Description
The Car:
This is, to the best of my knowledge, one of only a handful of 2. 2 JTS Selespeed Alfa Romeo Spiders in the United Kingdom. The Selespeed semi-automatic transmission was never part of the official UK lineup for this engine - it was paired here exclusively with the manual gearbox, while the automatic option (Qtronic) was reserved for the 3. 2 V6 and 2. 4 diesel. This car was supplied new to the Japanese domestic market, imported to the UK in 2019, and has been with me since 2023 as the 12th Alfa Romeo in our family.
Provenance & Import:
The Japanese domestic market is well regarded among enthusiasts for producing low-mileage, well-maintained examples. Japanese roads are unsalted, servicing culture is meticulous, and annual roadworthiness inspections incentivise careful ownership. The underside of this car reflects that history: it presents exceptionally well. The car was imported in 2019 and has been maintained by Alfa Romeo specialists in the UK ever since. It came with its original Japanese owner's manuals alongside English equivalents, and a complete Japanese service history folder, which continues into a full UK specialist history.
Key Details:
Year: 2008
Engine: 2. 2-litre JTS petrol, 185bhp
Transmission: Selespeed semi-automatic with paddle shifters
Mileage: c. 51, 500 miles
Exterior: Metallic light blue
Interior: Blue/ tobacco two-tone leather
UK Owners: 2
MOT: June 2026
ULEZ: Exempt
Service History: Full - Japan and UK, Alfa specialists throughout
Modifications: None
Condition:
Exterior: Very good condition for age. No kerbing to the alloys, which have some light surface marks consistent with age, but no damage.
Interior: Excellent. Very little wear visible anywhere. All original and unmodified.
Roof: Soft top in very good condition. Minor fabric damage to the underside pre-dates my ownership and is not visible in normal use. The mechanism has been fully overhauled - replacemement roof ECU and flap motors, and the clamshell professionally resealed.
Mechanics: Clean engine bay, excellent underside. No warning lights. Starts easily, idles smoothly, drives as it should.
Note: Parking sensors are currently non-operational - the only known defect.
Recent Work:
Roof clamshell professionally resealed
Roof ECU replaced
Flap motors replaced
Serviced annually
Documentation:
V5 present
Full Japanese service history with original folder
Full UK specialist service history
Owner's manuals (English and Japanese)
Invoices for all major work carried out in the UK
Mileage stated is correct at time of listing and may increase slightly as the car is still in occasional use.
Please contact by WhatsApp or email only - no phone signal during the week. A Spec That Doesn't Exist Anywhere Else:
I have attended numerous Alfa Owner's Club events and have never encountered another Selespeed Spider. If you're looking for something genuinely rare within a model that already turns heads everywhere it goes, this is it. The paddleshift attracts attention and conversation wherever the car goes - and it goes to a lot of places with the roof down in weather like this.
The Selespeed Gearbox:
The Selespeed is a robotised manual transmission operated via steering wheel paddles or the gear selector. It is not a conventional automatic - it is fundamentally a manual gearbox with a computer-controlled clutch, which means it retains the mechanical engagement of a manual without requiring a clutch pedal. When driven sympathetically it is smooth and responsive; when pushed it is properly involving, with rev-matched downshifts and a character that suits the 2. 2 JTS engine well. It is a driver's gearbox, and one that makes the Spider feel meaningfully different from any other example you're likely to find.
The Interior:
Two-tone blue and tobacco leather throughout, with aluminium trim, embossed Alfa Romeo logo headrests, and the characteristically driver-oriented centre console angled toward the wheel. The combination of blue and tobacco is a rare and beautiful pairing - the kind of interior that makes you want to sit in the car even when you're not going anywhere.
A Properly Sorted Roof:
The roof is in full working order. The expensive work that puts many buyers off these cars has already been done - this is not a roof to worry about.
A Note on Buying:
This car has been a cherished second car, maintained to a higher standard than economics alone would justify, because we love Alfas and look after them. It is being sold only because a new Giulia has joined the family and one car must go. The next owner is getting a properly sorted, genuinely rare, beautifully specified Spider at a fair price - not a project.
