There’s a quote ascribed to French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire that “perfect is the enemy of good,” and I think that many twenty-first century sports cars have fallen victim to that mentality. While it would be a lie to say that something like a 2026 Corvette Stingray is an anodyne experience, there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to sports car enjoyment; when your ride is more capable than you are, it takes away a little of the reason for owning a sports car, doesn’t it? If you agree, there’s a nearly new 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce crying out for a new owner. Posted here on eBay in Fontana, California, with a claimed 4,456 miles on it, it’s an analog sports car that you can enjoy in a digital world. The asking price is $22,000.
It doesn’t hurt that a lot of what makes a 1991 Alfa Spider great is that it greatly resembles a 1966 Alfa Spider; even the engine looks awfully similar to what you’d find under the hood of your friend’s Duetto at the Alfa club meet. Displacing two-liters in the 1991 model, it produced 120 horsepower and 118 lb.-ft. of torque, and with the standard five-speed manual, it was capable of a brisk but not mind-blowing run to sixty in just under ten seconds. This example is ready to drive, with a long list of recent maintenance:
- New tires
- New brakes (with fluid flush)
- New oil in the engine, transmission, and differential
- New spark plugs
- New windshield wipers
- New defroster switch
- New LED headlamps
- New soft top
Being that the car has so few miles on it, it’s no surprise that the interior appears to be in top condition, even though the Veloce’s leather interior shows a tiny bit of aging. The seller mentions that “the material covering the top portion of the door trim panels is currently peeling, [but] both sides will be refinished prior to sale.”
Alfa hung on to its unique “jutting-from-the-dashboard” shifter in this last version of its long-running Spider, so back in 1991, your new Alfa would look and feel a lot like your old one. There’s something comforting about that.
The trunk looks fine, as does the weatherstripping.
The Spider got a surprisingly thorough reworking in 1991 for its final few years of production. Sales weren’t very brisk here in the States, with only a reported 936 units being sold here in 1991. That makes this a bit of a rare breed, and its being a Veloce with its “phone dial” wheels makes it that much better. So if you’re a little tired of your sports cars thinking they’re better than you, why not try a red Alfa from the old days?
Never had one. (Though I did have a Spitfire for a while.) Was always told the driving position was awkward in these. Anyone have any experience? It sure is a nice one.
Red for the win.