It’s almost been three years since boxing legend Muhammad Ali passed away. But the sportsman’s fans can still get closer with their idol by owning one of his former cars: a 1976 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Series II. Well, that is if they have the $39,900 to spare.
Known for his love of expensive cars, Ali owned many models from various popular manufacturers over the years. So, what makes this Alpha Romeo car so special?
News of the car being back on the market would have gone over everyone’s heads if not for the discovery of the eBay ad for the vehicle. The listing was put up by the Missouri-based car dealership Moto Exotica.
Originally produced from 1966 to 1994 by the Italian car manufacturer, the vehicle is a two-seater roadster-style car designed to follow the company’s previous offering, the Giulia. The car is a sort of cousin, design-wise to the now-iconic 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider Series 1 that Dustin Hoffman drove in the classic film ‘ The Graduate ‘.
While other 1976 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Series II cars may be found in other dealerships for as cheap as $20,000, Ali’s fetches a higher price because of its former owner’s celebrity status. In fact, its new owner will also inherit the car’s original documentation which bears the signature of the famed boxer.
Another interesting aspect of the vintage car is the story behind its purchase. According to Tim Shanahan, Ali’s car guy, the boxer wasn’t even planning to buy the vehicle when he first saw it. At the time, Ali was actually looking for a new Rolls-Royce or a Mercedes Benz SL to gift his wife Veronica.
Unfortunately, the dealership that Ali and Shanahan went to didn’t have the cars the boxer was looking for. In the end, the Alfa Romeo car was suggested to him as an alternate option. Ali then bought the vehicle, but he would, later on, regret the decision after finding out that his wife isn’t used to driving the car’s stick shift and didn’t want to learn how to.
Since neither of them wanted the roadster, the car simply sat in his garage only to be driven out occasionally by an assistant to run errands. The car was then gifted to Shanahan who would own the Alfa Romeo for 40 years before he eventually sold it to the car dealer auctioning it now.
According to the listing, the car is still in great condition despite its 80,000 mileage. It does have a few signs of wear and tear though with the most noticeable one being a crack found on the car’s dashboard.
It has also been recently repainted with a coat of silver paint. The rest of the car’s body is in fantastic shape as well, its bumpers and trunk interiors still intact. Meanwhile, its black folding top remains functional, too.
