1968 Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider Veloce

In the care of the seller since 2012, the bills for more than £30,000 attest to how much he’s enjoyed using and owning ‘SRR 170F’.

But then you would, wouldn’t you? Finished in Rosso Red and boasting that gorgeous early interior, this factory right-hand drive Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider was manufactured for, and first used in, South Africa, something that will have extended its lifespan considerably.

Imported here in the mid-nineties, the engine has been upgraded from the 1750cc it left the factory with to a two-litre at some point in its life. This, along with the five-speed gearbox and disc brakes all round means this is a car that drives every bit as well as it looks and is easily capable of spirited and motorway use.

Originally finished in white, the seller chose to have it repainted in Alfa Romeo  Rosso Red (colour code 501) which, he is at pains to note, is not the orangey Duetto Red you see more normally see!

With more than £10,000 invested in just the paintwork and subsequent reassembly – the parts used are listed on a spreadsheet separately – this was clearly a top-notch, money-no-object job.

But then you don’t need Excel to prove that because the finish, even a decade later, is sensational – but then that decade has only involved covering around 1,500 miles.

Good shutlines pave the way for a vivid, glossy finish to the Rosso Red paintwork. Beautifully applied and then curated with love, it’s the perfect colour for such an iconic car. There are a couple of minor paint blemishes which can be seen on the bonnet and in a couple of areas but these are probably paint reactions rather then rust.

The chromework is very good too being free of pitting and rust and the excellent brightwork is supported by first-rate badges.

The seller also replaced the roof with a lovely black mohair one. This too is in an almost unused condition and is completely free of rips, tears, and even loose stitches. The plastic windows are also still clear and bright, and it rises and falls as it should.

Further proof of his commitment to getting his Spider just so are the steel wheels, which he revitalised by having them powdercoated in Alfa Romeo Grigio Chiaro AR003, rather than the generic grey/silver paint almost everyone else would have settled for.

The bill for this alone came to almost £400, and the finished wheels are set off by a set of very nice chrome hubcaps.

They are also fitted with a set of three Goodyear Eagle Ventura tyres and one Bridgestone B391. The latter is date-stamped 2013 and the Goodyears, including the spare, are even older, so a new set of tyres should be on the cards. 

The only other work for the new owner to do other than source a new offside rear lamp lens as the one that is fitted is lightly cracked through sun damage. 

There’s also a small dent on the offside rear quarter bumper. Neither issue is serious and that this is the extent of the exterior woes is very much a #firstworldproblem. 

The red painted dashboard strip that runs across the width of the cabin helps bring cohesion to a cockpit that, with the roof down, is as much coachwork as it is an interior.

Instrumentation is minimal but what there is is both beautifully designed and impeccably finished; for example, there’s a receipt for £720 for repairing the gauges and having them chrome plated. 

Of course, a sportscar needs a suitably tactile steering wheel too, and this one’s wood-rimmed jobbie fits the bill perfectly. 

The pleather seats are firm and impeccably finished.  The new seat cover fitted in 2024 to the passenger seat has been slightly stretched as seen in the photos. The matching door cards and rear trim are excellent; as with the exterior, while the designers played their role back in the day, the owner’s played his in keeping it in nigh-on showroom condition.

Nice touches abound too including embossed rubber mats over the top of a new set of carpets. Securon seatbelts have been fitted too, and there’s a Pininfarina badge on the dashboard.

If we’re being ultra-picky then the gearknob is lightly patinated but that’s really all we can spot that even the most fastidious of owners might like to change.

As for the boot, the floor is solid and well painted, the spare wheel and jack are present, and it is as well trimmed as everywhere else.

Apart from the fact the seller tells us that the engine has been upgraded to a two-litre version (“it doesn’t hang around!”), he’s also upgraded the brake servo, fixed the 2nd gear ‘crunch’ that so many suffer from, upgraded the suspension to GTA-spec using Koni Classic dampers on all four corners, and fitted 123 electronic ignition.

He’s also reinstated the airbox for the twin carburettors, the chassis number has been kept clear of paint, and there’s even a sticker on the bulkhead denoting the car’s new colour.

As you’d expect, it idles and revs very well with the sort of exhaust note that’s begging for an Alpine pass (or even a city centre tunnel…).

It is a bit grubby, but that’s very much a job for the winter; in the meantime, the boat-tailed Alfa is ready for the coming summer thanks to a huge number of new parts that have been professionally installed.

There’s too much to list here but the work since 2020 is listed as follows:

• Ebspares - new boot seal in July 2020 at £31 
• ClassicAlfa - waterpump, oil seals, dampers, and misc grommets in July 2020 at £540 
• Alfaman - front pulley oil leak, boot springs, airbox, rear dampers in August 2020 at £900 
• Classic Alfa - speedo cable and a window regulator in March 2020 at £63 
• Mat set in May 2022 at £115 
• Classic Alfa - upgraded sump gasket and a spin on oil filter in June 2023 at £27 
• Classic Alfa - fuel pump gasket and spacer in July 2023 at £11 
• Classic Alfa - seat cover and door handle back plate in March 2024 at £54 
• Classic Alfa – B-pillar and window trim in May 2024 at £84 
• Landbeasts - oil service and finishing touches in May 2024 at £2000 
• Classic Alfa - rear wheel bearing in September 2024 at £30 
• Motovation - rear wheel bearing fitting and handbrake adjustment in September 2024 at £295  

The underside is good too, with a heat-wrapped exhaust, a good coating of underseal, and Koni dampers but the seller spent almost £6,000 with Alfaman in having the suspension refurbished and the floorpan undersealed following two new floorpans fitted during the bare-metal respray. 

It too is a bit grubby, with some areas of overspray but this again is very much a job for Future You. 

The Spider’s MoT certificate, which is valid until August 2025, was issued with no advisories, something it’s done since 2016.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two sets of keys, and a hefty bunch of bills and invoices for the work it’s benefitted from. 

Another sign of the seller’s fastidious approach to his beloved Alfa is the spreadsheet that details all the work he’s had carried out on it. It’s too much to list here but it details, line by line, the more than £30,000 he’s spent on it in the past 13 years. 

Everyone’s favourite Alfa Spider, this gorgeous Series 1 benefits from a huge investment across the 13 years the seller’s owned it.

In need of only tyres and, perhaps, a tiny amount of titivation – and we do mean tiny – when you take it off the road in the autumn, the lower end of our estimate is just £4,000 more than the amount he’s spent in bringing it to this condition.

Yes, despite its status and condition, we suspect the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £34,000 and £38,000, which is a bit of a steal. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. To arrange an appointment to inspect this vehicle, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.