Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider S4

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Alfa Romeo has been producing pretty little roadsters endowed with the name 'Spider' since the launch of the Giulietta in 1955.

The most famous is probably the new model that was launched at the Geneva Salon in 1966: the Duetto. Beautifully styled by Pininfarina and overflowing with Italian brio, the car was a huge success from the outset but was immortalised by its starring role in The Graduate in 1967, sharing the limelight with Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft.

The original 'boat-tail' design of the Duetto was dropped in the late sixties in favour of a more aerodynamically efficient Kamm tail. At the same time a 132bhp 2-litre version also became available. The model continued in production for over 27 years with only detail changes to the original Pininfarina design before production finally ceased in 1993 after an amazing 30-year run.

This particular car is the last and most refined of all the Spiders, the fuel-injected S4 which was only available in factory left-hand drive and was produced from 1990 until 1993. With much sleeker lines than the preceding S3 model, brakes, suspension and steering were also upgraded, fuel economy and emissions improved, and a limited slip diff and wider wheels and tyres fitted.

This 1993 car is one of the last examples made and was converted to RHD very early in its life, probably by well-known Alfa importers Bell & Colville. Black with a black leather interior and a 5-speed gearbox, it has only covered some 73,000kms to date (44,800 miles) in the hands of just four owners, the vendor acquiring it to join his private collection just over a year ago.

When he acquired it the car had been in storage for 5 or 6 years and is said to have been in “exceptionally good condition” apart from the soft top which has since been replaced with a new one supplied by Classic Alfa. The car was also fully serviced and new track rod ends fitted along with many new brake parts and callipers. An after-market wind deflector has also been fitted.

Said to remain in very good order throughout with a particularly fine interior and no signs of any accident damage, it is also said to “drive beautifully with no clonks or rattles” and is due to have a fresh MOT in time for the sale.

Values of this pretty little sportscar have firmed considerably in recent times and this low-mileage RHD drive example will not only give its fortunate new owner a huge amount of pleasure in the coming sumer months, it may also prove a canny investment at the sensible guide price suggested.