ALFA ROMEO SPIDER

The Graduate's Italian style icon is a highly usable sports car and remains a surprisingly affordable classic buy

- MALCOLM MCKAY

The Spider had a continuous, 27-year production history, but for most of that time the cars were rarely seen in the UK and few were sold in right-hand drive.

Motor magazine only tested the round-tail 1600 and 1750 - though the Spider appeared in UK price lists through to 1978, then reappeared from 1991-'93. Alfa dealer Bell & Colvill imported small numbers of Spiders in the 1980s and converted them to RHD.

When it first appeared in 1966, the Spider was a great formula: all-alloy twin-cam, five-speed gearbox, all-disc brakes, a comfortable interior with a small back seat, film-star looks and well-developed suspension. Motor said: 'Fast with fun... the performance is good, the roadholding excellent... the handling superb.'

Sadly, for the UK the Spider was just too expensive compared to native products such as the Lotus Elan and Jaguar E-type. Alfa Romeo struggled to justify the expense of building right-hookers for a limited market - only 633 1750 Spiders were factory-built with RHD. In the USA and Continental Europe, however, the Spider was more competitively priced and sold well. Many cars in the UK have been imported in more recent years - and when brought in from sunnier climes, if well protected from rot, they are a very appealing sports-car option.