1974 Alfa Romeo Spider 1300

While everyone thinks they want the two-litre engine under the bonnet, the Alfa Romeo Spider is not really a sportscar any more, which means that fun rather than speed is the name of the game, and if you agree then the lovely little lightweight 1290cc engine fitted to this Junior is the one to have. You still have a twin-cam at your beck and call, albeit one that boasts 88bhp and revs like a demon. No, it’s not especially fast but then neither was the original MX-5 – and that didn’t stop Mazda selling ‘em by the million, did it? 

The smaller engine also means you can thrash it mercilessly without worrying about finding yourself arriving at a sharper-than-you-thought corner with more speed than talent. It’s smooth, too; the old cliché of ‘runs like a sewing machine’ has never been more apt. 

Its mechanical components are in fine fettle, and it drives well – indeed the owner drove it 150 miles to auction. However, the cosmetics, which were next on the owner’s To Do list, do need some attention. Or maybe not. It’s a little bit scruffy in places but it’s largely solid, and while the coachwork has a few cracks in the paintwork, the odd ding, and more than a few minor blemishes, it is cosmetic rather than badly rusted, so it could be left as it is for a while until you have the time and money to sort it out properly.

Even more importantly, it’s blue rather than the more usual colour. We think it’s more elegant and under-stated in this finish than in any other, and so we can see it appealing to anyone who’s ever looked at red Italian cars and wondered why so many sheep seem to choose the same shade… 

It’s been with the same owner for the past decade, during which time he’s covered a very respectable 30,000 miles in it. Having used it regularly as a runabout, he describes it as “a very good runner”, and “very nice to drive.” He’s only now selling it because a long-term restoration project is just about finished and ready for him to take delivery of.

But, the very best new is that it is being offered with no reserve, so it’ll sell from the very first bid. So, why not pop along to us here at The Market HQ in Abingdon and take a look before sneaking in a cheeky bid? After all, the very worst that could happen is that you pop your Alfa Romeo cherry for next-to-nothing.

The blue paintwork is, as we’ve already mentioned, cracked in places, and as dinged and stone-chipped as any 45-year-old car has a right to be. We’re not going to list the problems individually because that would be even more tedious for you than it would be for us. Suffice it to say, the photographs show the Alfa in an honest light - and we’d always suggest coming to see our cars in the flesh anyway, especially when you’re thinking of bidding on a bit of a project like this.

Yet, despite the superficial and obvious problems, if you take the time to take a closer look you’ll find that the shut-lines look pretty good, and the flanks are nice and straight, too. 

Nor is it especially rusty; what rust there is is minor, localized, and appears to be non-structural – the worse is the nearside rear valance. We think a day’s-worth of mopping and polishing the panels would transform it. No, it’s not going to negate the need for a partial respray at some point in its future but we think it could be made to look good enough to weather the next few years, at least.

The hood frame is ugly but solid, working properly, and just needs refurbishing. The black folding fabric hood is well used too, but appears to still be water-tight bar a small hole in the plastic rear window and could have its colour and strength restored with proprietary products. So, that’s another job for another day because you’re not going to be driving it with the roof up much anyway, are you? 

The chromework is okay too, and another day with a tube of Autosol, the cricket on the radio, and a cold beer would see it looking pretty darned good.

The painted steel wheels look good, but then steelies always do, don’t they? Honest and unpretentious, they always seem to us to mark a car that is owned by some for whom driving pleasure is the ultimate goal, rather than posing. 

Harsh, maybe but if nothing else you could use that as justification if your (insecure) mates rib you about them. And, they’re shod with matching Yokohama tyres, all of which have good tread; if matching tyres are an infallible indicator of a mechanically sympathetic owner, then matching Yokohama tyres are an infallible indicator of a mechanically sympathetic owner who is also a bit tasty behind the wheel. Just like you, eh?

The claret red interior is in fine condition and, like the exterior colour, it’s nice to see a colour other than the more usual black or tan. There is a hole in the rear of the driver’s headrest, so we’d be tempted to put a watch on eBay for a replacement, or pick up a repair kit, but the rest is generally pretty good. Patinated yes, but not knackered, and that huge wooden steering wheel is very of-the-period and utterly gorgeous. 

Speaking of which, being an early car it has the lovely painted dashboard, and this example still wears it original radio blanking plate, which is a lovely touch. 

It also has the achingly cool Alfa Romeo rubber floor mats; carpet might be better for soundproofing and deadening NVH, but we defy anyone to say that rubber mats like these aren’t the interior equivalent of steel wheels; purposeful, anti-establishment, and wonderfully understated.

The door cards have seen better days, and someone has put a few extra holes in them in order to screw them down tightly. Another job for another year then, because you could probably disguise most of them easily enough.

The boot is a bit moist but we think that’s due to a slight leak around the boot lid seal. Before you run a mile, look at the pics of the boot floor, it’s solid, not rusty, and the edge by the bumper is pleasingly accident-free. But a new seal should probably be fairly high on the list of work to get done before the winter sets in.

The boot still has its original black rubber mat, and is home to the jack, wheel nut wrench, and the spare wheel, which is also shod with a Yokohama tyre.

The engine bay is very clean and tidy thanks to a recent, expensive restoration. The underside might show the odd oil leak but there doesn’t look to be anything there to worry about. It starts well and drives nicely, with the engine being the highlight, of course.

A four-figure bill saw the installation of a reconditioned gearbox and a new clutch kit in May 2014, followed by a steering idler, water pump, front exhaust section, and front crankshaft seal in September of the same year.

A £3,000 bill in 2016 saw the engine bay being painted, the engine fully rebuilt, and the underside Waxoyl’d. The carburettors were balanced and the ignition system tuned in 2017 and there are some invoices for work carried out prior to 2014, so why not make yourself a cup of tea and leaf through them at your leisure? 

The Spider’s underside is a bit rusty in places but it again looks to be largely surface and superficial and you should be able to halt it by wire-brushing the loose crud off and then sealing and protecting it with a decent, rust-killing underseal from someone like Bilt Hamber or Waxoyl.

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s low mileage. The MOT certificate itself expires out in November 2019.

The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it in the past 15 years or so.

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 refurbished and maintained to a very good standard.

Oh, and while the car wears a 1975 number plate, courtesy of the date it was imported to the UK, it would almost certainly qualify for the correct 1974 ‘plate if the new owner wanted to ensure that every last detail is correct…

The cockpit of an early-ish Alfa Romeo Spider has always been a rather nice place to spend time and while this one is lightly patinated, all the lovely little details are present and correct and only in need of a little TLC to get them looking utterly fabulous.

Which is the case for the bodywork, too. You might think we’ve damned with faint praise, but while it would be fair to say we will always err on the side of caution, it really isn’t that bad – and we’d always rather view and bid on an honest, straight car like this that is being sold with all its faults on display than one that has been cheaply and badly tarted-up by an unscrupulous dealer.

And while the bodywork and interior are fair-to-good, the mechanicals are probably the highlight; nothing kills cars faster than being neglected or badly stored, and regular use is the very best way we know to keep a car running well and all the seals and surfaces lubricated. Small niggles tend to get sorted out on time too, which is what’s happened with this example.

With the prices of excellent, early Alfa Romeo Spiders having reached £20,000 some time ago, the fact that this one is being offered on a ‘no reserve’ basis means that someone might just walk away with an absolute belter of a car for not a lot of money. 

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in Abingdon; 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.