1992 Alfa Romeo Spider S4

This superb example was first registered in December 1992. Originally a left-hand-drive car, it was converted to right-hand-drive and, as you can see from the stamped service history book, the majority of the car’s mileage was accrued early in its life, enabling it to settle into a gentle semi-retirement.

In the care of the vendor for the past eighteen months, he enjoyed being able to make the most of the glorious weather we had last spring and summer, taking the Alfa out whenever lockdown allowed.

Being sold complete with the valuable ‘J6 SPY’ private number plate, which we are told is worth around £1,500 in its own right, it is running beautifully and being offered with a very sensible reserve price, making this your chance to get your hands on one of the nicest S4 Spiders we’ve seen in a while.

We think the silver paintwork suits the S4’s lines, lending it a discreet but upmarket air that flatters its image perfectly. Still in an excellent condition, there is barely a blemish to be found. It also has great panel alignment, neatly placed swage lines - and even the full-width rear taillight hasn’t faded and so retains a high-degree of its original colour.

Alfa had really upped its game by the time it built the S4 cars, so there’s also a distinct absence of the sort of rust and corrosion we’ve all come to expect from classic Alfas. The use of better quality steel helped of course, as did the addition of protective items like plastic wheelarch liners. As such, the S4 models tend to be much hardier in terms of rust resistance than their older siblings.

There is also a lot less chrome than we got used to seeing on them but what does remain, such as that around the windscreen, windows, and hood frames, is in very good condition even if the door handles do have some very light pitting.

The mohair hood was replaced around nine years old and is still in very good condition with a taut fit, excellent stitching and a clear Perspex rear window that is also free of cracks. It also furls and unfurls easily.

The OE Alfa Romeo alloy wheels were also refurbished in the car’s recent past and are still unmarked. Fitted with matching rubber on all four corners, each 195/60R15 Continental tyre also has plenty of tread remaining. The spare wheel is present, but it hasn’t been refurbished and is still shod in its original Pirelli P6000 rubber.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Work to do is minor. If it were ours then we might be tempted to lose the centrally mounted number plate in favour of a traditional side-mounted one but that’s a matter of taste rather than necessity.

That this is the extent of the suggested works speaks volumes as to how well it presents.

The cabin might be a far cry from the chrome and wood of earlier Spiders but it’s still a lovely place to be, especially as a previous owner added a pair of Classic Alfa suede and leatherette seat covers, which lift the cabin nicely. The black and tan colour scheme suits the exterior colour too, and the seats remain free of scuff and with no sign of any nicks, tears or other damage.

There’s relatively little general wear and tear anywhere else either, and the seating position with canted gear lever falling easily to hand and a classic three-spoke sports steering wheel in front of you is pure period-Alfa.

The carpets and door cards are also good, and lifting each carpet reveals fresh, rust free metal.

There is also a high-spec Blaupunkt Modena headunit in the dashboard, although the electric aerial doesn’t work. The owner hasn’t bothered to sort this out as he’s never used it, preferring to enjoy the sounds of nature set to a backdrop of that wonderful twin-cam engine.

Other problems are few: aside from the need for a bit of a clean there is some scuffing to the padded lower panel in front of the passenger and some wear to the gearknob.

We can also see that the next owner will want to spend some time cleaning and painting the hood frame, not because it is especially bad but because the rest of the interior is so good the few bits of surface rust it has do rather stand out.

The previous owner had the gearbox rebuilt by an ex-Cosworth engineer, so this one doesn’t suffer from the problems with 2nd gear synchromesh they’re renowned for. We can see Bilstein dampers under there too, which is another reassuring sign that someone hasn’t been afraid to spend the right money on the right products.

As you can see in the video the twin-cam engine fires easily and settles into an even tick over; we’ve driven it and can confirm that performance is zesty and it feels like a tight and very well sorted example indeed. The owner is full of praise for it, remarking that it’s never let him down: this is an Alfa Spider you can buy with your head and your heart.

There is a touch of surface corrosion on some of the suspension components, but this could be easily tidied up with a wire brush and a bit of elbow grease before being repainted if that sort of thing bothers you.

The rest of the underside of the car is as clean as the exterior and is solid and well-protected, leaving only the odd small patch in need of touching up.

The Alfa’s MoT certificate is valid until February 2022.

It has a number of expired MoT certificates plus a folder full of old invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years including some from such well-known marque experts as the Lombarda Carriage Company of West London, the same folk who originally supplied the car and looked after until around 2003, through to Alfa Aid of Berkshire and Avanti Autos in Suffolk. Someone even bought genuine Alfa screws for the lights lenses and if that isn’t dedication then we don’t know what is!

In addition to the rebuilt gearbox key work carried out more recently includes fitment of a new E.B. Spares supplied hood (£346.62) and Classic Alfa supplied tan leather seat covers (£302.40), both in 2010. New Continental 195/60X15 tyres (£260) were fitted in April 2016, with a fresh brake master cylinder (£45) the following month, as well as new shock absorbers and springs (£609.60). The 16” alloy wheels were also refurbished towards the end of that year at a cost of £288.

Other items include the original service book - with plenty of stamps present - plus an electrical system handbook and the tan vinyl wallet.

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 a very good standard.

If we were writing about a house then we’d be saying ‘location, location, location’ but as it’s a classic Alfa it’s more a case of ‘bodywork, bodywork, bodywork’ - and, as you can see from the photo gallery, this isn’t a concern here because the panels, sills, door shuts, and valances are all tip-top and it’s much the same underneath.

Factor in strong mechanicals plus a rebuilt gearbox, refurbished wheels and good tyres plus a decent hood and it becomes a bit of a no brainer because you would have to spend a great deal more than this to bring a scruffy example up to the same condition as this…

We think this car will sell for between £10,500 and £15,000 which given the condition and driving experience it offers doesn’t seem like much at all. If you take a glance at the classifieds, you’ll see that’s very competitively priced, and even more so when you consider the private number plate included in the sale.

Viewing is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, 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’.