1991 Alfa Romeo Spider S4

This particular 1991-registered example appears to have led a well-travelled life. According to our vendor and the history we have on the car, it was initially delivered new to Germany (which would explain the German service record) before being imported into the UK, whereby it was converted to right-hand-drive.

The story doesn’t stop there, however, with the car then finding its way to Japan, where it was purchased by our vendor, who re-imported the car and completed the 110-mile drive to our Oxfordshire HQ behind the wheel, which goes a long way to show just how mechanically sound this example is.

Further evidence as to the mechanical quality of this example is the fact it was able to pass the notoriously rigorous Japanese MOT equivalent - the ‘Shaken’ which makes our MOT exams look like a walk in the park.

Whilst not a massive amount is known about the car other than its globe-trotting exploits, we do know that a new mohair hood has been fitted, it has the more derivable 2.0-litre twin-cam fuel-injected engine, a NARDI steering wheel and gear selector, and one of the prior owners has gone through the trouble of fitting a battery isolator switch for when the car is unused, presumably over winter.

Our vendor notes that all UK taxes and import duties are paid with the NOVA certificate having been issued, but due to DVLA backlogs the paperwork for registration has yet to be given, despite the application going in a number of weeks ago. UPDATE: The new log book has been received and the old plate has been retained, so this car is UK registered as J866 KKH.

Finished in arguably one of - if not the - best colour combinations for an S4 Spider, the bodywork on this example is generally very good, remaining straight throughout with no noted signs of dents or impact damage that we could see, beyond the usual car park creases and pin dents.

There are some flat spots of paint - particularly around the lower side skirts - along with the areas around the windscreen wiper mountings and a few patches of bubbling or cracking paint, which have been documented in the gallery below.

All four wheels are in a presentable condition and look good from a few paces, but up close there are surface corrosion marks and significant pitting which can be seen. The front nearside headlight is also cracked, but this should be a simple enough job to swap out, and did not impact the recent MOT exam.

The new Mohair hood is in excellent shape, with no rips, tears or damage to be seen, nor any discolouration or cracking on the rear window.

Black leather and vinyl is a timeless choice for sports car interiors, and that’s exactly what you’ll find inside this Spider, complete with a few considerate upgrades in the form of a Nardi steering wheel and gear knob, which look fantastic in our opinion.

The seats show the usual signs of wear to the outer bolsters and centres, whilst the carpets also appear to be in good condition, even under the over-mats.

Behind the seats, the luggage area is in good shape but has a few patches of material which need re-glueing, whilst the high-traffic areas such as the shifter, steering wheel and door cards have some light commensurate usage wear.

The folding soft-top mechanism is in good order and worked with no issues during our photo shoot, though the nearside mechanism cover appears to have deteriorated, meaning that the cabin gets a showering of foam whenever the soft top is folded - again, this should be a simple enough fix for those that know what they’re doing, or a reputable trim shop.

As far as we could see, all systems are working as they should, though the nearside window does not drop completely down into the door.

Mechanically, this Spider appears to be in very good condition, as evidenced by the vendor being happy to drive the car to our HQ. During this drive, they noted that the “engine temperature, oil pressure and voltage gauges all read without issue, with a mixture of town and motorway driving proving no problem.”

Out on the road, the engine is in excellent health and showed no signs of any hesitation, untoward behaviour or noises. It would happily go through several re-starts during our photo shoot with no problems, and the electric fans kicked in as required and brought the temperature straight back down.

We did note that there is a significant suspension creak/squeak from the nearside, and there is a rubbing noise when the steering is on full lock, again most notable from the nearside front. The gearbox seems to be in good health and shifts well, though the transmission does not appear to be happy shifting from third to second, even with rev-matching, though once in gear there are no problems to be seen.

Looking in the engine bay, we cannot see any signs of untoward problems, oil leaks or fluid misting, and the bay presents well with only the usual light surface corrosion to be seen on exposed areas.

Underneath, the chassis of this S4 Spider is in excellent shape as you’d expect from a Japanese import, which has gone through the rigours of the ‘Shaken’ tests without problem. This also means that our MOTs shouldn’t be an issue, as evidenced by the recent test in June 2021 which resulted in a clean pass with no advisories.

Included with the vehicle is a fairly impressive and diverse paperwork portfolio, including the all-important UK import documents and NOVA certificate, along with a HPI check which only shows flags for being imported (as we know) and the mileage data being more than one year old (due to being imported.)

The German service record is present, along with the OE Alfa Romeo handbooks and manuals. There are also numerous older invoices from the early and mid-2000’s from various Alfa specialists, along with copies of the old MOT history, tax discs and other miscellaneous paperwork.

Stylish, usable and fun, these Alfa Romeo Spiders rightly have somewhat of a cult status and an enthusiastic following here in the UK, where their rev-happy twin-cam engines, small size and direct steering make them an absolute joy to drive on our twisting lanes and B-roads.

This example has evidently been well cared-for throughout its globe-trotting life, and as such is in excellent mechanical health with only a few minor issues noted, and some room to improve the car aesthetically should you wish.

An ideal light winter project to bring it back to its best for next summer, or fantastically usable as it sits, we estimate this S4 Spider to bring between £8,000 and £12,000 when the hammer falls.

Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this car is located at THE MARKET headquarters near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.