1988 Alfa Romeo Spider Series 3 |

Sold

1988 Alfa Romeo Spider Series 3

Sold Price

£9,010

Mileage150,466 km
TransmissionManual
Engine2.0L
LocationBlackheath

SOLD

1988 Alfa Romeo Spider Series 3

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Darren Rungasamy

Automotive Editor, Photographer and Consigner

A timeless appeal in a stylish and practical package, the Spider from Alfa Romeo is always a classy choice.

Pedigree and heritage are considered vital aspects of the appeal of a classic car, and certain models have an unmistakable provenance. Alfa Romeo fit firmly into this category, with almost every one of the company’s output worthy of merit. The essence and appeal of Alfa Romeo can be summed up in one car, the Spider. Based on the 1960s Giulia 105 series, the Spider not only outlived its sibling but weathered the storm just in time to see the 1990s resurrection of the affordable open-top touring roadster. By the time the Series 3 of Spider was released, it retained its aerodynamic nose, and kamm tail and gained a few concessions to modernity but it still provided a taste of the past without any loss of character. Its continued production throughout the 1980s and early 90s was guided by the Alfa Romeo-sanctioned RHD conversions by Bell and Colvill, who offered the British public a genuine pleasure in a motoring landscape that looked depressingly uniform.

This 1988 example is finished in black and fitted with the twin-cam 2.0L engine. It has seen a substantial amount of spending, mostly in the hands of Alfa specialists over the years, with almost 25 years worth of invoices. Well presented with an excellent interior and evidence of mechanical attention, it comes with an MOT to April 2024.

This listing was written from information supplied by Darren after meeting Stewart the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

Almost every time without fail, the car attracts lots of positive comments!

Stewart has taken his car to his trusted Alfa Romeo specialist over his year of ownership and has spent a considerable amount of money on the visual and mechanical aspects of the car. Most of which he confided had more to do with his attention to detail, rather than a recommendation from the garage.

Used as an occasional car, it has been stored in a professional secure environment when not in use, and has given him a huge amount of pleasure. The car is being sold as it now lacks the space to accommodate his growing family. Stewart will be happy to answer any questions on the car in the comments section below.

Stewart

Vehicle Owner

Stewart saved £1,620* when they
sold their Alfa Romeo with us.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

A recent visit to the paint shop ensures that the presentation on this example is kept fresh.

Wheels and Tyres

All four of the smart Cromodora alloys are in excellent shape, this design isn't often seen on the model and so adds to the appeal we think.

The car is fitted with a full set of recently purchased Farroad tyres, they present in excellent condition as pictured.

Bodywork

The structure of the car appears to be solid, the floor pan, engine bay and boot floor are in good shape. The front valance, chassis frame and radiator cross member look tidy with no problems noted within the wheel wells or jacking points. Externally, there is no discernible corrosion noted, with the metal work in good shape throughout. The nose and rear valance look free of distortion. The passenger doors open and close without sagging. The panel fit is good, with even shut lines.

The hood is in excellent condition, with no signs of outdoor storage. The rear screen is free of clouding or rips, with just a light sheen of age noted. It raises and lowers without any issues. There is a hood cover included too. We've highlighted in more detail our observations through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take time to look through all the media files for a detailed view of what’s on offer, and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

The paint finish has a good lustre and an even colour match, with just a few light marks and swirls commensurate with the age of the car but overall it presents very well.

The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there for yourselves. So please take the time to fully assess these high-resolution images and videos of the car, for you to make up your own minds about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

The bumpers are well mounted to the car, with no signs of damage. There are a handful of minor scuffs but nothing to distract. The lights and lens are all neatly presented.

The chrome work is in very good condition, with just the door handles showing any real signs of age. The glass is intact with any marks aligned to the expectations of a car of this age.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

The interior has seen considerable attention over the years, yet retains its classic chic appeal.

Seats and Carpets

The leather seats are in very good order, with no significant signs of wear or damage, trimmed in black with a contrast red stitching.

The carpets are free of dampness and present well. The boot also appears to be free of water ingress.

Dashboard

Overall the padding has survived well, with some minor wear noted on lower sections. The facia and centre console plastics are in decent shape with a little distortion on some of the components. The buttons and controls are all in good order, all are said to function.

The binnacle and sealed glovebox unit show typical traits of its RHD conversion. The door cards are intact and are in very good shape.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The wooden steering wheel and gear knob are neatly presented with no wear.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

The nice exhaust rasp floats into the cockpit, this Alfa is not about speed, it's all about the occasion and experience.

Engine and Gearbox

The engine fires up immediately with no unwanted noises heard, it soon settles down to a rhythmic tick-over with no undulations. No warning signs were flagged up on the dashboard, as it idled with no exhaust fumes observed on the day.

The gearbox selects gears with no reported issues, the clutch is said to have a healthy biting point. As documented, the car had an engine rebuild ~50,000 km's ago. Watch the video to see the car in action.

Suspension and Brakes

The car rides smoothly, with no creaks or rattles heard from the suspension, it traversed the main roads without any notable issues in terms of braking with the owner stating it has seen recent replacement brake pads.

The Drive

A perfect day, as the sun was setting is the ideal scenario for the Spider, it cruised effortlessly at urban speeds, with no problems in terms of the steering or engine performance. The twin-cam engine sounds glorious with a little gentle prod.

