Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is a mini-Ferrari for a fraction of the price (FCAU)

Hollis Johnson

After a two decades away from the US market, Alfa Romeo returned in 2014 with the 4C sports car. A year later, the company followed up with the 4C Spider. The return of Alfa Romeo is a key component in Fiat Chrysler's strategy to incorporate its European holdings in its US offerings. Although Alfa Romeo is a brand steeped in history with a reputation for building stylish sports cars, it's probably best- know for its appearance in the 1967 film "The Graduate." The decision to pair Dustin Hoffman's character up with an Alfa Spider instantly propelled the car and the company into pop-culture-icon status.

The car sits in an odd place in the market. It's a small, stripped down, turbocharged, carbon-fiber two-seater priced below $100,000. About the only thing you can compare it to is a Ferrari — except that a mid-engine 488 GTB will set you back $300,000. Coincidentally, the Alfa 4C is built in Ferrari's hometown of Modena, Italy. 

Recently, Alfa dropped off a red 4C Spider for Business Insider to check out. The open-top 4C starts at $64,000, but our option-laden test car left the showroom with a $74,000 price tag.

Photos by Hollis Johnson.

After departing the US market in 1995 due to financial and regulatory issues, Alfa Romeo returned in 2014 ...

... with the pint-sized 4C sports car.

In 2015, Alfa followed up with the ragtop 4C spider.