An Italian beauty, the Alfa Romeo Spider seems to hold on to its charms as the years pass by. The Spider may be an Alfa Romeo
model that you’re unfamiliar with, but undeservedly so. Even for a car that’s pushing close to 40-plus years in age, it manages to retain all of its classic charms. The Alfa Romeo Spider spans four generations, each bringing a new design element to a well-built, reliable luxury car
. 4 generations of greatness
According to Hemmings
, the Alfa Romeo Spider’s first generation debuted in 1966, immediately garnering attention for its slope-backed design, which, despite its now-classic look, was disliked by critics. In fact, the Alfa Romeo Spider wasn’t popular when it was first released to the public, being cited as derivative and boring. Yet the ‘66 Alfa Romeo Spider had some very dynamic engineering going on underneath its hood. It had a 1.3-liter aluminum engine, a five-speed transmission, and disk brakes on all four wheels, which was somewhat rare at the time.
The second generation was released in 1970, and not much changed other than a redesigned trunk that resembled the Camaro and Challenger’s taillight configurations. The Alfa Romeo Spider was, after all, competing with famous ‘70s muscle cars
. The biggest changes were seen in the third generation, though, when fuel injection, rather than a carburetor, was added to the Alfa Romeo Spider’s engine. Customers could also now purchase a convertible option.
The fourth and final generation, released in 1990, debuted an automatic transmission for the first time, and also added updated fuel injectors, new front and rear bumpers, and power steering.
Is the Alfa Romeo Spider a buy?
For classic collectors, the 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider may be worth the most, but this depends on which trim options as well as how much mileage the Spider has. While the car certainly looks like a sports car and has a snappy transmission and light curb weight, don’t expect it to drive like a Ferrari. The Alfa Romeo Spider is meant for leisurely drives through the city or countryside; it’s not for tearing up the pavement at a race track or drag strip.
Generally speaking, all four generations of the Alfa Romeo Spider are considered reliable cars, but the third generation is cited as being somewhat problematic.
Regarding price, a potential buyer should prepare themselves for a huge variety of prices, considering the car’s four generations. There will be a huge amount of discrepancy between mint models and fixer-uppers. Most Alfa Romeo Spiders will be between $20,000 and $70,000 dollars.
Find the best insurance for your Alfa Romeo
Whether you own a 1966 Spider or a 2022 Stelvio, it’s important that you have car insurance to protect your Alfa Romeo. Jerry
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MORE: How to Pick an Alfa Romeo Car Seat
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