Archive for January, 2016

S2 vs. S4 – 1973 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce and 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce

January 6, 2016

Have you ever met two siblings and thought, could these people really have come from the same parents? If you haven’t, you’ll certainly find yourself saying it of the different generations of Alfa Spider. The 1971-1982 Series 2 (S2) Alfa Spider, while fairly comfortable and spacious in its cruising/touring role, is also a fairly raw, raucous sports car whose driving experience is dominated by a wonderful engine note and good handling dampened by cowl shake and live axle quirks. The 1991-1994 Series 4 (S4) Alfa Spider is the older brother, with slightly sharper engine response, stiffer platform, and a much more muted version of the Alfa twincam four, together with narrower leather/alcantara seating and all the electric conveniences and ease of use of a modern (ish) sports car of the 1990s. In spite of that, it has some archaic characteristics like the S2’s live axle peccadilloes, cowl shake, and narrow cabin. To get started, let’s check out this 1973 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce for sale for $3500 in San Francisco, CA.

1973 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce right rear

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Not a Krupp – 1966 Ford Mustang

January 6, 2016

Back in the 1960s, the German truck builder Krupp held the rights to the Mustang model name, and demanded $10,000 from Ford so they could sell their similarly-named car there. Copyright law certainly exists for good reasons, and owners are encouraged to protect their rights, but who in their right minds will confuse a Krupp Mustang semi-tractor with a Ford Mustang sports coupe? Ford Mustangs are rarely featured here, not due to any shortcoming of their own, but because their enduring popularity means most are not within our self-imposed budget cap. And that’s a shame, because much like, say, a BMW 2002, this is a people’s sports car, as well as a cultural icon, with plenty of upgrade and restoration parts available for all the trim levels. Even the humble T-code six, like this 1966 Ford Mustang for sale for $4300 in Vacaville, CA.

1966 Ford Mustang right front

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