Vehicle Description
You either understand Alfa-Romeos or you don't. Cars like this 1984
Spider Veloce don't make a lot of sense to our rational minds, but
slide behind the wheel and it whispers seductively in fluent
Italian and suddenly you find yourself running it through the gears
just for the sheer joy of the sound and the feel of a machine
acting as your dance partner.
It also helps that it's good looking. Sportier than an MG and
undeniably Italian, this Alfa is the entry-level two-seater for the
guy who knows the real thing when he sees it. Every manufacturer
has built a two-seat roadster, it seems, but few can do it better
than the Italians. It starts with great bodywork, and the Spider
Veloce, which endured for decades virtually unchanged, shows off a
lot of flair in a compact package. The bright Aqua Blue paint is in
good condition with the usual signs of use, which is fitting on a
car that's designed to be a great dance partner, and you could
really wake it up with a proper buff. Panel fit is quite good given
the era and the hand-built nature of the car, and the shape works
just fine without the body add-ons that would come a few years
later. Simple, elegant, and extremely sporty, it shows off the
little things that the Italians do so well. Note the neat little
flush-fitting door handles, the exhaust pipe that's almost (but not
quite!) centered under the rear bumper, and, of course, that Alfa
grille standing proud up front, neatly integrated into the bumper
assembly.
The special Italian touch extends to the interior, where even this
bargain-priced roadster gets handsomely reupholstered blue leather
buckets that wear correct-looking seat covers. A wood-rimmed wheel
adds to the interior's ambience, and while it looks pretty weird,
that shifter is intuitive and easy to use without any strangeness
at all. Functional Jaeger instruments in a pair of hoods jutting
out of the dash show off the simplicity that has long been a
hallmark of Italian automotive design, with the secondary
instruments slightly canted towards the driver. The ventilation
system is typical Italian, with controls that are hard to decipher,
but that's really all part of the charm in a car like this,
although the A/C is blowing nice and cold thanks to an upgrade to
R134a refrigerant. There's also a Sony head unit that was installed
many years ago and probably due for an upgrade today if you want to
actually listen to some good tunes. The trunk is actually
well-shaped and spacious enough to hold luggage for two, and a
black canvas convertible top fits neatly and can be stowed in
seconds.
The sporty 2-liter engine sings to life with gusto and loves to
rev, and with a glorious sound from the single tailpipe out back,
you'll be looking for reasons to drop a gear or two and pin the
throttle. Aluminum cam covers are a traditional Alfa look, and the
fuel injection system has that instant throttle response that makes
these cars such a joy to drive. And contrary to what you may have
heard, these tough little Italian sports cars are actually reliable
and sturdy, perfect for having fun without the worries. Yes, it's a
little scruffy, but a weekend or two spent cleaning things up will
pay big dividends because it's all in good shape otherwise. The
5-speed manual gearbox snicks through the gears thanks to a silky
smooth clutch and the suspension has a great combination of control
and supple body movements, so the car is all-day comfortable.
Four-wheel discs live behind stylish 5-spoke alloys carrying
195/70/14 Cooper radials.
Fun and stylish, this bargain-priced exotic is a great entry-level
Italian with only 73,408 miles on the clock. And for a price that
is less than a 3-year old Honda, you get a genuine Alfa Romeo that
gives you a real taste of pure sports car magic. Call today!