Alfa Romeo Spider

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Introducing the Spider - Modern interpretation of a great tradition

Design: Lines that slip rapidly through the wind

Alfa Romeo open cars have always become symbols of their time. Becoming an element of social customs and collective dreaming. Representing an undisputed stylistic benchmark. Setting fashions. That is motoring history. The Afa spider is the modern interpretation of the concept of the open sports car that Alfa Romeo has always embodied superbly. Confident of its own beauty, proud of its technology, on the leading edge where design and construction are concerned.


This is the Alfa spider: born as part of the great tradition of Alfa Romeo sports cars.

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The project: An open car with a strong sports vocation.

The goals of the project were defined and developed with the clearest of intentions: to offer whoever drives the Alfa spider all the enjoyment of driving in the open air in a great sports car.
The Spider is the balanced outcome of a leading edge project, in which every mechanical component combines to produce better road performance and the highest levels of dynamic safety.

The sophisticated multilink rear suspension with aluminium alloy frame and crossbeam guarantees optimal roadholding even in the most demanding driving conditions.

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The interior: How to reconcile comfort and sportiness.

True driving enjoyment. All the freedom that comes with driving in an open car, without having to forgo the qualities of a modern sports car. This is the first sensation you receive on board the Alfa Spider.

The upholstery is in carbon grey Blitz fabric or Momo leather, depending on the version (leather is standard on Lusso versions).

The large, circular speedometer and rev counter, positioned at the centre of the steering wheel, are highlighted by frames with an attractive metal effect, an elegant styling reference to the great Alfa Romeo's of the past.

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The engines: Inside every Alfa Spider beats a great 'CUORE SPORTIVO'

2.0 Twin Spark 16V

The 2.0 Twin Spark engine has twin cam timing, four valves per cylinder, Twin Spark ignition, variable valve timing, hydraulic tappets and double counter-weighting on the crankshaft with a torsional damper.

The twin spark engine features a variable geometry intake system. The ports of the manifold are governed by the injection control unit and the shape and length is varied according to the engine speed and load: shorter when greater power is needed, and longer at medium and low speeds.

The result is an increase in engine flexibility, with greater sparkle at high speeds, and more flexibility at low speeds.

3.0 V6 24V


The six cylinder 2,959 cc engine, with multivalve timing and 60 deg V architecture is an undisputed benchmark for the best automotive engineering.

The cylinder head and block are built entirely in aluminium alloy. There are two camshafts for each head and the four-valve-per-cylinder timing has direct drive. The lubrication system, with oil jets on the piston crowns, and the cooling system both include heat exchangers.

Ignition is of the top-coil solid state type, with a single coil per cylinder and double Knock control. The 6-speed gearbox enables the driver to exploit engine power and flexibility in full.

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What's Good-Spider(1966-1993)

Lovely 'up and down' classic Alfa gearchange. Evergreen Alfa twin-cam motors. Early 1,570cc and 1,779cc boat tail cars had the looks. 1990 facelift brought with it a decent hardtop. 14' long by 5' 4" wide and weighing 1,110kg in 1990.

What to Watch Out For

Tears in hood and trim. Soggy carpets. Rusty 'cornflakes under the carpet'. Rust around the fuel tank in the boot which can rot through the sandwich construction and leave you with a boot full of petrol slopping around the boot mounted battery. Duff catalytic converters on later cars. Broken window-winder cables. Dripping heater matrix. Electrics. Noisy timing chain.

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What's Good-Spider(1996-2004

Beautiful new front-drive Spider, initially with 150bhp 2.0TS engine and 5-speed gearbox only. decent enough handling. Enough room to perch a couple of girls in the back for seaside showing off. Finally got serious with addition of 218bhp 3.0V6 and six-speed gearbox in April 2001. Somehow the shape of the car means minimum buffeting with the top down at 150mph. 14' long by 5' 10" wide and 2.0TS weighed in at a hefty 1,370kg. 5 year or 60,000 mile warranty from January 2004.

What to Watch Out For

Watch out for rejected problem cars if buying at auction at 6 - 18 months old. Look out for Kerbed alloys. Duff electrics. Porous wheel rims (symptom: soft tyres). Undeclared personal imports lacking 3-year warranty. Disguised envy damage. Hood mechanism and tears in hood (don't forget to check hood if hood is down). Make sure it has 'Red Key'if supposed to. Clonks from rear suspension mean that bolts through he aluminium suspension components have not been tightened periodically causing wear both to bushes and mounting points (as per 156).