We love type 116 Alfas. Driving them, working on them - all of it. And, we've had our Milano Verde out a little bit lately, enough to notice that the transaxle has been moving up and down too much to apply the throttle smoothly. Thankfully, we had an upper transmission mount sitting on the shelf. With the rear of the car up on jack stands, we were able to quickly drop the transaxle a couple of inches, yank the old mount out with a socket and a 3-arm puller, and hammer the new mount in. The result? A much smoother driveline without the clunks associated with throttle application that we had been experiencing. We are so used to month-long projects that any chance to make a large improvement in 30 minutes is always welcome.
With type 116, or transaxle cars, there is really little that can't be quickly remedied in the garage. What takes more time is rust repair - and this example doesn't need much of that. On an Alfetta, said to be manufactured from a defective alloy of steel, finding a rust-free example is becoming increasingly challenging.
The Alfa Romeo Spider was getting long in the tooth even before the Mazda Miata crashed the scene in 1989. While the Miata offered a glimpse into the world of 1990s automotive styling, the Series 3 Spider was moored to its mid-60s origins, with little more than bumpers, taillights, and minor bodywork to distinguish it from earlier models. Little surprise, then, that the Miata glided right past the Spider and replaced it in North America.
Today's example comes from the makers of Corsa steel wheels, another fitting ode to the past. In the past 15 years, the clean look of a well-proportioned steel wheel has become just as acceptable to many enthusiasts as the alloy wheels that were offered as upgrades from the factory. A good example of this is the use of Volkswagen Corrado steelies on many MK1 and MK2 Volkswagens. Corsa seems to have decided that this trend will stick around, and offer what seem to be thoughtfully sized steel wheels for a number of cool enthusiast cars. We have no affiliation with the brand whatsoever, but thought that the anochronistic steel wheels fit the throwback Spider theme pretty well.
We make a trip to rural Illinois every summer, usually in the Milano Verde or the Maserati, to see our friend Andrew and check in on his German cars. Invariably the Milano and Andrew's 1991 BMW 535i are lined up to see who has the edge on acceleration. Even after building up a hot 3.0L Busso V6 with higher compression pistons, hotter cams, and ported heads, we have failed to keep up with the Bimmer.
Today's Alfa 90, or Novanta, would be a closer competitor to our friend's 5-series in terms of passenger space, but would stand an even worse chance of embarrassing the 5er in a straight line. Clean lines come courtesy of Marcello Gandini at Bertone, and the underpinnings - torsion beam front suspension, rear-mounted transaxle and DeDion rear suspension - are largely shared with the Giulietta, just like in the Milano / 75. The Quadrioglio Oro models like this one share their 2.5L Busso V6 with the Milano too.
Alfa Romeo broke into the mainstream with its 1900 offering, which couple a unibody construction and a modern twin cam engine with modern production methods. The resulting sales propped up the brand sales enough to allow for the development of even more affordable options. The resulting car was the Giulietta series, which proved to be the most attainable Alfa Romeo to that point.
Early Giulietta fell into the 750 series, while later examples belonged to the 101 series. The transition came sometime between 1958-1959, and since we are not experts, we'll leave it at that. We can say that this 1959 model can safely be classified as a 101 car due to its small fixed window on the door, which accompanied the longer wheelbase 101 series. The 1300cc engine is also a 101 series unit, with a block-mounted fuel pump and the enlarged camshaft and crankshaft diameters that would allow for larger displacement engine variants down the road.
The North American market never saw a 3.0L V6 version of the Alfa Romeo GTV-6, but across the Atlantic, South African customers were offered the opportunity to purchase one of 212 3.0L GTV-6s which were manufactured in the name of homologation for the racing circuit. That offering was a result of a collaboration between Autodelta and Alfa Romeo South America.
The more common version of the GTV-6 3.0L is made possible by an engine swap from an Alfa Milano Verde, or more commonly, the Alfa 164. In comparison to the South American 3.0L V6, the Verde/164 engine features a slightly longer stroke, coming in at 72.6mm vs. the 72.0mm stroke in the 3.0 SA; cylinder bores are a common 93.0mm. The South African engine made use of 6 single Dell'Orto carburetors, whereas the engine-swapped examples usually feature fuel injection.
The Alfa Romeo Spider launched in 1966 to modest sales success and never really recovered throughout its nearly 30-year run. Purists might appreciate the fact that Alfa never strayed far from the original concept, but those outside of the Alfista circle weren't won over by the numerous updates to the 1960s platform.
