If today Good price or no dice The Spider was under development, but Alfa Romeo intended to sell the car in the United States. Financial difficulties led the company to buy up shares in the US instead. Now both Alfa and this Spider are here. Let’s see if the wait was worth it.
A common meme on the internet shows an image of a man smiling nervously with the caption: “It seems my get-rich-quick plan is taking a very long time.” That’s the problem with plans, they often don’t go according to plan . Such a reality means that the 2001 BMW 530i The stock we looked at yesterday may not be the solid investment opportunity its seller touted. At $14,999, that was simply too high an initial investment, especially since the seller had also pointed out that the car had a number of small issues that needed to be addressed. The result was a stunning 93 percent no-dice loss.
OK, since we’ve had three cars in a row from Portland, Oregon, Craigslist, all of which got no traction, I think it’s high time for us to move on. In fact, let’s take a look at a car that not only sits on the other side of the country, but also looks like a world traveler.
The 1998 Alfa Romeo Spider TS 16V is offered by a dealer in Bellingham, Massachusetts, which is interesting for several reasons. First of all, this is a car that was originally intended for the US, but never did, as Alfa withdrew from the North American market the same year it was introduced.
The Spider and its GTV coupe sibling hit European roads in 1995 and remained in production for a full decade after that. Based on a FWD platform originally developed by parent company Fiat for that company’s 155, both cars featured expressive Pininfarina styling and a distinctive Alfa nose. The coupé offers 2+2 seats, while the Spider dispenses with the two rear seats and thus creates space for the retractable top.
Over the years, several engines found their way under the Spider’s folding hood, from the 1.8-liter four to the 3.2-liter Busso V6. This one shares the difference with a 2.0-liter engine with a 16-valve twin-plug head (hence the TS in the name). That’s around 155 hp, which is sent to the front wheels via a standard five-speed manual transmission.
Because these cars were originally intended for the American market, they offer many of the comfort and convenience features Americans expect, including air conditioning, power windows and locks, and power steering. And with Alfa re-entering the US market, getting parts and servicing the car shouldn’t be an ordeal.
This and the federal government’s 25-year rule means a number of these cars are finding their way to our shores. Considering how great they look, that can only be a good thing.
Based on a quick VIN lookup, this Spider appears to have arrived here as recently as January of this year in a group of seven cars and trucks imported from Japan through the Port of Baltimore. His shipmates included a Suzuki Carry, a Toyota Land Cruiser and an old Jimny.
It’s now made it to Massachusetts, where it’s being offered by the dealer with a clean title and just 48,464 miles on the clock. Neither the Craigslist ad nor the dealer’s listing provide a close-up of the car’s instrument cluster, so we can confirm whether it’s actually miles or, considering the car’s provenance, kilometers.
Overall, this Spider appears to be in very good condition. The silver metallic paint doesn’t appear to be an issue, and the convertible top appears to be a little creased but intact. The interior shows some signs of Alfa’s famous build quality, with an ill-fitting airbag cover on the passenger side and some wavy plastic bits throughout. An aftermarket stereo head unit is installed in the dashboard, and the steering wheel has an oddly stitched cover. Other than these blemishes and a little wear on the seats, everything appears to be extremely usable with no major issues.
What’s notable is that there appear to be stickers for the Japanese market on the doors and dashboard. This is a quirky little detail that a new owner might want to keep. There’s no mention of the car’s mechanical condition, but a look under the hood reveals a clean engine bay with only odd sealant at the intake to question. What would someone pay for such an interesting and obviously fun little car?
According to the dealer, $12,500 is a fair deal for this Spider. The ad claims that international shipping can be arranged, so your foreigners can get in on the action too. What do you think of this Alfa Spider and the $12,500 price tag? Does this seem like as good a deal as the seller advertises? Or do you expect a Busso under the hood for that much?
You decide!
Bellingham. Massachusetts, Craigslistor leave Here when the display disappears.
H/T to whatsupdohc for the connection!
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