1989 Alfa Romeo Spider S3 QV

First things first: ‘I’ve owned it since 2017 and the reason I’m selling is that I’ve just bought a Maserati 4200 Spider,’ says owner Nick. It’s definitely a brave move and one that necessitates the sale of his S3, just in case those contingency funds are required in the future.

This car was originally sold in Andorra and is a rare run out QV version, which means it’s mechanically identical to other S3s but has numerous styling additions (more on that later).

It came to the UK in 1996 and has had four owners since, three of them (including Nick) being members of the Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club. The odometer currently reads 86,100km - just 53,500 miles!

Some comprehensive lower body restoration work was carried in 2015, the gearbox and carburetors were overhauled in 2016 and it’s had recent servicing at 81,260km and 84,800km. There’s also a fresh MOT, and Nick’s just replaced the alternator and battery.

‘It was the best I could find at the time and I had a pre-sale service report completed, which is included in the history file. It only identified a few minor issues all, of which I’ve had fixed.’ – reassuringly included in the photo Gallery below.

The report’s summary concluded: ‘I thought this was a very pretty little car in a very good condition, which has had a lot of work carried out.’ Reassuring for the next owner is the fact that the S3 has only covered a little over 2500 miles since that professional opinion was given.

It’s located at The Market headquarters in Abingdon, so as with all our lots we recommend hitting the ‘contact seller’ button to arrange a viewing and test drive.

A key selling point for Nick’s car is the fact that it had that lower body restoration – including sills, jacking points and the boot floor – and re-paint in 2016. ‘There’s quite a chunky invoice in the history file,’ he says. ‘It still presents very well and, other than the odd mark here and there, there are no bodywork issues.’

We can confirm that. The edges of lips, bonnet shuts and sill panels all remain nice and clean. A quick check of the inner wheel arches is similarly positive and perhaps the best indicators of condition are the undersides of the door bottoms, which are immaculate.

The paint finish is very pleasant and complements the special red QV hood. This was replaced in 2011 and looks very good, with a tight fitment – Nick says that this means a leak-free cabin.

The QV rear spoiler and sill extensions also mark the car as the later run-out model and give it a sportier aesthetic. It wears S4 Pepperpot alloy wheels, but these were in fact standard fitment on the QV. All are in good nick; with plenty of tread on their 185/60/R15 Yokohama C. drive rubber boots.

Aftermarket front fog lights are nicely integrated under the front grill and function via a proper switch on the lower dashboard. There is one very small rust blister on the nearside rear arch (so small it’s difficult to pick up on the photos). We’d perhaps replace the rear number plate as it’s delaminating in places, but that’s all that’s necessary.  

The QV-spec red carpet, grey leather, black mat combo works well and gives a funky feel to the Spider’s interior. There’s a lovely thick Nardi style wooden steering wheel and matching gear lever, both of which feel lovely to hand.

Seats remain in very nice condition with no rips, or bolster wear – although there’s a small-discoloured area on the front edge of the driver’s. Carpets are very good (including in the boot, where you’ll also find a full tool kit), as are the Alfa Romeo branded mats, and the door cards nice and clean.

The Digital Casio clock on the centre column works, but after setting doesn’t hold the time correctly; however ALL other electrics – including windows, mirrors and aerial – work perfectly. Why is ‘ALL’ in capital letters? That’s normally unheard of on an Alfa.

‘It drives brilliantly, and is on the button,’ says Nick. Again, we’re able to confirm that this is the case. It provides that quintessential, rorty top-down Spider experience. Canted gear lever to hand, punching through the ratios and revelling in the sweet handling is one of life’s sunny day pleasures.

‘I went for a twin-carb car as I tried a fuel-injected example and it didn’t really feel or sound like a classic car. It’s been totally reliable and always kept on a trickle-charger, although with the recent new battery it may not need that.’

The gearbox was rebuilt and the carbs rebalanced in 2016, and the twin cam engine was recently dyno tested and showed rude health with 126bhp and 129 lb ft torque – better than factory fresh!

The engine bay is in fine condition and – as befits the recent service – all fluids are fresh and to correct levels. It comes with an Alfaholics air filter, but is currently fitted with a slightly perkier sounding Pipercross unit.

Pop your head underneath and there are no apparent issues, with a nice solid looking underside. You will however see the Alfaholics stainless steel exhaust system (including manifold), fitted in 2007, which explains why it sounds so cheeky.  

There’s not much pre-UK history (except the charming original Bill of Sale), but plenty since its arrival on these shores. It shows continuous outlay on keeping the car in top fettle, as well as on sensible upgrades to increase driving pleasure.

As such there are a heck of a lot of bills to flick through, but key ones include: the new Alfaholics softtop (in 2011, at a cost of £375); gearbox rebuild (2016, £1174.27); and lower body restoration (£2000 in total, 2015).

Also included is the original handbook (in a lovely little carry satchel) and the pre-inspection report that Nick commissioned prior to buying the car. The pictures at the very bottom of the gallery date from 2015 and are taken from the CDs recording the extensive bodywork restoration carried out that year.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to the very highest standard.

When buying a classic car you have two choices: take a punt and buy one you know nothing about; or find one with a comprehensive history, and which has had the model’s known issues tackled and rectified.

For us it’s a no-brainer, and we’d do the latter every time. As this car’s history shows, the known Alfa Spider issues of structural rust and 2nd gear synchromesh wear have both been recently done.

Factor in very nice levels of presentation, a recent pre-sales inspection report, a dyno report showing (slightly) better than factory power and torque outputs, as well as the fact it drives very well indeed, and you have a lovely S3 Spider.

The fact that we think it’ll sell for a very reasonable £7k to £9.5k shows just what a good car someone is going to get, and for not a lot of money at all.

In terms of Italian bang for your Great British buck, there’s no doubt this S3 offers it in spades.

Viewing is always encouraged, and as stated this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.