Vehicle Description
There's a long-standing belief that you can't really call yourself
a car guy until you've lovingly suffered ownership of an Alfa
Romeo. Well, the suffering part doesn't have to be part of the
equation, because this 1986 Spider Quadrifoglio turns out to be
reliable and easy to maintain while still offering the delightful
road manners and thrilling soundtrack that made Alfas the
enthusiast's choice for decades.
By 1986, the Spider was getting pretty long in the tooth, but there
was an undeniable appeal to what would turn out to be one of the
US's last Alfas. And the Quadrifoglio was the top-of-the line
Spider at the time, featuring a redesigned front spoiler, side
skirts, and canvas top. The styling was pure Italian roadster and
there's still a mystique surrounding Alfa Romeo's triangular grill
and coat-of-arms. The traditional Alfa Red color is the only shade
that matters and it sure looks great on this little roadster, don't
you think? It's also obvious that this one has always been
someone's favorite toy (same owner from new to 2018!), because,
honestly, who's using this to commute to work? You could, but why
force it to sit in traffic when it really wants to get out and run?
Details like the chin spoiler are in great condition and the black
rubber spoiler on the deck lid looks fantastic without the usual
fading you see on these cars. In fact, all the black rubber parts
are in good order and everywhere you look it remains entirely as
the factory made it.
The lovely gray leather interior with red stitching were special
design specific for the Quadrifoglio, and are a perfect example of
why the Italians are unmatched at auto manufacturing. The aromatic
hides are soft and comfortable, defying the car's very affordable
price tag. Matching gray inserts on the doors lightens the entire
interior, which uses dramatic red to cover the high-wear surfaces.
Full instrumentation is, of course, part of the deal and while that
5-speed shifter might look odd sticking out of the middle of the
dash like that, it actually works quite well and feels natural
going down the road. Remarkably, this car also has factory A/C
(another Quadrifoglio perk) that's fully functional as well as an
AM/FM/Cassette stereo system in the dash. Plenty of buttons and
dials make it feel suitably '80s and there's a newer snug-fitting
black canvas convertible top that's in very good shape indeed. The
trunk isn't massive, but it's well-shaped for your gear and nicely
finished with more red carpet.
Alfa Romeo's 2.0 liter DOHC four-cylinder engine has proven itself
to be robust and reliable over the years, yet still loves to rev
with a joyous Italian tenor exhaust note. The engine bay is quite
stock and nicely maintained, from the big aluminum intake to the
iconic cast aluminum cam cover with ALFA ROMEO proudly emblazoned
on its surface. Proper maintenance has given this one a long,
healthy life that's only just beginning, and while it's not
lightning-fast, it's simply a joy to run this car hard through the
gears. The 5-speed manual is delightfully direct and the suspension
is competent without being harsh, because this really is a grand
tourer more than it is a sports car. Braking is effective and those
pretty Quadrofoglio-issue alloys are a la mode for the '80s and
they're wrapped in recent Yokohama radials.
Affordable Italian sports cars are out there and this is one of the
better Alfa's we've ever featured. For the money, this car
represents a ton of brio for not a lot of lira. Call today!