1992 Alfa Romeo Spider

“I purchased the Spider about 18 months ago and have enjoyed the car since then,” says vendor, David. “However, after adding a TVR Chimaera to my collection I subsequently lost my storage. The Spider is a bit of a unicorn in that underneath the car is almost entirely rust free and it has never been welded (anywhere!); given that, there’s no way I could keep it outside”. 

It’s not been an easy decision for David but having opted to keep hold of the TVR (as a tall chap he fits a smidge better), his lovely Spider is now up for sale. 

“It drives really nicely with a very responsive engine. It had developed a fairly significant oil leak from the head gasket so, as you will see in the paperwork, I had Automotive Solutions of Henley-on-Thames rebuild the top end earlier this year at a cost of £3207.03. This involved removal and skimming of the head with valves removed, cleaned and refaced before being lapped in. The clutch assembly and slave cylinder were replaced at the same time, with the front crossmember also repainted. The net result is that engine and car that are now both in excellent driving condition”.

As well benefitting from that recent work, he says that the Spider’s drivetrain is in great shape with relatively recent shock absorbers and springs which both remain in excellent condition. 

The Spider comes with a current MOT test certificate (passed with no advisories!) that runs until 23/05/2024. The overall package David says, adds up to a very sharp driving experience. 

Prior to David’s ownership the car arrived on these shores from Italy in 1995, with it subsequently undergoing conversion to right-hand drive. The work looks to have been carried out to a high standard and you can take confidence in the fact that it’s been used for over 30 years in the UK. 

There’s no documentation in the History File indicating the specialist that carried this out, although it’s most likely to have been Bell and Colvill, experts in that particular task. 

For many, the S4 righted the visual wrongs of the S3. With its body-coloured bumpers and smoother rear end it brought an altogether more modern aesthetic, and yet one that still managed to hark back to the purity of the first 105-series Spiders. 

We have to say that presented in Burgundy metallic paint, and photographed gleaming in the late autumn sunshine, that this particular example looks stunning. The panel fit is very good and the paintwork retains an excellent lustre. Naturally, there are a few small marks here and there – some tiny stonechips and a small wing scratch – but its given its overall condition, it’s obviously been garaged and cared for. It’s also likely that the Spider has had a re-spray at some point, quite possibly when converted from RHD to LHD. 

Of course, the biggest plus point for this particular car is the fact that it’s never seen a welder’s torch. 

Sourced from The Hood Warehouse and fitted new in April 2022 (at a cost of £695), the mohair hood presents in exemplary fashion and provides a smart look when necessary for it to be raise – although it’s a Spider so that’ll hopefully be as little as possible!

The pepper pot alloy wheels are in superb shape and shod in matching Pirelli P6000 rubber, each with oodles of tread remaining.

As the photographs in our Gallery below show, in terms of colour schemes it simply doesn’t get much better than Tan Leather and Burgundy Metallic paint – we are big fans of it and the car draws your eyes to it every time you pass.

It remains in good condition in here, too. The seats have little wear with just a pleasant patina. They’re nice and supportive too with excellent side bolsters, which will be a good thing when you’re chucking this tyke into corners with gusto. 

David replaced the original floor carpets with contrasting black ones, which work well. These came in at a touch under £400 and there are photographs showing these being fitted. 

A wind deflector is fitted to minimise airflow through your locks. All electrics function as they should, including the period JVC stereo. 

The Jaeger dials are tres chic and remain clear and easy to read. The speedometer reads in kilometres as per the Spider’s country of origin. So the 95,920km indicated means that it’s only covered a smidge less than 59,602 miles. 

It’s a toss-up whether the best thing about this Alfa is how it drives or its rust-free demeanour underneath. In fact, scratch that, both are equally important; let’s deal with the former first…

“It drives so well,” says David. “The engine is lovely and responsive, it handles well, brakes are sharp and the it shifts gears cleanly. You do need to wait until it has warmed up before using the gearbox enthusiastically, as old Alfa ‘boxes are notorious for crunching on fast shifts if you don’t”.

With 107bhp and 101lb ft it’s a perky little thing and one that will bring its next owner a lot of top-down pleasure. Adding to that is the fact that it’s a twin carburettor, and not the more common fuel-injected, version; that sees cheeky use of the throttle pedal rewarded by a wonderful old-school induction noise. 

The twin-cam engine sits in a clean and smart bay, with the name Alfa Romeo proudly carved in metal atop. Underneath, the metalwork looks to be very well protected and David maintains that it’s pretty much rust free – confidence inspiring for its next owner. 

There is a large amount of documentation in the Alfa’s history file detailing its maintenance and much of the work carried out during its time in the UK. The included V5c document confirms its date of first UK registration as 01/09/1995 and indicates a total of six owners since then.

You will also find the car’s original handbooks, as well as numerous magazine articles. In terms of invoices you can electronically flick through at your leisure and view the works carried out over the years to keep the Spider in excellent fettle. 

However, we’ll highlight some of the more recent ones; these include £3,207.03 spent in December 2022 at Automotive Solutions for the engine top-end rebuild, £300 worth of service parts, including rubber carburettor mounts and hoses, from Classic Alfa in November 2022 and £695 in April 2022 at The Hood Warehouse for the new mohair hood. 

Lastly, you will also find a host of photographs of the engine work and also of the new interior carpets being fitted.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

The S4 Spider is a perfect blend of old-school underpinnings allied to a more modern look. Don’t let the latter fool you though, because it delivers a traditional 105-series driving experience with aplomb.

Presented in a stunning colour scheme, this alluring Spider remains in excellent visual, interior and mechanical health. Recent engine works and mechanical maintenance means it’s ready to be worked hard (as any twin cam should be!), whilst the addition of fresh carpets and a mohair hood add to its overall sharp appearance.

We believe the Spider will realise somewhere between £13,000 and £16,000, which just goes to show that scintillating classic top-down motoring can still be had for a relative bargain.

Buy it, drive it and immediately enjoy la dolce vita – Alfa Romeo style.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ, United Kingdom; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.