Auction Watch • 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider • Cars & Bids
A LoveStory
A red Alfa Romeo 4C Spider with Montana plates, a carbon-fiber tub and a front-end accident in its past. It ran off to Colorado, and I'm trying to be cool about it.
How we met
Love at First Scroll
I wasn't looking. I swear. I was scrolling Cars & Bids like a normal person, and then there it was: a 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider in Rosso Competizione, parked in a field in front of the mountains like it knew exactly what it was doing.
It's so beautiful. And it's got Montana plates and a clean Montana title. One of ours.
Then I read the location. It's in Longmont, Colorado. A Montana car, living in Colorado. Every great love story has a complication, and this one's is about 600 miles of I-25 and I-90.
Getting to know each other
What You're Looking At
Here's the rundown from the listing. It's a 2016 4C Spider in Rosso Competizione with a black top and black interior. The odometer shows about 35,400 miles. A private party is selling it on behalf of the owner, who bought it in August 2022 and has added about 13,300 miles.
Power comes from a turbocharged 1.75-liter four-cylinder behind the seats, rated at 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft, through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic to the rear wheels. Yes, it's an automatic. No, I'm not going to let that ruin this.
Alfa built the 4C around a carbon-fiber tub and launched it for 2015 to lead its return to America. According to the listing, it weighs under 2,500 pounds, and it doesn't have power steering. Production ended in 2020.
This one has the Spider Track Package 3, the Carbon Fiber Interior Trim Group, the Spider Convenience Group, 18-inch front and 19-inch rear forged dark wheels, bi-xenon headlights, leather and microfiber seats and air conditioning. The only reported mod is an aftermarket head unit.
The baggage
Every Relationship Has Some
I'm a CPA. I read the fine print, even when I'm in love. Here's the fine print.
The Carfax shows an accident. In June 2018, it was involved in an accident with another vehicle that caused "moderate damage" to the front. On a car built around a carbon-fiber tub, I'd want a specialist to look at the front structure before I bid.
The Carfax also flags a mileage inconsistency in April 2025. The seller says it's a clerical error and has filed a dispute with Carfax. That might be true. Ask for the paperwork.
The rest is cosmetic. There's a crack in the lower front lip, creases in the driver's seat and wrinkles in the passenger-side dash leather. The tires carry 2021 date codes, so plan on new ones.
I'm a CPA, so here we go
The Money Section
Love is blind. Math isn't. Here's what 2016 4C Spiders have actually sold for, and where this one sits right now.
| The 4C Spider Comps | Price |
|---|---|
| 2016 4C Spider, 10,300 miles, black (Cars & Bids, Oct. 2026) | $53,500 |
| 2016 4C Spider, about 8,500 miles, Rosso Competizione (Cars & Bids, Feb. 2025) | $55,500 |
| 2016 4C Spider (Classic.com, Aug. 2025) | $49,250 |
| Classic.com market benchmark, all 2015–2020 4C Spiders | $73,436 |
| This 4C Spider, high bid with seven days left | $2,500 |
| This 4C Spider, per horsepower (237 hp) | $10.55/hp |
The Cars & Bids sales are from the ended auctions on Cars & Bids. The $49,250 sale and the benchmark are from Classic.com. The benchmark includes later and special-edition cars, so it runs high for a 2016. My price guess is labeled as a guess.
The Verdict on the Math
$2,500 is not a real number yet. It's a first date. The two low-mile 2016 Spiders on Cars & Bids sold for $53,500 and $55,500, but this one has about four times the miles and a front-end accident on its Carfax. My guess is it needs to land somewhere around $40,000 to $45,000, and the reserve may be higher than that. That's a guess, not math.
The snark section
Things I Noticed, in No Particular Order
It comes with a timing belt kit. Not a new timing belt. A kit. In a box. That's a gift and a homework assignment at the same time.
It comes with an indoor car cover. Indoor. This car has never been asked to sleep outside, and I respect that.
It doesn't have power steering. That means you'll feel every pebble on the road and every parking lot you ever try to turn around in.
It has an aftermarket head unit. The only mod on the whole car, and it's the stereo. Somebody had their priorities straight.
The service records are thin. The Carfax shows oil changes in 2022, the seller reports one in October 2025 without paperwork, and there's a parts receipt for one in October 2026. Ask about everything else.
The other woman
My Fiat Is Not Taking This Well
I already have an Italian in the garage. Veleno, my 2018 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, has been loyal. She has a manual. She doesn't have a Carfax accident. She's sitting in the garage right now, judging me for writing this.
And my real dream car is still a 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT. The 4C isn't that car. But it's red, it's Italian and the engine is behind the seats. I'm only human.
Receipts
The Listing, Before It Disappears
Auctions end and listings go stale, so here are the key facts as Cars & Bids listed them on Nov. 10, 2026, with seven days left. Every photo in this post comes from the Cars & Bids listing.
| The Listing | Details |
|---|---|
| Car | 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider |
| Engine | 1.75L turbocharged inline-4, 237 hp, 258 lb-ft |
| Transmission | 6-speed dual-clutch automatic, rear-wheel drive |
| Mileage | About 35,400 miles |
| Colors | Rosso Competizione over black, black top |
| Title | Clean, Montana |
| Location | Colorado |
| Seller | Private party, on behalf of the owner |
| Reserve | Yes |
| Ends | Nov. 17, 2026, 12:15 p.m. MST |
From the Cars & Bids listing quick facts and description. Seller name and town left out.
The hammer drops
How It Ended
Bidding was at $2,500 after one bid, with seven days left, when I wrote this. The auction has a reserve. I'll update this as soon as it closes on Nov. 17.
Final thoughts
Would I Buy It?
My head says no. Every spare dollar goes to the Fund the 40 jar, and this car has a front-end accident, a mileage flag and an automatic.
My heart says it has Montana plates and it needs to come home. If you're the one who wins it, bring it back up I-25. I'd love to shoot it.
See the Listing
The full Cars & Bids listing has all 42 photos, the window sticker and the Carfax. Read it all before you fall in love. I didn't.
All car photos are from the seller's Cars & Bids listing. The rear plate is blurred.
Drive Fast · Take Chances · Never Lift.
