1989 Alfa Romeo Spider S3

This 2.0-litre Alfa Romeo Spider Series 3 was, according to DVLA, registered in the UK in February 1990 - although also marked as first registered overseas. The combination of right hand drive, a speedo marked in kmh and a short time span overseas might suggest that the car was sourced new through somewhere like Ireland or even Japan but the exact origination is unknown. A new owner may wish to consult Alfa’s ‘Archivio Storico’ to get more information.

With a build date in late 1989 (DVLA think 1990 but that wouldn’t be correct), it would make it one of the last of the S3 production cars, before full body-coloured plastic bumpers and trim were introduced with the S4.

The Spider has had several UK owners and its current keeper (our vendor), bought the car in late 2018 as a running project which was just in need of some cosmetic attention, mostly inside the car.

Although the seats and dash are the same, he has had the interior re-carpeted, had the door cards and centre console done and has made sure that everything works - even the digital clock which is a hard thing to replace but he managed to have it repaired. He also refurbished the wheels and replaced a lot of the chrome trims around the exterior of the car.

Several thousand pounds later, he is now selling a much-improved, but barely used since, Spider to fund work on his next project - a late ‘80s M6.

This Spider has something of the looks of a Quadrifoglio Verde (QV) edition about it. The QV was a largely aesthetic, late production “upgrade” on the standard Series 3. It has been fitted with the redesigned front and rear valances from a QV, along with the unique alloy wheels and rear badge. The only obvious omissions are the side skirts, but many would happily forego their inclusion. The car is also finished in Silver which (along with Red and Black) was one of the three QV colour options.

In terms of condition, the paint and body work is very tidy but there are a few small signs of age showing. For example there’s a tiny crack in the edge of the scuttle on the driver’s side, and a few scuffs and scratches here and there around the car. There are no obvious signs of damage, although there is a small crease in the front offside wheel arch rim and a slight bend in the line of the front nose on that side above the bumper.

None of these things detract from what is a very good overall condition. The black mohair hood, which was replaced in 2018, looks to be in very good order and sits nice and tightly across the folding frame. The plastic rear window panel seems clear and crease free.

As previously mentioned, the Spider sits on 15-inch QV-spec ‘Pepperpot’ alloy wheels, which sport monochrome Alfa Romeo centre badges and are all in a good, recently refurbished, condition. They were fitted with matching Pirelli P1 tyres in 2019 and have barely covered any miles since.

Also with a nod to the QV, the interior has been trimmed in red-stitched leather, although the hide is black rather than dark grey, and the carpeting is a bright red. The upholstery appears in a very good condition with just a small blemish - possibly a cigarette burn - on the passenger seat base.

The monopod instrument cluster sits quite high above the dash top but is all in good order and as it should be. The speedometer/odometer were apparently fixed a few years back but the mileage (kilometrage) figure hasn’t moved a great deal in the last decade of MOTs.

The wood-rimmed Nardi Classico steering wheel and matching gear knob are recent additions which lend the S3’s more modern interior a classic touch. More modern still is the JVC CD radio, which is connected to speakers set into the rear bulkhead behind the seats.

New throughout, and looking very striking, are the special order red carpets, with fitted Alfa Romeo overmats in the front footwells. The floor underneath the carpets seems sound with just small areas of surface rust under the shelf behind the seats.

Under the front-hinged bonnet, the engine bay looks clean and impressively tidy, with the red crackle-finish cam cover being the star of the show. The bonnet lid itself has recent insulating linings and only tiny signs of rust around the extreme edges.

The undersides of the car look fairly clean with a good covering of waxoyl across the chassis and floor pans. There are very few signs of rust and what there is, appears to be localised to places like the front sub-frame and jacking points.

Inside the boot, the carpet and linings are bright red, like the interior, and appear relatively new and in excellent order. Underneath, the floor is sound and there is a full size (14-inch) steel spare wheel. Around the boot shut is mostly clear with just the beginnings of rust in the upper corners

The car has a current MOT valid until February 2022, which it passed first time with no advisories. This history file contains a number of expired MOT reports back to 2008.

Also in the documentation are numerous invoices for parts purchased and work done. These suggest significant work has been carried out twice in the past decade.

In 2015, around £2,388 was spent with the Alfa Workshop in Hertfordshire on a full gearbox strip down and rebuild and an engine tune up.

In 2019, the current owner/vendor spent over £7k with EB Spares, Alfaholics and Cotswold Garage on parts and labour to bring the car up to the condition you see today, that included:

- Koni shocks

- New special order carpets throughout

- Steering wheel and gearstick

- Numerous sundry fittings and parts

- Alloy wheel refurbishment

- New Pirelli P1 tyres

(Please note the number plate will be included with this sale)

There are few cars to rival the timeless appeal of the classic Alfa Romeo Spider, whatever Series model it is. According to the owner, everything on the car works and we can confirm that it starts well, and runs and drives as you would expect.

According to our data, average asking prices for later model Spiders have kept fairly static and very affordable over the last few years. Those that are in good mechanical and well-loved condition (like this one) with recent money spent would, of course, be higher. But at our guide of between £12,500 and £17,000, we think that this car is super value and is still within reach of most enthusiasts.

Whilst the S3 Spider may not yet be a true classic - with historic MOT and VED status - it offers an authentic classic driving experience and, on a sunny day with the top down, there’s nothing finer.

Inspection is encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near 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’.