1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider Veloce

£ 80 000

One of only 633 RHD cars manufactured
Sold new in South Africa and remained there until recently arriving in the United Kingdom
Recently restored and finished in wonderful colours
Fabulous to drive and beautiful Pininfarina styling

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION

A 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider Veloce is among the most coveted open-top Italian cars of its generation. What makes chassis AR 1470339 genuinely exceptional is the combination of factory-verified provenance, a rare right-hand-drive specification, and a restoration of extraordinary thoroughness carried out by one of the finest Alfa Romeo specialists.

The car was built on 20 March 1969 and dispatched to Johannesburg on 27 May of that year, one of just 633 right-hand-drive examples produced. Its factory specification — Rosso coachwork over a Skai nero interior — is confirmed by the Alfa Romeo Classiche Certificato di Origine issued from Arese in February 2024, and the chassis number is fully traceable through the Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo’s production registers. This, in every meaningful sense, is a properly documented car.

The restoration was entrusted to Roy Prando, whose credentials in the Alfa Romeo world are substantial. Having cut his teeth in the 1990s under specialist Italian guidance, he went on to spend thirteen years working with Ferrari at factory level before establishing his own operation in 2016, focused exclusively on Alfa Romeo. He has since completed around thirty restorations, and his reputation rests on a depth of single-marque knowledge that is increasingly rare.

The work was carried out to a standard that left nothing untouched. The body was stripped to bare metal, with steel repair panels sourced from Classic Alfa in the UK fitted to the sills, wings, floor sections, and bootlid, before a full epoxy primer process, rectification, and professional respray. Mechanically, the rebuild was equally comprehensive: the original and correct 1,779cc twin-cam four-cylinder was fully rebuilt, carburettors stripped and reconditioned, gearbox checked and repaired, the rear axle fully rebuilt with new discs and calipers, all suspension bushes and ball joints renewed, new brake discs all round with fresh steel and rubber lines throughout, and an entirely new wiring loom fitted. Inside, the car received a full re-upholster, reconditioned dashboard, fresh trim panels, new seals throughout, and a replacement windscreen. A professional ceramic coating was applied to the exterior on completion.

The Spider was shipped from Cape Town to London in February 2026, arriving at London Gateway in March. HMRC NOVA clearance was satisfied in full, and the car is undergoing DVLA registration. It is accompanied by its Alfa Romeo Classiche certificate, the complete Prando restoration invoice file, shipping documentation, and a bespoke set of Alfa Duetto fitted luggage in dark red mohair. A properly sorted, fully documented, right-hand-drive round-tail — one of the finest of its kind available.

Few Italian cars have accumulated the cultural weight of the Alfa Romeo Spider. When Alfa Romeo unveiled the Series 1 at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966, it presented a body designed by Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina himself — a long, sensuous two-seater with a distinctive rounded tail that immediately earned the nickname osso di seppia, or cuttlefish bone.

The 1,779cc version of Alfa’s celebrated twin-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder brought a meaningful increase in power and refinement over the original 1,600cc unit, while the engineers simultaneously upgraded the suspension, brakes, and electrics. The result was a car not merely prettier than its contemporaries but genuinely better to drive: alert and responsive at lower speeds, yet possessed of a mechanical character that rewards the committed driver in equal measure.

The 1969 model year holds a particular place in the Spider’s history, marking the final season of the Series 1 round-tail bodywork — that extraordinary Pininfarina shape that has since become one of the defining silhouettes of post-war Italian design. From 1970, Alfa moved to the squared Kamm-tail of the Series 2, and while capable in its own right, something irreplaceable had passed. The 1969 1750 Spider Veloce therefore represents a singular moment: the most powerful and refined version of the most beautiful Spider, built in its final year.