"Very occasionally, a motorcar is presented that surprises us with its extraordinary condition; this is one of those occasions. We are delighted to offer this 1970 Alfa Romeo Spider 1300 Junior that was supplied and first registered in the UK on 16th March 1970. This car was discovered in Gloucestershire in 2018 where it had stood in a garage, without being used or started, for many years. Since that discovery, this Junior has been sympathetically recommissioned and, we think you’ll agree, is in remarkable condition today.
Since its discovery last year, works have been carried out to bring this Roundtail Spider back to life. These works included four new brake calipers, new brake master cylinder, new clutch assembly, clutch master and slave cylinders, new water pump, re-cored radiator, front crankshaft seal, new rear springs, four adjustable Koni shock absorbers, steering joints, rubber floor mats and a new, professionally fitted, lined, mohair hood with new window seals attached. So often, a motor car is let down by cheap tyres including a poor spare; however, five new Pirelli Cinturato tyres have been fitted to match the rest of the standard of this Spider. It is in the area of the coachwork that this Alfa Romeo really shines. The Juniors were built down to a price so that the younger generation of the period could afford a sporting Alfa Romeo. This resulted in the larger engined sibling headlight covers being omitted and all of the coachwork panel seam lines being exposed. These seams, on the sills, the front valance and by the Alfa Romeo front grille are often removed during poor restoration; however they are reassuringly present on this example. The amazing condition continues when looking at the door seams, which appear as if the car has just come from the factory. The rear valance lip that continues into the rear quarter valances and finally and subtly blending out, are still factory fresh. The front nose section, engine bay and especially the boot area under the rubber mat, are all in exceptional condition, even the inner sill drain holes are all as new. The Juniors were pitted against their larger siblings, the 1600 Duetto and 1750cc Roundtail Spiders; however, the 1290cc engine is no mean performer, being a very revvable and smooth unit; a perfectly capable performer even in modern traffic conditions. We are informed that on a recent compression test, each cylinder recorded 190 lbf/in2; an excellent result for this type of unit. The history file includes an Owner’s Instruction Book, three sets of keys, old MoT test certificates, a period black and white photograph, a UK V5C registration document with three previous recorded keepers and an MoT test certificate valid until April 2020. Presented in Pininfarina Rosso with a contrasting black interior, this delightful Alfa Romeo really shines and is offered at a fraction of the cost of a restoration to bring a car to this standard. With back up from an excellent spares network offered by many UK specialists and with their twin cam engines, five-speed gearboxes and disc brakes all around, these Roundtail Spiders are surely, not only a piece of automotive art, but a very usable and practical classic. Lake Como here we come.
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