Over the years, we've learn to expect some countries to make certain types of cars better than others. Japan, for example, makes some of the most dependable cars in the world. The British make some of the classiest and most beautiful cars ever seen. The Americans excel at providing insane amounts of V8 power even in their affordable cars. And German cars are some of the best engineered and luxurious.
The Italians, on the other hand, have a special skill altogether. If you see a sports car or a supercar bearing the logo of an Italian manufacturer, you know it’ll be amazing to drive. Italian car makers focus so much on experience and flamboyance that they sometimes look past more sensible stuff like practicality and reliability. To be honest, sometimes even we do.
But like with everything else, there’s a catch. Most of these machines cost way more than we can afford. This is even more clear when there are American, Japanese, and other European vehicles available for less. Today, the 124 Spider is the only proper sports car in Fiat’s lineup. Alfa Romeos tend to be costlier and way less practical than other cars. Maseratis are only for the well-off, and sadly, all the cool Lancia models from the past are out of reach for most of us. But there are still some cool used Italian sports cars that we can get for cheap.
10 Alfa Romeo Brera
The Brera is an awesome alternative to modern Alfa Romeos if they are too expensive. These cars look classy, and they offer a similar driving experience as the current Alfa Romeo models like the Giulia. Alfa Romeo cars are not very reliable and are prone to a couple of visits to the service station in a year.
Finding a well-maintained Brera is almost a necessity, but it’s not super difficult either. Other than that, it is an excellent machine and also very fuel-efficient for its category.
9 2006-2007 Maserati Quattroporte
The Quattroporte is a simple but stylish sedan from Maserati. The name of this car literally translates to ‘four doors’ in English after all. Buying a brand new Maserati can be very costly. But these things depreciate like a Nissan LEAF and getting a used one can be an absolute bargain.
The Quattroporte is a head-turning luxury sports sedan that has a 4.2-liter V8 engine. It makes 400 hp and has a top speed of 165 mph. For about $10,000 that is a great deal.
8 1976 Fiat X1/9 Bertone
The X1/9 is a mid-engined targa model FIAT produced between 1972 and 1989. Bertone, the same guy who designed Lancia Stratos, Lamborghini Countach, and the Miura designed this little sports car. You can either have a 75 hp 1.3-Liter model or an 85 hp 1.5-Liter model.
Here is a 1.3-Liter trim selling for $11,000. It may not be very powerful or track-ready, but it is cheap to buy and maintain. Plus, it has amazing Italian styling and it feels great driving an X1/9 designed by Bertone.
7 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Standard
After the wonderful 8C and the 4C, the Giulia became Alfa Romeo’s most recent sports car for the masses. The 2017 Giulia continued to ace in performance, offered an adventurous driving experience, and had a plethora of features. Don’t expect to get a Quadrifoglio in a sub-$20,000 budget, at least not one in good shape.
But the standard trim is not too bad either. A used Giulia is an affordable modern Italian sports car so you won’t miss out on most safety or tech features. If you want a peppy little turbo engined fun in a stylish sedan and do not care about small rear seat space or the lack of high comfort, the Giulia is your best bet.
6 1983-1987 Alfa Romeo 1600 Duetto Spider
Tell us we’re wrong when we say that the 1600 Duetto Spider is one of the most beautiful cars on the planet. Its appearance in The Graduate (1967) made it famous when Dustin Hoffman drove it in the movie. Hollywood legend and gearhead Steve McQueen once drove it and said it was very forgiving.
That's because of features like sensitive brakes, sharp steering, independent front suspension, and a well-balanced chassis. Today, you can have this piece of Hollywood history and frankly, an amazing car for just around $11,000. After getting more popular through the movie, Alfa Romeo even marketed a ‘Graduate’ trim for the car.
5 1999 Fiat Barchetta
Fiat developed the Barchetta to compete directly with the Mazda MX-5 Miata. You can already guess what kind of a car the Barchetta would be: small, fun, and easy to maintain. It’s based on Fiat’s Punto platform apart from a few changes and looks great.
Despite that, you can have it for less than $20,000 in an auction. This car’s 1.8-liter engine sends130 hp to the front wheels and it has a top speed of 124 mph. That’s plenty for a small car to have fun going around.
4 1972 Fiat 850 Spider
The Fiat 850 Spider is somewhat rare today. Only 140,000 of these Spiders ever made it out of the factory. And yet you can have one for about $10,000. This classic roadster took design inspirations from Fiat’s 850 sedan and has an appealing look.
It only makes 49 hp and has a top speed of 90 mph. As a result, the performance is nothing noteworthy here. But its rarity makes it a cool little collectible for cheap. The prices may rise, since finding good-looking classic cars will get harder and harder.
3 1981-1983 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce
Remember the 1600 Spider you just read about above, the Spider Veloce is a more recent, updated version of that. Expect it to look just as appealing, but now with some more power and a few more features. This one has a 2.0-Liter engine that makes 126 hp and 131 lb-ft of torque.
1982 or later models came with a Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection system that helped optimize both power and fuel efficiency. Its average market price for a used one is $6,332. We found a used one for just $4,900 in New York.
2 1985 Maserati Biturbo
The Biturbo is one of the biggest flops in the Italian automotive industry. Maserati hoped that it would become a fan favorite by pricing it competitively. Their expected production of 5,000 units per year never came to fruition. The Biturbo suffered from underdevelopment.
When people came to know about it, sales dropped drastically which means that we can have them for really cheap. These cars aren’t very reliable so expect to find a beaten-up model for around $2.500. But hey, for that price, you can turn it into a cool project!
1 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth
If you want a modern Italian sports car but the Giulia is too much for you, then the 124 Spider is the one to go for. It’s made in the same factory as the Mazda MX-5, so you can expect similarly fun-to-drive manners and performance.
It also retains many mechanical components with the Miata so it’s reliable and affordable to own and maintain. While some may argue that it’s not truly Italian since it’s based on the Japanese MX-5, let us assure you that it is.