Page 114 - Wayne Carini's Guide to Affordable Classics

variable cam timing device. The result was a slight rise in power output from 111 hp to 115 hp and the oddly specific 119.4 lb ft of torque. You won’t notice the difference, though, because curb weight had also risen to 2,548 pounds by that year.
The next, and final change to the Spider’s driveline was a shift to Motronic fuel injection in 1991. Keeping up with the times boosted the Alfa’s horsepower output to 120 and torque to 117 foot- pounds. At this time, Alfa also introduced an optional automatic transmission to widen the appeal of the Spider. The sad fact was, Mazda had introduced the Miata back in 1989, undercutting the Alfa significantly on price while offering comparable engine performance and a more modern suspension and handling package. As the Italians say, “Nella vecchiata, la vita pesa.” (In old age, life weighs heavily.) By 1993, Alfa was almost done in the US, and sold only a few hundred cars in America in 1994.
THE DRIVE
The Alfa Romeo Spider is equal parts a classic momentum sports car and a delightful open-top touring machine. The chain-driven double overhead cam engine holds its power right up to redline (and maybe a little beyond) and it responds well to being driven like you’re angry at the car.
There’s more than a little truth to the old “Italian Tune-Up” story of taking a balky car out for a few trips to the redline and wide- open-throttle hill climbs. When you get back, the engine will be purring like a contented cat. It’s just a matter of cleaning the gunk and carbon out of the passages, especially in the age of ethanol- debased fuel for which the delicately balanced Spica injection system was never tuned.
The classic Spider in its cleanest form. Its double-bubble instrument housings and high-mounted shifter were complemented with covered headlights, slim bumpers and a central exhaust.
112Wayne CariniAffordable Classics