Alfa Romeo 2000 and 2600 Spider (1958 – 1965) Review

Alfa Romeo 2000 and 2600 Spider (1958 – 1965) At A Glance

4/5

+Beautiful and effortless roadster

-Not as immediately sporting as the smaller Giula-based cars

When the 2000 Spider was launched it continued Alfa Romeo’s tradition of producing pretty roadsters available at a realistic price. Technically it was nothing too radical – the Spider range sed a reworked version of the old 1900 model's engine and chassis, but the elegant open-top bodies featured styling by the coachbuilders Touring of Milan. Although the all-round drum brakes were a disappointment, the car had a traditional floor-mounted gearshift, and five gears. A detachable hardtop, which complemented the more usual fabric hood was a sound feature. Two additional passenger seats were squeezed in at that back, and that turned the car into a 2+2 – a distinct advantage over its rivals.

The facelift of 1962 saw new front-end styling introduced, featuring a full-width bumper, single chrome strip along the side and the air vents behind the front wheels were removed. The major change was the new twin-camshaft six-cylinder 2584cc engine developing 145bhp under the bonnet. So powere, the 2600 Spider had a top speed of 125mph. Despite all the extra power and sporting looks, neither were light and handling was ponderous. Of the 5698 cars built 3443 had the 1975cc engine.

What does a Alfa Romeo 2000 and 2600 Spider (1958 – 1965) cost?