Here's How Much An Alfa Romeo 4C Has Depreciated In 5 Years

Back in 2020, you could buy a purpose-built sports car with a carbon fiber tub and the looks of an exotic Italian supercar. Plus, it had one of our favorite side-view mirror designs. You could also buy that car for much less than any other Italian supercar on sale. It had an Alfa Romeo badge on the hood and fancy looks to go with it, but it also had components from normal, everyday cars. That car was the Alfa Romeo 4C, and you might be thinking that now, five years after the last model was made, is the time to check out a used one. 

It didn't sell in large quantities, and famously didn't have power steering, but have either of those factors affected the resale value of the 2020 Alfa Romeo 4C? The 4C Spider – the only version available for 2020, and the final year of production for the car – had a starting price of $68,745 (including the $1,595 delivery charge). After five years, according to Kelley Blue Book, the 4C has lost approximately 31% of its original value. That's not bad. Depending on condition and equipment, they estimate a Fair Market Range of around $50,000. 

For original owners, KBB's fair purchase price of around $48,500 represents a solid lack of depreciation. Experian lists the average five-year depreciation on a new car to be around 55%. For buyers now looking to pick one up, the car appears to be holding its value well. Some of our readers, not surprisingly, wish the 4C would depreciate faster.

A search on used car sites like Cars.com brings up very few results for 2020 4C's — often, there are zero results in a nationwide search. That shouldn't be too terribly surprising, though, because Alfa Romeo sold just 99 units all year of the 2020 model. Lack of sales is one big reason why Alfa Romeo doesn't build cool sports cars anymore, even if they do hold their value well. 

If you're on the hunt for a 4C, there are two versions you can look for: the coupe and the targa, which Alfa Romeo called the Spider. Ultimately, the coupe was discontinued, leaving the Spider as the longest-running version of the car sold in the United States, so it will likely show up the most in your searches. Years pre-dating the 2020 model will also likely show up in your search, as many more models were produced early in the 4C's run.

The 2020 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider was a sports car built with normal car components, which could be part of its strong value on the used market. The dual-clutch automatic transmission came from the Dodge Dart. The 237-horsepower engine came from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. This helped keep the cost down on a vehicle with a pretty costly construction component. The biggest and most bespoke component was the carbon fiber tub, rarely seen on cars at this price point, but it's not exactly a wear item in need of regular repairs. 

Consumer Reports doesn't have a large enough sample size to talk about engine reliability when it comes to the 4C, but there seem to be no glaring issues being reported online. Because it shares a transmission with the Dart, however, it's worth noting that there were several recalls for the Dart relating to the transmission. So, as is the case with any used car purchase, it's always wise to get it inspected and to check for open recalls before closing the deal.

Ultimately, you're in pretty good shape if you currently own a 4C. If you're looking to buy one, you might have to wait a while or search auction sites and local classified listings instead. If you look for even older versions of the 4C, there will be more options available, including the hard top, which could be a decent compromise. Either way, if you're looking to add an Alfa Romeo sports car to your garage, the 4C is a great way to do it. Buona fortuna!