What do you think of when someone says “Alfa Romeo”? Perhaps a red Spider from The Graduate, or maybe your memory conjures a GTV. If you appreciate the brand’s race history, you could envision an 8C 2600 Monza, or if style is your thing, a Zagato-styled SZ. I also think of those cars, but they’re all pretty expensive. Are there any ways to become a member of the Alfisti without dropping a ton of cash? Today’s Good Find Friday car, a 1989 Alfa Romeo 33, is one possible answer to that question.

The Alfa Romeo 33 was a compact family car produced from 1983 to 1995 as a successor to the Alfasud. It was offered primarily as a five-door hatchback, with a station wagon variant (known as the Giardinetta or Sport Wagon) introduced later. The 33 retained the Alfasud’s front-wheel-drive layout and flat-four engine architecture, ranging from 1.2 to 1.7 liters, often paired with carburetors or, later, Bosch fuel injection. It was known for agile handling, partly due to its low center of gravity and light weight. Over its production run, the model received multiple updates, including cosmetic facelifts and revisions to the braking and suspension systems.

If you know me, you know small hatchbacks are my jam. I absolutely adored my Lancia Delta integrale 16V, and this car reminds me a bit of the base spec Delta that car was based on. Unlike that car, this 1989 Alfa Romeo 33 1.7 IE is already stateside in Harrisburg, NC. It’s listed for sale by owner on Facebook Marketplace.

Finished in Bianco Argento Silver with a Dark Blue interior, the car has just 64,620 miles on the odometer, though being a European car the dash prioritized kilometers. Exterior features include slate gray-colored bumpers, color-matched front grill crossbar common to 1.7 IE variants of the Alfa Romeo 33.

While the design of the rear suggests a small trunk opening, the Alfa Romeo 33 is actually a hatchback, so the entire panel that looks like a lid actually opens with the rear glass. It’s a fun feature that can generate conversation at a Cars and Caffeinated Beverages meet. A front-mounted roof antenna is one of my favorite Euro car peculiarities as well.

The interior appears to be in rather nice shape, with the lovely blue velour lacking any obvious signs of major wear. This isn’t surprising — velour is a very durable interior fabric and a favorite of this author. The color almost appears gray in some photos. The 5-speed gear lever is nicely accented by a leather gaiter with contrast stitching. Mounted in the center stack is an aftermarket stereo. Apparently the horn on the attractive three-spoke steering wheel is inoperative and the front power windows are described as “haunted.” The AC blow cold, apparently, which is essential this time of year in the South.

The engine on this little car is not what you might expect. The water-cooled 4-cylinder boxer engine was basically carried over from the Alfasud. Its compact form and low center of gravity aided both packaging and handling, but was eventually phased out after 1996. The fuel injection 1.7 put out just 110 horsepower and about the same torque number. Mated to the engine is a 5-speed transmission, whose 1-2 gear plane can be tough to find apparently. This car is said to have had a timing belt at about 60,000 miles and a transmission service, new plugs, and oil change.

For the Alfa Romeo 33, the Alfasud’s suspension was basically carried over, but the brakes were dramatically simplified with conventional outboard front brake discs and calipers replacing the Alfasud’s inboard variety. Drums handle rear braking duty. The system is said to be spongy from new, so that is not necessarily an indicator of problems. Mounted on all four corners of this car are a set of A1-style wheels. I’d be curious of the offset used, as the rear stance looks a bit wide and not in a good way.

No shots of the rear trunk space are posted, the car is said to come with factory literature, tools, and jack.

The Alfa Romeo 33 is not a rare car. Over 1,000,000 were built over its lifespan, though there were quite a few changes during its production from 1985-1994. It’s important to know exactly what you’re looking at when shopping. These cars weren’t exactly built to the highest standard, and rust has probably claimed quite a few 33’s but they are otherwise pretty good cars.

As can be seen in the chart above, the price trend over the last few years is definitely downward, which isn’t surprising since the entire collector car market has softened. The average price hovers just under $6,000. So is this car worth the $9,000 asking price?

I love it when a car I profile has been on the market before, as historic sales data for a specific car are always fun to examine. This exact car was sold at no reserve on Bring a Trailer for $8,000 ($8,400 including buyer’s premium) during the pandemic peak. Just this past December, that buyer decided to sell the car on Bring a Trailer yet again, where the car brought just $6,300 or $6,615 including buyer’s premium.

Though this car has been through serious car community scrutiny twice now on Bring a Trailer, I’d still strongly suggest an in-person inspection. The common joke about 80’s Fiat-built cars is that the metal used was recycled from old washing machines. I can tell you from experience, they rust if you look at them wrong. This car looks pretty tidy, having lived mostly in Spain, but I’d still want to take a much closer look.

The asking price of $9,000 is optimistic given the current state of the market. This car and two others are the only US sales listed on my data source, with the rest all having been sold in Europe. If you want a quirky fun Alfa like this in the States, shipping one from Europe will cost you a pretty penny. It’s worth paying a grand or two over Euro market value to avoid the shipping hassle.

I’d offer $7500 and see if the seller bites – he’d still make a little money, assuming he didn’t pay a ton to ship the car from Alabama to North Carolina. At that price, I doubt you’d lose money when you were ready to move on.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!