I am not one to purchase cars not built in America. But I am Italian. And this little Spider was just too nice to pass up.
It was a good hour away and we decided to go take a look while travelling to a nearby car show. I decided to purchase the car. That meant it would need to be driven home. I tried! But after a few blocks, I decided it was not safe. You see, I am 6’4” tall. My right leg was jammed between the steering wheel and the shifter when I was in second gear. So if you are over 6’0” tall, I would suggest you test fit the car to be sure you are comfortable.
So Anita drove it home. She fit fine. She was off and running with the top down. Once on the freeway, she was running with traffic. Later, she said it was between 75 and 80. I was following with the Cruise Control set at 75 and she was pulling away. She said it handled it perfectly and she felt very comfortable at freeway speed. But then we came to a standstill. An accident had traffic running stop and go. She was sitting in the car with the hot sun beating down. It was in the mid-90’s. The Veloce handled it better than Anita did. It didn’t miss a beat.
This car has only been driven 56,324 miles since new. The most recent owner loved to tinker, so he kept it well-maintained and tuned. He recently went through the four wheel disc brakes, installed a new clutch, did some exhaust work, rebuilt the steering, changed all the fluids and replaced ignition components.
The car began life in Arizona. We have the warranty booklet showing the original owner and dealership information recorded in conjunction with the matching serial number of this car. We also have other Owner’s Manuals. At some time, the car came to Illinois and has resided in WI for the past decade or more.
It has never been a rusty car. It is extremely doubtful it has ever seen salt. The underside looks great. There is a bit of damage on the passenger side rocker panel from improper placement of the jack, but it is very low. It consists of dents and broken paint. There are some areas that were touched up after the car was repainted to its original Alfa Red. It looks fine from ten feet, but is not show worthy.
The Duetto Brown interior is all original. The seats have split seams. The padding has lost its resilience. They are not unsightly, but should be refurbished if you desire to show off the car. The previous owner utilized some seat cushions while driving. The dash is nice. The carpet and trunk carpet look great. There are speakers installed in the kick panels. Nothing needs to be addressed other than the seats.
The Campagnolo cast Aluminum wheels are in great condition, showing no bad rash or abuse. They are wrapped in modern radial tires showing deep tread.
This powertrain appears to all be original. The 2.0 liter inline four cylinder engine starts with ease and runs very well. It performs just as I expected it to. The horsepower rating is 115, so about one horse per cubic inch. The Bosch Injection system works great with these engines. It all seems to be in great working order. The five speed transmission offers overdrive in fifth gear, so highway cruising is easily accomplished.
These cars are nicely equipped. Four wheel disc brakes offer plenty of stopping power. The performance of the car is monitored by a fuel compliment of gauges. The cockpit is customized to your comfort and vision with dual power outside mirrors and seats that are fully adjustable. Both window have power regulators. This car has air conditioning, but it is not functioning at this time. Being from Arizona, it does make sense to have A/C. But in this part of the world, it seems funny to have A/C in a sports car, especially a Spider.
Other than the A/C, all features function properly. The fuel gauge is not working, so the tripmeter is utilized to keep track of mileage between fills. All lights work properly. There are two sets of keys. The ignition, door locks and glovebox lock are actuated by key. There is a proper spare, jack and lug wrench.
I am proud of my Italian heritage, so I stepped out of my comfort zone and purchased a non-American built car. It sure is in great condition and is cute and fun to drive. You can have a ton of fun for a little bit of money
