Do you ever see a car advertised somewhere and think "I wonder how they they got that one here!" Well, today is such the case with this 1990 Alfa Romeo 33. Still seven months shy of the 25 year importation ban to the United States, here is a quite good condition and rare to see Alfa 33 with some discrete modifications; but to me, the real story is how it would have ended up here at all. There must be a good story behind it, because let's be honest - if you're going to go through the difficulty of importing a younger car to get past the government ban, I'm guessing for most people the 33 wouldn't be the first choice of car. Yet here it is, with relatively low miles in seemingly great shape - but a somewhat unrealistic price:

Year: 1990
Model: 33 Imola Edition
Engine: 1.7 liter flat-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 55,000 mi
Price: $18,995

CLICK FOR DETAILS:1990 Alfa Romeo 33

This is a rare 1990 Alfa Romeo 33 Imola Edition. It is a European car that was brought to the US from Holland. It has a clear Florida title. I am listing this car for a friend who has owned it for a few years. He bought it from the Dutch man who brought the car to the US. The car is located in Palm Beach County, Florida. If you are seriously interested in the car and would like to discuss, inspect and test drive this awesome Alfa, arrangements will need to be made. The owner will then meet you in Florida so you can inspect the car. The owner has many Alfa Romeos in his collection of cars and is fastidious about maintaining all of them, this 33 is no exception.
The car is a rust free example, rare for any Alfa Romeo and especially for Alfasud / 33 models. The car has 87958 Kms (about 54700 miles). It is the original color Black Metallic #632. It was recently painted below the pin stripe as there were some small scratches in this area. The hood has some water marks on the paint. The spoiler was also stripped bare and repainted, but it has some unusual marks in the paint. The interior is black with black suede inserts on the seating surfaces. The headliner and all interior appointments are in excellent condition. The owner says that all the switches and functions work. The car has power front windows and power door locks. Rear window wiper. It has a Rockford Fosgate Stereo with Pioneer Head. The interior is such a nice and clean design and its condition is excellent. Surprisingly roomy for the size of this vehicle. It has rear spoiler. The car has its original Euro spec Carello head lights and left fog light has a crack.
The motor runs extremely well and is smooth and powerful. It has a performance chip that was installed by the previous owner and this 1.7 Boxer engine puts out about 120 hp. It is nimble indeed. It has a K&N sport air filter and Remus tailpipe. There is an OMP front strut brace. The transmission has typical Alfa grinding in third gear. Another complete transmission was recently sourced from Europe to be used to correct these issues and this is included with the car.
The strong suit of the Alfa 33 is its handling with its low center of gravity. This has been enhanced with the car being lowered and fitted with performance springs and Koni shocks at all four corners. Recently added are four brand new Serpent Auto Sport Rims with Yokohama S Drive 195/45R15 Tires at a cost of over 1500 dollars. It drives and corners and stops beautifully.
This Alfa Romeo 33 has such a beautiful and clean design with cues from both the Milano and 164 that are enhanced by its compact size. Add to that its rarity in this country and you have a very unique Alfa Romeo. If you would like more specific photos, please let me know and we can get them out to you. Thank you for looking.

While the combination of updated alloys and lowered ride height do give the 33 a more purposeful look that in some ways reminds me of the great days of the 155 Touring Cars, ultimately I think the updated wheels look a bit out of place. Obviously, that's a fairly easy fix if you want something more original and there are always plenty of aftermarket wheels to choose from so that wouldn't likely stop my purchase. Condition overall looks to be very good and original, and were you interested in collection such a model this would probably make a fairly good specimen. However, I just can't get over the sticker shock of a nearly $19,000 asking price - impressive condition and rarity to me just don't make this the odd Italian hatchback I'd choose to fret over. For me, the Lancia Delta Integrale makes much more sense as an object of desire - but as with many of the cars we look at, it sure is nice to just see something a little different even if it's not what you'd buy!

-Carter