 model powered by Alfa’s 2.0-litre TwinSpark four-cylinder, which in its heydays, peaked at 150PS (148hp) and 186N·m (137 lb·ft). Paired to a five-speed manual, it pushes the open-top model to 100km/h (96km/h) in under 9 seconds.
The NY-based seller says it has a new top, tires and has been serviced, adding that “Paper Work provided by Us will be (Bill of Sale and Quebec Title)” – we’d make sure that you can register it in your state.
The front-wheel driver Spider was a neat looking car at its time and with a different set of alloys and perhaps a slightly lowered suspension, it still is, which is a testament to the Pininfarina studio’s talent – don’t forget, this car was presented 3 years before the Audi TT, and let’s not even compare it (in terms of design) with the BMW Z3 that was launched the same year.
The problem with owning a car that was never offered in the States has to do with maintenance and the difficultly plus cost of acquiring parts, which is something you do need to take into consideration.
Right now, the highest bid for the 58k mile Spider is $7,100 on eBay with 4 days left for the auction to end (Sunday, May 3, 2015).
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