When the Miata launched just before the 1990s, it experienced sales roughly ten times those of the Spider, and still manages to sell in numbers that the Spider could never manage. It, too, has seen four generations, but with appreciable improvements with each new model and a sense of progress that the Spider never managed. And still, we see the appeal of the Spider range. It cedes victory to the Miata in nearly every objective category, but look at those headlights and that low belt line. Even in its awkward update for the 1990s, we can't help but prefer how comfortable the Spider is in its own skin.
For sale is a 1993 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce. With 81,770 miles
This vehicle is shown in yellow with a black leather interior.
Top Veloce trim which includes the aluminum wheels, leather interior, air conditioning and cloth top
US spec 2 liter 4 cylinder engine.
The 1993 is the last year of the Alfa Spider which has been produced in different generations since the 60s. The final body style has smoothed painted bumpers giving a much sleeker look then the previous series from the 80s.
The steering wheel has been changed to a wood Nardi steering wheel invoking the earlier models.
The top was professionally replaced last year with a top of the line Full cloth top and plastic window by premier upholstery in Rogers MN (better then new)
Complete Veloce spec spare wheel and tire.
Black Leather removable tonneau cover
This vehicle has always been stored in a heated garage on a battery tender. https://ebay.to/3bkhtMu Vin # ZARBB32N4P7006288
NO warranty expressed or implied
Click to view listing
The series 4 Spider makes use of a Bosch engine management system, so gone is the romance and inconvenience of the Weber carbs of yore. To some, this is demerit, but many can appreciate the OBD 1 diagnostics and ease of operation. We enjoy working on our cars, though we realize that a majority of folks just want something that works day-after-day. Either way, availability of repair parts and replacements is outstanding for the Spiders, and aftermarket and performance parts are easily obtained.
Yesterday's Maserati Spyder will likely sell for twice the cash that this Alfa Spider will fetch. Is the Maserati twice as fun? We'd wager no. Both have A/C, power steering, and fuel-injection, so they aren't very disparate in ease of ownership either. Miatas drive like the absolute business, but Miatas aren't very Italian, are they? This Spider appeals to those looking for a long-gone driving experience without most of the inconveniences associated with those times - we can get behind that.
Introduced with a retail price tag more in line with the Ferrari lineup than anything resembling Alfa Romeo pricing, the 8C Spider joined its 8C Competizione sibling a year after the coupe came to market. This low-mile Spider's $370,000 asking price represents a 50% increase over the MSRP when new, which results in a feedback loop of increased value leading to even fewer miles on the road.
It all seems like a waste. The 8C marked Alfa Romeo's return to the North American market, which they abandoned back in 1995 when they withdrew the Spider and the 164. And while Alfa's return was an occasion for celebration, the extent of the 8C's appeal as a rare collector car ends there for us. The styling is classically handsome, but making use of the Maserati GranTurismo's chassis does the carbon fiber body no favors - the overall design can't overcome a real sense of bulkiness that a car on a bespoke chassis would escape. And, in terms of performance and technology, it is basically a Maserati GranTurismo. We would happily take an 8C over the Maserati, but the collectibility of these really hinges on their rarity rather than any outstanding intrinsic value.
Painted Red Brake Calipers Carbon Ceramic Brakes BOSE Hi Fi Sound System iPod Connection Partition & Central Bag Interior Floor Mats Smooth Leather Cruise Control Bi-Xenon Headlights Carbon Fiber Sport Seats Sports Brand (Lucky Clover on Fenders) Woven Interior Leather Full Carbon Fiber Dash Carbon Fiber Door Panels Carbon Fiber Shift Paddles Carbon Fiber Center Console Leather & Carbon Fiber Roll Bars
Click to view listing
The upside of utilizing Maserati components as a mechanical basis is exceptional reliability, relatively speaking. The Ferrari F136 series engines are praised by Maserati technicians as stout units, requiring nothing more than cam variator attention, which is labor-intensive, though no more than $1,000 in parts. Should you have a parking lot incident, sourcing new carbon fiber body panels will prove to be an adventure, financially and otherwise. In short: drive it hard and park it carefully.
We don't wish to slight a very cool and competent modern classic that we ourselves would be incredibly enthused to see in the wild, let alone own one ourselves. Oddly, the Maserati GranTurismo is the closest most will ever come to owning this Italian GT. It might lack the Alfa badge, but we don't think you'll beat yourself up over the Maserati trident marring the front and rear!
