Alfa Romeo Spider: for the love of the dolce vita

T​here is nothing rational about owning an Alfa Romeo Spider. Yet, I desperately want one.

​That's true, think about it. If you're in the market for a small, fun, and affordable roadster, you might end up with the Mazda MX-5/Miata. That's quite a safe choice, because they are very reliable, and awesome to drive. The people who tend to think with their head, and not with their heart, will probably go with this one. However, during this search of yours, you might have stumbled upon other car such as the Triumph TR4A,​ a car that we reviewed a couple of weeks ago, or the Alfa Romeo Spider. Both these cars look beautiful, and have a lot of character. But there's a down side. See, they are not the most reliable cars ever produced, and they can be quite expensive to run on the long run. But cars like the Alfa Romeo Spider have a true soul of their own, and owners usually develop a strong relationship with those.

S​o, what is it going to be; reason, or passion? You might remember this generic quote that states that life is too short to drive boring cars. And, that's a pretty good indication of the path you should take. I highly encourage you to choose a car that you find exciting, and that you will love, no matter if the car is rational, or not. That was a little side note, and now seems like the right moment to get back to the real subject of our article; the Alfa Romeo Spider.

It all started in mid-1955, Alfa Romeo launched the Giulietta Spider, a two-seater convertible designed by none other than Pininfarina. Fun fact: why was it named Spider? The name originates from open-top small cars, or carriages, that had a fabric roof. Once this top was on, it made the car look like a spider. Something else, the idea of an open-top Giulietta didn't even come from Italy, but the United States. We can all say thank you to our beloved Max Hoffman, the man responsible behind the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, and the Porsche 356 Speedster, for that.

Immediately, the Alfa Romeo redefined the sports car segment with a vehicle that was comfortable, quick, and absolutely beautiful. Petrolheads from allover the world fell in love with the Spider. Even though many newspapers dubbed the car a "poor man's Lancia Aurelia", the Giulietta Spider was an immediate hit, and soon the production line was under water. In fact, Alfa Romeo was so unprepared that they only managed to produce one single car in 1955. But thanks to double shifts the next year, the brand from Torino was able to meet the demand. Under the hood, the Spider came with a 1.3-litres 4-cylinder that made 65 horsepower. A more powerful "Veloce" version came later. A car that became one of Alfa Romeo's most sought after cars, since only 2'796 were produced. Early versions might not have been what we'd exactly call powerhouses, but being a rear-wheel drive and very light, so the driving experience is nothing but great. In the end, you don't need a powerful car to enjoy it on tiny twisty roads. Just imagine driving this with the top down on the coastal roads in Italy. The true dolce vita.

T​he first iterations of the Spider were very successful 18'000 cars produced. Later the Giulietta was replaced by the Giulia, and finally Spider became a standalone name by 1966. Unfortunately, Alfa Romeo haven't released a new version of the Spider since the 939 in 2010. In 2015, there were plans to develop a new car based on the Mazda MX-5/Miata, but FCA eventually decided to produce a modern version of the Fiat 124 Spider instead. Will we ever see a modern Spider again?

Remember when we said that the Alfa Romeo Spider is an alternative to the MX-5/Miata? Well, not exactly. A Spider like this one costs approximately £67K! That's because the Giulietta Spider has become a highly collectible car. Yes, they are great cars that look like a million dollars, but I'll hardly recommend it for someone who is on a budget. Not only because of the selling price, but also the running costs. As you may know, Alfa Romeos are exactly the most reliable cars. Our advice, you can get a nice late-80's Spider 2000 with around 28K miles for a price of £12.5K. That's a good deal, as you get a car that looks good, has that vintage awesomeness attached to it, and drives like a charm. Don't start thinking about reliability issues etc., the little Alfa, just like any living thing, comes with its ups and downs, and that's what is beautiful about it. And as our dear Jeremy Clarkson stated "you can't be a true petrolhead until you've owned an Alfa Romeo.

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I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the Perego Cars garage located between Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland, for letting me review this car.

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