Spider (Type 939) 2006 - Current

First registered on 24 January 2007, the car formed part of Alfa Romeo GB's press fleet. It was one of the original cars used for the UK launch of the model - which actually took place in Morocco. The car appears in the photos of the event which were featured in the April 2007 edition of Alfa Romeo Driver.

In May 2007 it was taken on a lengthy road trip through France and Italy for a US magazine. The photographs for the feature were taken by well-known motorsport photographer Martyn Goddard and I acquired from him copies of all of the photos taken on that trip. They include the image above with the Spider posed in front of the famous castle at Sirmione on Lake Garda. The trip visited a number of Italian wine producing areas.

The car currently carries the registration P8MYY - the previous owner was a lady called Pam. I plan to sell the registration which should mean that the car reverts to its original number RJ56NLG.

I bought the car in August 2018 and, on the journey home, the recorded miles ticked over 36,000. At the time of writing (May 2024) this has increased to 50,000 which occurred on the drive to South West Alfa Day.

The car featured on the cover of the December 2020 edition of Alfa Romeo Driver - copy above.

Body colour - Alfa Rosso 289A

Interior trim - Black/Grey 402/408

Engine - 3195 cc V6 260 BHP

Gearbox - 6 speed manual

Transmission - Q4 all wheel drive

Wheels - 17 inch diamond alloys

The car has carried a number of registration plates over time:

RJ 56 NLG from 24.1.07

F2OME from 23.7.12

W11DFY from 23.9.14

P8MYY from 18.3.15

Despite Alfa's reputation for being a fragile marque, the Spider has been incredibly reliable. Apart from annual services the only work required has been:

• (March 2021) Sorting an issue with the roof. This turned out to be the pressure relief valve which must have got knocked when I put something in the locker behind the driver's seat.

• (March 2023) Changing the radiator. This was a swine of a job which took twice as long as the recommended time. I did manage to locate a new original Alfa radiator so I hope that this will be good for another 15 years. 

• (May 2024) Replacing o/s/r brake caliper which had seized. This was probably my fault as the car saw very little use over the wet winter and spring that we had.

• (May 2024) Replacing all four roof struts as the originals had ceased to provide the necessary pressure.

Even though it's a 3.2 Q4 the car seems surprisingly light on tyres. Its 17 inch wheels are shod with Pirelli P7 boots and, so far, I have not had to replace any of them.

I don't often buy entry photos taken at events - but I thought this one showed the Spider off nicely. And the Jaguar Classic Works was a fantastic venue.

This photo shows how superbly Pininfarina handled the styling of the rear of the car when creating the Spider out of Giugiaro's Brera.