The Reason The U.S. Banned One Of Alfa Romeo's Coolest Cars
Italian automaker Alfa Romeo's name is synonymous with the world's most beautiful cars. Vintage Alfas like the pre-war era 8C 2900 and 1952 Disco Volante remain an elusive dream for most collectors, but the most recent modern Alfa that gave enthusiasts many sleepless nights was the 8C Competizione Coupe and Spider. Alfa's 8C heritage goes back to 1931 as a range of road cars, racing cars, and sports cars that came standard with a potent straight eight-cylinder engine, hence the 8C (or eight cylinders) name.
Befitting the 8C heritage, the Alfa 8C epitomizes timeless beauty no matter in coupe or convertible formats — and it also came with a howling Ferrari/Maserati V8. Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson gave the Alfa 8C a thorough shakedown in 2009, referring to it as "fourteen feet of art" despite being "hopelessly impractical."
The Alfa 8C Competizione entered the market in 2007, and the automaker only built 500 units for the world. Out of the 500, only 90 8C Coupes made it to U.S. shores, according to Hypebeast. This element of exclusivity certainly played a role in its recent hammer price of $349,000. Alfa Romeo unveiled the 8C Spider soft top in 2008, but not without controversy.
Why was the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider banned in the U.S.?
No, the U.S. government did not ban the Alfa Romeo 8C because it has too much power. Alfa Romeo left the United States in 1995 for poor quality, but the 8C Competizione and 8C Spider marked a new beginning for the brand in North America.
However, specific model years (2008 to 2010) of the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider "were not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)," according to the U.S. Federal Register. In addition, Motor Biscuit claims the 8C Spider did not adhere to U.S. safety regulations. In response, Alfa made a North American variant in 2014 with extra bracing and chassis strengthening to comply with existing safety standards.
Furthermore, the U.S. Federal Register announced the 2016 decision by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). It said (transcript edited for simplicity): "Model year 2008 to 2010 Alfa Romeo 8C Spider passenger cars (PCs) are eligible for importation in the United States because 2008 and 2009 model year vehicles are substantially similar to those originally manufactured for importation into and sale in the United States."
In addition, 2010 model year (the final production year of the 8C Spider) vehicles are also legal to enter U.S. shores "because those vehicles have safety features that comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with all applicable FMVSS." The NHTSA report from the U.S. Federal Reserve also notes that "any RI (or registered importer) who imports or modifies one of these vehicles (Alfa 8C Spider) must include in the statement of conformity and associated documents it submits to NHTSA under 49 CFR 592.6(d) additional proof to confirm that the vehicle was manufactured to conform to, FMVSS No. 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems and FMVSS No. 208 Occupant Protection."
Remember to consider all of these if you plan on importing or adding an Alfa Romeo 8C Spider to your collection.
Alfa Romeo 8C Spider: Desirable Exotic
The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione coupe is one of the world's most beautiful sports cars, but the 8C Spider and its power-folding, lightweight canvass roof are on another level. Alfa only made 500 units of the 8C Spider for the world, but Car and Driver said only 35 made it to the U.S., making it rarer than any modern Lambo or Ferrari. The Alfa 8C is not about raw speed and track-ready precision, but it has the muscle to keep other supercars on their toes. It has a Ferrari-engineered 4.7-liter Maserati V8 engine pumping out 444 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, which sounds like nothing else on Earth.
Alfa Romeo
It has massive Brembo brakes, hand-bitingly gorgeous clover leaf-style 20-inch wheels, and an all-carbon-fiber body. It also has a six-speed automated manual gearbox driving the rear wheels. The 8C Spider is 198 pounds heftier than the coupe, but it still has a 181 mph top speed. Despite its added heft, it still goes from zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, not bad for a drop-top touring car.