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Muhammad Ali's 1976 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Series II is for sale

An Alfa Romeo was never in the plans. It was by accident that Muhammad Ali ended up bringing home this beautiful silver-on-black 1976 Spider Veloce Series II, but its interesting backstory only makes it more special. It's a story the car's next owner will surely need to memorize, as the car is currently listed on eBay for a Buy It Now price of $39,900 OBO. Found by Silodrome, the car is listed by Moto Exotica out of St. Louis, Missouri. According to Moto Exotica, which sources a clip from the book "Running with the Champ" by Ali's close friend and car guy Tim Shanahan, Ali had set out with Shanahan to buy a new Rolls-Royce (Ali loved his Double-Rs) during his time living in Chicago. The two visited European Imports in Lake Forest, Illinois, with the intention of buying a Kelly Green Corniche and possibly a Mercedes-Benz SL for Ali's wife, Veronica Porche. To Ali's dismay, the dealership did not have any SLs in stock, so this Alfa was suggested as an alternative. Ali purchased the car, brought it home, and ran into yet another issue. Porche did not know how to drive the car's manual transmission, and apparently didn't have any desire to learn. So the car mostly sat, with the exception of some rare errand runs by one of Ali's assistants. After a short time passed, Ali learned that Shanahan's personal car had broken down. In a situation that perhaps suggests destiny, Ali then gifted the car to Shanahan, who has owned the car for 40-plus years up until its sale to Moto Exotica. With about 80,000 miles, it has some wear and tear, such as a small crack on the dashboard, but it's in solid overall shape and recently received a respray. Plus it comes with the real registration with Ali's signature on it. Check out the full photos, video, and descriptive listing at Moto Exotica.

Alfa Romeo realigns product onslaught (again)

After Sergio Marchionne announced an ambitious plan in May of 2014, Alfa Romeo has continued to struggle, pushing back launch dates and the debut of the models that would serve as the brand's new bedrock. And now it's happening again. A new investor relations document reveals that Alfa won't complete the debut of its new lineup until the middle of the next decade, and that FCA will be scaling back the brand's research and development, manufacturing, and product investments through 2018. The move is partially down to "uncertainties" in China, which gels with what we reported back in December. Alfa also needs extra time to "guarantee proper global distribution network execution," the document claims. As we've reported, the revised product cadence will still see the Giulia (pictured) and a new midsize utility vehicle hit dealers in 2016 and late 2016/early 2017, respectively. From there, Alfa is still aiming to flesh out its lineup with six more vehicles, including a fullsize sedan, two more utility vehicles, two "specialty" vehicles, and a hatchback. This new product strategy differs from the original Marchionne strategy in a few key ways. First, all of these vehicles were supposed to have been launched between May 2014 and sometime in 2018. Since it's 2016 and we can't even buy a Giulia yet, it's pretty clear that plan isn't going to happen. Instead, the six vehicles that will follow the Giulia and midsize CUV won't start arriving until 2017, with debuts continuing until at least 2020. The new product strategy also better reflects today's market. Gone are the two compact cars, and in their place is a single hatchback, arriving at the tail end of the brand's new product offensive. That might explain why the MiTo was given a stay of execution. It's no surprise to see a second utility vehicle in Alfa's plan, considering the way the segment has exploded in the past few years, while enthusiasts will likely welcome the idea of a second "specialty" vehicle. The brand's second midsize sedan has been pushed out, though, so the only Alfa four-door following the Giulia will be a fullsizer. As for Maserati, the investor relations PDF didn't list nearly as many specifics. As we've reported, FCA still expects the Levante CUV to be a growth leader for the brand by 2018. The performance brand's fortunes will also be bolstered by pairing its dealerships with those of Alfa Romeo. Related Video:

Alfa Sprint Speciale racer looks fantastic, sounds even better

Nothing quite sounds like a vintage Alfa Romeo four-cylinder engine at full gallop, especially in motorsport trim. With a combination of low-frequency burbling played over a high-pitch scream, they really know how to sing. This week Petrolicious takes a look at a truly unique Alfa Sprint Speciale that's just as adept at competing in the wide-open La Carrera Panamericana vintage race in Mexico as it is snaking through some undulating, tree-lined back roads. Ostensibly, this is a 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale, although it's really much more the creation of Alfa-restorer Conrad Stevenson. The roof section, including the holes for the windshield and rear glass, is original to one of these fantastic-looking coupes. But everything below that is Stevenson's handiwork. To shape the styling, he combined the original Bertone design with his own ideas to purpose build the car for the challenges of the Mexican race. As usual, Petrolicious nails every aspect of the production, especially the handheld camera work inside the cabin as the car negotiates the curves. It really communicates the connection between this swoopy Alfa and its builder. Plus, the sound mix lets the engine play its glorious tune. News Source: Petrolicious via YouTube Design/Style Alfa Romeo Coupe Racing Vehicles Performance Classics Videos petrolicious alfa romeo giulia vintage racing