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The 2015-2020 Alfa Romeo 4C is a very unique vehicle: It was the first Alfa Romeo sold in the U.S. in decades. While the tiny mid-engine two-seater is similar in price and performance to a Lotus Elise, it has no competitors with that effortless Italian cool. It is also a very rare car, so as it’s depreciating the 4C might make a fantastic investment.

While Alfa Romeos were competitive sports cars through the 1960s, 70s, and even 80s, the brand bowed out of the U.S. market by 1995. Then in 2010, Fiat and Chrysler merged to form FCA. The new automaker decided to introduce an Alfa Romeo to the U.S. market. It introduced a flagship coupe: the V8-powered “8C” but only built a few hundred before going in a very different direction.

The front of a bright red Alfa Romeo 4C sports car.
Alfa Romeo 4C | Pavlo Baliukh via iStockPhoto

The automaker threw its energy into the lightest weight sports car it could build, with one of the first mass-produced carbon fiber tubs instead of a frame. The tiny two seater borrowed a four-cylinder turbocharged engine from the Fiat Abarth. Despite topping out at 237 horsepower, the 4C can race to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds.

The Alfa 4C really comes through in the twisties. The 2,500-pound car rounded Top Gear’s test track in 1:24.8. That ranked it above the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, BMW Z4 M, Ford Focus RS Mk III, C6 Corvette, and Lamborghini Gallardo.

Alfa Romeo even offered both coupe and convertible configurations. Though the 4C made a great track car or entry-level Italian exotic, its sales flagged. While Alfa sold 663 in 2015, the novelty wore off and by 2020 the automaker only moved 99 of them.

The rear of an Alfa Romeo 4C convertible sports car.
Alfa Romeo 4C | Pavlo Baliukh via iStockPhoto

So how much is a used Alfa Romeo 4C? CarGurus puts the 2015-2017 generation’s average resale value at $55k. The 2017-2020 cars are holding between $65k and $67k. I scanned the Cars and Bids site and found five separate Alfa Romeo 4Cs that have sold for under $49k.

Will the prices keep dropping? Perhaps. Generally a car will keep depreciating for at least one more decade. But with no used Alfa Romeos available that are just a decade or two older than the 4C, and with the automakers next sports car chassis being an EV, something tells me used 4C prices may have already bottomed out.

If you’re considering a used 4C, check out MotorBiscuit’s seamless car-buying tool to find used Alfas near you.

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari is a MotorBiscuit Staff Writer who brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Henry covers Ford models daily, including the F-150. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. He’s an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts. Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont.