Jeremy Clarkson has famously contended that you cannot be a true "petrolhead" until you've owned an Alfa. For those of us in America, this presents an issue as old Alfas are increasingly few and far between. We've found one automotive answer to this problem that although strange should be expected—a Miata.
Sure buying a 2000 Mazda Miata dressed up like a vintage Alfa is hardly what Clarkson was preaching when he made that statement, but this weird vehicle could be like owning an Alfa without (most of) the problems. Once you get past the strange look of the thing you have a reliable and relatively bulletproof Miata underneath.
You'll still get the strange stares, but at least you will be able to forego the hours spent by the roadside. Right or wrong, many car enthusiasts will argue that there isn't much an Alfa can offer that a Miata can't. Luckily to give you a brief insight into what Alfa ownership would be like this Miata has a small selection of electrical issues—just enough to drive you insane.
As the seller points out, this pseudo-Alfa can be had for the price of a base Miata. So far, there haven't been any takers on the $4,975 opening bid, so we're skeptical the car will sell in the few hours left on the auction. It might need some minor repair and the body work might not be perfect, but this odd creation is certainly one way to own a Miata that sticks out in a crowd.
We'll probably hold out for the vintage Alfa.
[Ebay]