We weren't going to list this Giulia on our subtly named Classic Italian Cars For Sale website at first, because we didn't know that it met our only criterion for eligibility: Italian origin. We list a couple of Polski Fiats here and there, so even that has some wiggle room. In any case, we were relieved to see the conspicuous "Prodotto Italiano" decal on the rear of this Giulia, thus qualifying the Alfa Romeo for inclusion on our website.
Jesting aside, Giulias are always welcome on the website. The sedans, or Berlinas, even more so. These 3-boxers were shaped with help from the wind tunnel, which might not be apparent at first glance. Frictional drag comes from separations of the airflow over the surface of the vehicle, such as in the cowl area, at the sideview mirror, and in the wheel wells. The Giulia massages these areas well to manage airflow. The pressure drag comes from the eddy of recirculating air in the vehicle's wake. To combat this, the Giulia employs a chopped "Kamm" tail, and a small lip spoiler on the trailing edge of the roof. It all adds up for a drag coefficient of .34, which is impressive for the time period and tools available to optimize the shape.
Alfa Romeo Giulia . Condition is Used.1967 alfa romeo giulia 1300 ti ,isgot a bigger engine 1750 cc just overhall 500 miles ago runs great ,new exhaust sistem ,new brahpke pump,new steering box,newtires , it has a new floor carpet ,the car is in pretty good condition if you needsome more pictures let me now,listing price or best offer,thank you
Click to view listing
Potential buyers should have questions, and this seller offers very few answers. First, what is the rust situation? The underbody appears pretty clean, but fresh black paint has a way of covering up rust. Fortunately, the seller is open to sending more photos - if this car interests you, we suggest you take advantage of that offer. For the price, the finish looks alright, but this could very well be a five-foot car. It's clearly not original, with the 1750cc engine swap, and what we believe is a dash swap from a later car to replace the strip speedometer from early Giulias.
It's not so common to see a Giulia listed below $20k these days, so these are worth assessing when they pop up for sale. The trouble is, if you can swing nearly $17k for a rough Giulia, why not wait until a sorted $25k car comes up for sale? Well, some of us enjoy the rehabilitation process, regardless of its financial and temporal toll. For that crowd, this example could be worth a second look.
Yesterday a local automotive designer stopped by to say hi and to see what was going on in the CICFS garage (Milano close-ratio transaxle build, Maserati heater core swap). He brought his Dodge Viper. Base engine offered up from the contemporary heavy-duty Ram, Chrysler's newly acquired Lamborghini division was tasked with tapping into the V10's potential. A monster was born. The RZ, known as Il Mostro may not stack up to the specs of the Viper in terms of performance, but it stems from a similar corporate exercise; bringing a show car and its spirit to life in a series production vehicle.
The basis of the two vehicles could not be more different. Chrysler dove deep into the weeds, tooling up new cylinder heads and more for the engine, devising a new chassis, and putting together many of the car's mechanicals from scratch. Alfa, in creating an arguably wilder monster, dipped into its current parts bin, repurposing the DeDion / transaxle chassis of the Milano. Front double wishbone torsion beam suspension with coilover helpers, rear DeDion suspension, and a transaxle with inboard brake calipers. The V6 was a modestly hotter take on the 3.0L in the Milano.
Click to view listing
Year: 1993 Model: Alfa Romeo RZ Engine: 3.0L V6 Transmission: 5-speed manual Mileage: 9,090 Price: $97,500 Location: San Diego, CA
Alfa Romeo ES-30 Roadster Zagato, VIN: ZAR162000*03002149 Year 1993 Make Alfa Romeo Model Zagato Roadster Type No 162C1 VIN ZAR162000*03002149 Italian Homologation No DGM 52914 OM Zagato Production No 27011688 Zagato Body No 168 Engine No 61501++XXXXXX Production No 130 of 284 Exterior Color Rosso Alfa 130 Interior Color Black Full Leather Mileage 14,594 Kilometers 1993 Alfa Romeo Zagato Roadster, VIN: ZAR162000*03002149 Individual History: Completed in 1993 and exported to Japan but not sold new until August 10th, 2001 when it was road registered privately for the first time on Aichi, Japan plates "301 4616." On March 18th, 2005 it was sold privately to the second owner also in Aichi and registered on new plates "301 759." On November 6th, 2009, the registration was renewed on plates "303 4183." On April 8th, 2010, this Alfa was sold and registered on Ouayma plates "300 4314." On June 10th, 2014, it was sold again and reregistered on Kangawa plates "335 130." On February 6th, 2015, this Alfa was sold and re-registered on Tokyo plates "331 5517." On September 29th, 2015 it was purchased corporately and reregistered on Tokyo plates "300 4417 Registration remained Tokyo "30 4417 in dealer inventory from 2015 until sale of vehicle in May of 2018. Mileage at time of initial registration was less than 100 kilometers and vehicle was registered as a new vehicle, no previous owners or registration. No mileage discrepancies at each time of re-registation. Mileage officially recorded and confirmed by Japanese road-registration authorities on September 21st, 2012 at 12,700 kilometers. Mileage officially recorded and confirmed by Japanese road-registration authorities on September 2nd, 2014 at 13,500 kilometers. Mileage officially recorded and confirmed by Japanese road-registration authorities on at time of sale in May of 2018 at 14,500 kilometers. June 2018, Japanese road-registatino canceled, vehicle formally exported and imported to the Unites States July 2018, all services, safety checks completed. New tires installed.
