1996 Alfa Romeo Spider Review - Does this cheap GTV have one too many problems?

Автокөліктер мен көлік құралдары

The Alfa Romeo GTV and GTV Spider were launched at the Geneva motor show in March 1996.
These small, very beautiful cars sort of replaced two previous Alfa Romeo models, if only spiritually… The Alfa Romeo GT, type 116, and the Spider, Type 105/115. Although the fourth generation spider ceased production in 1994, the basic platform dated back to 1966, hence the need for a modern roadster. As for an Alfa Romeo Coupe, production of the GT had finished by 1986, 9 years before the GTV coupe would reach the first owners.
The car shown in this video belongs to a Geoff follower, and was loaned to me for a video. I’d never driven an Alfa Romeo GTV before, so leapt at the chance to find out what his cheap little convertible was all about…
Did you know this car won:
1995 Car of the Year
Best Designed Car
Best Design Detail in production.
The World's most Beautiful Automobile
Goldenes Lenkrad
Auto più bella del mondo
Best Sport Car
Best car to drive
Engineer of the Year for Bruno Cena
Deportivo di Ano #GeoffBuysCars #BuyingCars #SellingCars #CarReview

Пікірлер: 34

  • @benfearnhead9851
    @benfearnhead9851 Жыл бұрын

    “Is that a cubby hole? No it’s just coming off” I love these cars. They look better now than ever and rare enough to be quite a special thing when you see one.

  • @jaybee8414
    @jaybee8414 Жыл бұрын

    Clarkson said you can't consider yourself a petrolhead till you've owned an alfa.....mine was a 164

  • @Lucan-ve6zc
    @Lucan-ve6zc7 ай бұрын

    We have a 96 Spider. Love it to bits. Popping the roof down takes about 20/30 seconds. Handling is spot on. Cheap, fun and the noise is utterly gorgeous. Decent forecast tomorrow. We're in west Cornwall. Thus, it will be a roof down and off to a pub somewhere out of the way for lunch. The 916 won a load of awards for good reason.

  • @anthonyrussell7457
    @anthonyrussell7457 Жыл бұрын

    I bought a 2001 model year Spider TS in Zoë Gold at the beginning on the year, summer in NZ. Less than 60,000m (93,000kms) and it's a little gem. Fingers and everything else crossed. The battery box should have a full carpet lining and separated luggage space. My daily drive is an SUV, getting into the Alfa is so wonderfully tactile, analogue and connected. Love it! Yeah, being yellow it's not very discrete and does get looks.

  • @GeoffBuysCars

    @GeoffBuysCars

    Жыл бұрын

    Love the Zoe Gold, did you take it to Gaydon the other week for the Zoe Gold get together?

  • @rogeropie189
    @rogeropie1899 ай бұрын

    Thanks you so much , you portrayed it beautifully

  • @MadIIMike
    @MadIIMike Жыл бұрын

    The battery placement looks like it's gonna be quite a experience to jumpstart in winter...^^

  • @GeoffBuysCars

    @GeoffBuysCars

    Жыл бұрын

    Brilliant comment... and of course correct!! 😂😂

  • @liamcorrigan3158

    @liamcorrigan3158

    Жыл бұрын

    It’s also fun if your boot lock is broken so the only way to open it is with the secret button in the glovebox and then the battery dies. Ask me how I know…

  • @MattyBrad

    @MattyBrad

    Жыл бұрын

    Trickle charge year round mate.

  • @MattyBrad

    @MattyBrad

    Жыл бұрын

    @@liamcorrigan3158 Secret button? I'm going searching

  • @VanDijkFilms

    @VanDijkFilms

    9 ай бұрын

    Ironically this happened to me in the first winter last year. Was actually quite Easy. Since then i've boosted quite a few cars which when the roof is down is very easy.

  • @CavalierLiberty
    @CavalierLiberty7 ай бұрын

    Is there no proper boot in that scoot? What's all the space behind top cover panel?

  • @rizzrazz
    @rizzrazz Жыл бұрын

    Alfa GTV spiders are great cars, but this one is a bit of a lemon for £1800! I'd not pay more than a grand for that

  • @GeoffBuysCars

    @GeoffBuysCars

    Жыл бұрын

    It has some... ‘quirks’ 😂😂

  • @autoazure
    @autoazure19 күн бұрын

    Speaking as an auld, Scottish engineer, car freak! These are exceptionally well built compared to most of the present day, disposable rubbish! Required proper maintainance, that's all! I have owned 2 of these so I am not talking pish!

