You can now buy two iconic Alfa Romeo 8C and 8C Spider (with Maserati/Ferrari V8), like new!

Imagine entering a private museum, pushing open a door that has remained closed for more than fifteen years... and coming face to face with two of the world's most prestigious museums. Alfa Romeo among the most desirable in recent history. Not cars with thousands of miles on them, but two jewels frozen in time. Two Alfa Romeo 8Cs, one a Competizione (coupé), the other a Spider, with respectively... 10 and 19 miles (16 and 30 km) on the odometer. In other words, they're practically brand-new, as if they'd just been delivered yesterday.

Already legendary modern icons

Introduced in 2006, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione was a real aesthetic shock. Its design by Pininfarina was reminiscent of the finest post-war Alfa cars, while at the same time asserting a sensual, almost sculptural style. With its long hood, muscular hips and round headlights, it was immediately ranked among the most beautiful cars in the world. Two years later, Alfa presented the 8C Spider, a convertible version that added wind-in-your-hair pleasure to its visual appeal.

Under the hood, the heart beats as loudly as the looks: a 450 hp, 4.7-liter F136 V8, designed by Ferrari and also found in the Maserati Granturismo, capable of delivering a sound both raucous and lyrical. Coupled to a robotized paddle-shift gearbox, it sends its power to the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential.

Produced in limited series - 500 of the coupé, 500 of the spider - the 8Cs quickly became collector's items. Especially in the USA, where only 90 coupes and 35 spiders were officially imported.

The story of two museum pieces

These two examples up for auction today have a singular history. Delivered in California, they were never driven on open roads. Their sole owner, an Alfa Romeo enthusiast, had them transported directly from the dealership to his private museum, where they have remained sheltered, protected, as if frozen in a time bubble.

The 2008 8C Competizione has... 16 km. It's probably the closest thing to a "factory" 8C still in existence. The 2009 8C Spider, on the other hand, totals 30 km. Both are dressed in classic Rosso Alfa, with red leather interior and carbon bucket seats. They are accompanied by their Schedoni luggage, original notebooks and even window stickers.

An already exciting auction

Both cars are currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer, and as you'd expect, the stakes are rising fast. The coupé is already fetching $250,000, the spider $310,000. An impressive sum, to be sure, but still below the madness of modern supercars. As a reminder, their new price in 2008 was around €162,000 for the coupé and €215,000 for the Spider. At the time, motoring journalists were quoted as saying, "the price tag is nothing short of delirious"...

In other words, it's possible that these Alfa Romeos will find takers at a "reasonable" price, given their rarity and exceptional condition. By way of comparison, the most recent Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, produced in just 33 examples, is said to have sold for around 3 million euros each.

Should they be driven or kept?

That's the question on the lips of future owners. These two 8Cs are ready to roll, but who would really dare add kilometers to their odometers, at the risk of undermining their "time capsule" status? Some collectors may prefer to leave them as they are, like mechanical works of art. Others, more daring, might be tempted to finally unleash the Ferrari-Maserati V8 on the road... So, if you had the choice... would you take the keys to the coupé, or the spider?