Engine Compression Test Results: Cylinder No Pounds per Square Inch
1 185
2 190
3 190
4 194
5 192
6 190
Click to view listing
We only worry about the RZ/SZ specific components when it comes to keeping one of these on the road. There are very few of those when it comes to mechanicals - headers and coilers come to mind. Bodywork, on the other hand, is likely in short supply. Fortunately, this example looks very clean and complete and shouldn't require month-long eBay searches for anything short of a collision.
With the SZ, you're plunking down serious cash for a design exercise. An exercise that, to our eyes, was not an improvement on existing Alfa Romeo transaxle offerings. Still undeniably cool, the high valuations lend the RZ/SZ pair their new status as more of a collector car, as opposed to a true enthusiast car. And, if you're more of a collector? You might as well seek out a low-mileage example such as this RZ.
It's a real relief to see Milanos priced in the realm of sanity. We like Milanos. Milanos are our favorite of anything we post here, even. But we aren't prepared for a future of $10k+ Milanos. So, thanks for sharing a moment of gratitude with us for what we hope is a long-lasting period of affordable Milanos.
Devoid of ABS, a sunroof, leather seats, and cruise control, the Silver model represents the most economical of Milano offerings. Whereas the appeal might have eluded new-car shoppers, these days, the Silver is preferred to the ABS models for its simplicity.
Click to view listing
Year: 1989 Model: Alfa Romeo Milano Silver Engine: 2.5L V6 Transmission: 5-speed manual Mileage: 142,000 Price: Auction Location: Oceanside, NY
Mechanicals: Starts, idles, and drives great. 142,000 original miles on the all aluminum Giuseppe Busso designed 2.5L V6 engine. Up to date on maintenance. Good clutch, shifts throughout all five gears and into reverse nice and smooth with no 2nd gear issues. Suspension is good, handles well. Brakes are good, non-ABS model. Upgraded 15” Platinum model “wine glass” style wheels in great shape all around with matching tires (original wheels included). All electronics function flawlessly: front & rear power windows go up &down at normal speed, all interior & exterior lights function with no issues as well, instrument cluster and all gauges have no issues.
Cosmetics: Rare no-sunroof model. Structurally solid, no rust issues. Only visible rust is some very minor bubbles under the paint where the left rear wheel arch meets the rocker panel. Paint is overall very presentable, in nice driver quality. It is not a perfect brand-new paint job. All lights and glass are in excellent condition with no oxidation or pitting. Headlights have thick protective film applied and are like-new, taillights are rare European 75 T.Spark model. Interior is all original and is in extremely clean condition. The fabric on the upper & lower outer bolsters of the driver’s seat have ripped (see photos), the original material is available and I have been quoted $75 for labor to reupholster. The headliner is in very good condition, as are the rear parcel shelf, carpets, dashboard, center console, armrest, door panels, etc.
Summary: Simple (no-sunroof no-ABS) 2.5L V6 and 5spd manual 1989 Alfa Romeo Milano Silver. Loves to rev, runs strong with tons of torque. Handles great, tight balanced RWD platform. Very clean interior & exterior, beautiful condition for a 31 year old car with 142,000 miles.
Click to view listing
The only rust disclosed is on the rear fender flares. Not ideal, but not atypical, and not a huge endeavor to rectify. Interior condition is really solid, with just some headliner sagging and seat bolster wear to take care of, should the buyer so choose. Everything electronic is claimed to function properly, meaning this driver should be ready to go upon purchase.
The auction format will guide this Milano Silver to market price, and while it won't go for pennies on the dollar, we hope to see something reasonable. There are cheaper paths to Milano ownership, but sometimes paying a bit more for a running and driving example like this one pays off based on the simple fact that you can drive it from day one.