  • @kelvynmoore4882
    @kelvynmoore4882 Жыл бұрын

    Had one of these on a 2000 facelifted 'W' from new. 2.0 TS silver with black leather. Glorious in many ways, but so let down in others. I'm afraid all the reports you hear about poor Alfa quality were true of mine. I so wish I could say otherwise and tell you it was fault-free, but I can't. How about being delivered with only one of the three brake lights working? Or parts of the protective plastic wrapping on the leather still being there on delivery. Within months it was stalling intermittently at traffic lights and T-junctions. It would restart OK, but Alfa never managed to fix that. The central locking locked me in on several occasions too and wouldn’t release. Thankfully being a young lad at the time, climbing out of the window was an option. The final straw happened when most of the buttons on the central console fell into the dash when I pressed the hazard switch. The list really does go on. Have I dared have another Alfa since? No, sadly I'm not brave enough. Pity really.

  • @GeoffBuysCars

    @GeoffBuysCars

    Жыл бұрын

    That’s an impressive list!!!! And shocking. How could they not fix the cutting out?!

  • @kelvynmoore4882

    @kelvynmoore4882

    Жыл бұрын

    @@GeoffBuysCars Classic intermittent Italian electrics I guess. On the upside, I'll remember the many long trips to, and around Cornwall. Plus, everyone wanted to have a go in it or asked me about it. Can't really say the same of the German cars that followed its departure. I hope the Geoff follower continues to enjoy it.

  • @joseluisvillafane1636

    @joseluisvillafane1636

    Жыл бұрын

    Pues me parece que te inventas estas historias que escribes. ...claro luego hablas de los coches alemanes... Yo tengo un Alfa Romeo GTV desde el año 2001 y ni un fallo de todo eso que tú dices tener...pero tampoco de otra cosa..si se cuidan los coches ..no hay fallos si se tratan como un carro de vacas ya no lo sé .. Creo que eres un mentiroso sin más

  • @Lot76CARS
    @Lot76CARS Жыл бұрын

    Perfect Geoff car, cheap, cheerful, runs and drives just a few of the electronics are a bit temperamental😂

  • @GeoffBuysCars

    @GeoffBuysCars

    Жыл бұрын

    It’s proper Geoff this isn’t it!!

  • @yavoryankov2472
    @yavoryankov2472 Жыл бұрын

    Both not working windows and the not opening windows are easy and cheap DIY fix, shame to the owner that keeps the car like that...

  • @holbeckghyll4997

    @holbeckghyll4997

    Жыл бұрын

    not working AND not opening?

  • @karenmurray3098
    @karenmurray3098 Жыл бұрын

    i could fix that door in a minet, the door handel needs a spring and the cable has stretched and just needs a shim to make it work like new and that radio is an after market one . i love my 1999 alfa spider the handeling is scalpel sharp and there is nothing better than a drive on a summers day with the top down . yes these cars have there problems but phase one cars are now over 20 years old. tel me of a 20 yrar old car that looks this good ?

  • @matthewstone1920
    @matthewstone19204 ай бұрын

    Just seen you on Lotus Eaters... Mine is fucked bodily but the electric roof and windows work... Just. Fantastic cars, mine is 2.0 twinny 1995 with 150k miles.

  • @SafeRaceregularity
    @SafeRaceregularity Жыл бұрын

    😂 love my one I race my on the track and she is 1998 twin spark 2L from Melbourne Australia

  • @crazyforcars
    @crazyforcars Жыл бұрын

    What a nice little shitbox. Had so much fun seeing the video. One correction: the car shown at 5:51 is not a BMW, it's definitely a Mercedes.

  • @GeoffBuysCars

    @GeoffBuysCars

    Жыл бұрын

    I’m amazed you’re the only to spot this. When I was thinking of a good example of a car with a full width brake light I never considered the Benz, only in edit...!

  • @gelaendewagenat
    @gelaendewagenat Жыл бұрын

    Just take a look a the Operator's Manual 🤣: Closin' the roof is an easy job - but only if you know how it's been done correctly.

  • @paultrueman6700
    @paultrueman6700 Жыл бұрын

    Off to autotrader to look at cheap Alfa's 😂

  • @yaroslavbozhdynsky
    @yaroslavbozhdynsky Жыл бұрын

    Later seats were MOMO.

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