The owner has reported that the car has not seen any engine temperature issues and the oil pressure has remained stable throughout his ownership. No fluid leaks were observed on the day.

Electrics and Other

The electrics on the car are minimal on a classic like this, and to Stewarts knowledge everything is working as it should do. The boot lid hinge will need attention, as it is currently unable to remain fully open.

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History and Paperwork

The car has over ~20 years worth of invoices, culminating with just over £7,000 expenditure in the last year, it presents in lovely condition and is ready to be enjoyed by a new custodian.

First registered in January 1989, it is most likely to have been directly imported into the UK by Alfa Romeo and converted to RHD by Bell and Colvill. It comes with a healthy number of historic invoices and MOTs, with the earliest ones dating from 1999. The core of the invoices has been headed by Alfa Romeo specialists, starting off with an engine rebuild by Ramponi Rockell which states that it received an engine rebuild at 103,786 km. Subsequent invoices document servicing, a new exhaust, water pump, alternator and sundry parts in the 2000s, followed by over £2000 worth of maintenance in the 2010s including servicing, a new steering rack/box, RHD Servo and an interior refit. Further invoices also include further maintenance to the gearbox seals, suspension bushes and track rod ends.

In the last 5 years, the spending tally is around £7,000 which covers paintwork, a new clutch kit, fuel pump and hoses, a new battery, new discs and pads and an engine diagnostic check for good measure. Stewart has also spent a further £1000, on cosmetic interior items, most evidently the door cards. The car has an MOT to April 2024 and saw its last service not much more than 1000 km ago.

Stewart told us a new clutch kit was purchased but not fitted as the car drives well after a gearbox oil change in March 2022.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned an HPI check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment of the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
03-04-2023	MOT	150,190 km
12-03-2022	MOT	149,788 km
29-04-2021	MOT	149,386 km
10-08-2017	Service	149,189 km
09-08-2017	MOT	149,189 km
22-07-2016	MOT	148,223 km
06-07-2015	MOT	146,981 km
17-10-2014	MOT	146,708 km
30-08-2013	MOT	146,529 km
05-04-2012	MOT	145,520 km
13-05-2011	MOT	145,396 km
04-05-2010	MOT	142,625 km
09-04-2009	MOT	140,711 km
18-02-2008	MOT	138,140 km
26-01-2007	MOT	135,875 km
31-08-2006	MOT	134,644 km
11-08-2005	MOT	132,193 km
22-07-2004	MOT	128,064 km
30-07-2003	MOT	122,313 km
17-06-2002	MOT	116,531 km
27-04-2001	MOT	116,362 km
18-02-2000	MOT	107,675 km
14-04-1999	MOT	103,796 km
17-11-1997	MOT	90,320 km
13-11-1995	MOT	63,639 km

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Key Details

ModelSpider Series 3
Transmission5-Speed Manual
Reg. Date19-01-1989
CC1,962
Mileage150,466 km
HistoryYes
ColourBlack
Interior ColourBlack
Interior TrimLeather
Chassis #ZAR11538002601328
Engine #15616
Last Service10-08-2017
RestoredYes, undocumented
Engine RebuildYes
MOT03-04-2024
MOT ExemptNo
Road Tax ExemptNo
HPi ClearYes
Former Keepers8
Tyre BrandFarroad
Tyre Age2022
LHD or RHDRHD
VisitedYes
Sale TypePrivate
Owned~1 year
Key FeatureCondition, history, RHD conversion
Auction ID1602

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Ask Questions

Seller : StewartJ Sale Date 14.09.2023

Post a comment or ask the owner a question about the car.

6 Comments

navarra10

1 year ago

How many sets of keys do you have for the car?
Does the car have an immobiliser?

Cityboy

1 year ago

Hi, does the car have air-con? Cheers

StewartJ

Seller

Cityboy

1 year ago

No Ac

StewartJ

Seller

1 year ago

Re the spare wheel I don’t recall &The car is back in storage so I not not access I can ask one of the guys to have a look and revert may take a few days.
I take it The USB is to charge your Mobil or Stream music never used it and the radio head face plate unit was not with the car on my purchase.

Same for the radio I like the sound of the Alfa engine.

Never seen the inset for the cigarettes’ lighter as I don’t smoke its was not important to me.

no I don’t have The wing mirror & I like the hybrid retro look

the car is the original spec spoiler as far as I know its a USA spec car.
Also its been was painted at the same time as the body to color code should be rubber under the paint same as Lancia of that 1980’s classic cars that I have in my collection.

I hope above helps
Best
Stewart

navarra10

StewartJ

1 year ago

Thank you for your reply. I don’t think it’s a USA spec car as it would have side repeaters/indicators on each side of the front plastic bumpers if it were. It’s got a Zender spoiler on it that’s all.. a lot of Series 3 owners changed the original duck tail spoiler to those. My last question is how many sets of keys come with the car? Many thanks for your time.

navarra10

1 year ago

Hi Stewart,

I have a few questions about your Alfa Romeo Spider if you wouldn’t mind answering them please?

Is there a spare wheel in the boot and if so does it have the same alloy wheel?

Below the ashtray there is a cut out with a usb cable sticking out of it where the wing mirror adjuster switch used to be.. what is that usb for?

Is there a radio, as the head unit is not in the photos?

Is the cigarette lighter missing or hiding somewhere?

Any chance you still have the original spoiler and wing mirrors?

Thank you for your time.

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Vehicle Location

Blackheath, London

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