The Alfa Romeo Spider, otherwise known as the Graduate: seemingly always available in some form, it’s a hard car to justify buying as a barn find or otherwise in project car form. Now, despite appearances, the seller claims this 1992 example runs and drives fairly well, so all that dust is just from indoor storage that apparently has a poor ventilation system. The Spider is located in Louisiana and has 80,000 miles on the clock, so it’s a quandary as to whether it’s worth grabbing with an asking price of $4,000. Find it here on craigslist with a second Spider offered for an additional $1,000.

Now, what this Spider does have going for it is it’s a later production model, which got some nice styling improvements in the form of a revised taillight panel and more aerodynamic bumpers. This isn’t to say you should rush out and buy one because of it, but more than most examples showing up for sale have the offensive safety bumpers less seductively masked like on this era of Spider. The forest green paint is also unusual, as most Alfa of this configuration were seemingly ordered in red, white, or black. If you can imagine this one with a painted hardtop to match – looks pretty sharp, doesn’t it?

But here’s the kiss of death, and the ultimate reason why $4,000 is a wish: the automatic gearbox. Honestly, I can’t even recall the last time I saw a Spider of any generation with a slushbox, and given these weren’t particularly quick cars, to begin with, this configuration will be a major turn-off to potential buyers. Now, the seller mentions he has a second Spider in worst shape that he’ll include for $1,000, and I wonder if that’s a five-speed car. Assuming it doesn’t have body damage or rust, I would potentially swap the good parts from this car onto that one. Or, just buy one of the many Spiders available at a given time with a stick and call it a day.

The Spider also appears to wear wheels from an older model, and the later production alloys are a bit larger with a smooth face, complimenting the revised bumpers. The Alfa seen here does have a few things going for it, but the transmission might keep buyers away. This is the sort of vehicle that even drivers who have no love for three pedals would likely still force themselves to learn how to drive a manual given the car’s personality and the general association of imported drop-tops with a manual gearbox. I’m not one to criticize an asking price, but if the seller wants to free up some space in his garage sooner than later, a price drop is necessary.