The Alfa Romeo Spider remains one of the biggest bargains in the vintage sports car world, provided you’re shopping for one made after 1973. The later cars are widely available, to the point that there’s more than a few that go straight to the boneyard if they end up in decrepit or neglected condition. This 1983 model is a low-mileage driver that has a few flaws but otherwise looks more than presentable, showing just 34,310 miles with some minor cosmetic flaws and lots of recent maintenance. The blue soft top is weird, but otherwise, it looks like a bargain with bidding well under $10,000. Find it here on eBay with bids to just $5,600 and located in Stamford, Connecticut.

The Alfa Romeo Spider goes way back, and the original boattail design with its enclosed headlights is easily the most desirable version. Those cars are quite pricey, even in restoration-project condition, so good luck buying one for cheap if you don’t know how to weld. The later cars aren’t nearly as sexy, saddled with ugly safety bumpers that seriously marred the unbelievably pure design. This car sports the rear end with the back stripe and subtle integrated duckbill-type rear spoiler, along with the classic Campagnolo wheels. The seller reports that there is some rust bubbling in the body, along with other dings, dents, and scrapes.

So, it’s not a restored car, but that’s not surprising as the values on the later Spiders don’t exactly justify sticking one of these on a rotisserie. The seller reports that the seats have indeed been redone, but I can’t tell by the description if he’s indicating the carpets and door panels are replacements as well; regardless, it all presents nicely. The classic Alfa steering wheel and gear shift are present, and I’ve always felt more cars should have the shifter mounted higher up in the dash. Fun fact: the early 2000s Honda Civic Si hatchback actually used a similar setup for what some drivers claim is a far more comfortable location for the shifter.

The four-cylinder powerplant may be part of the reason why values have been held back, as it wasn’t particularly exotic. Still, the seller reports lots of recent maintenance, including bleeding the brakes, replacing the brake master cylinder, brake booster, and associated hoses. Other flaws worth noting include wear-and-tear around the window of the soft top (again, blue – why blue?) and scratches on the front glass. The shifting action is said to be normal and the clutch feels good; though the seller doesn’t confirm whether the mileage is correct, it certainly has the feel of a summer-only car that got parked in the garage with other seasonal items when not in use.