2010 RINGS IN A NEW YEAR AND A NEW DECADE that for many of us will undoubtedly hold some new rules under a new economy. That’s not to say that everything must come to a screeching halt until the dust settles. On the contrary. The savvy buyer will view this as an opportunity to take advantage of a soft market, regardless of the pricepoints they typically play in. It becomes a question of whether the seller chooses to let go or hold on until conditions improve and the speculation of how soon that might happen. One way to mitigate that sort of speculation is to make a safer investment by limiting the initial cash outlay. What we’ve attempted to do here is to present 10 cars that have a foreseeable appreciation and either are currently available or will bottom out at under $10,000 in the year 2010. With that, here is our 10 for ’10 for under $10K:

1972-1975 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce 2000
Typical asking prices: $6,000-$8,000
Collector status: Buy and drive

The Alfa Romeo Spider has always conjured up cinematic images, from Felini’s Giulias in the late 50s and 60s, to the iconic Duetto or “Ossi di Seppia” from The Graduate. Deservedly so, there are few things that conjure up La Dolce Vita the way a tops-down Alfa Romeo can. The aforementioned Giulia Spiders and Duettos are now highly coveted and have enjoyed consistent appreciation through even the leanest times. In 1970, the next generation of Spider, the “Kamm Tail” (squaring off the earlier 1750 Spider’s “boattail”), was introduced. Soon thereafter, the motor was enlarged to 1962 cc and the name was changed to 2000 Spider Veloce. A few years later, US DOT required impact-absorbing bumpers be added in order to continue sales in the US, which Alfa Romeo did with modest success until 1993. There were some styling modifications along the way, not always agreeable, but the Alfa Spider stayed true to its roots of a fun, affordable, sexy roadster. The most classic era of the Kamm Tail is the early period from 1970 to 1975, before the hideous black US bumpers marred its otherwise beautiful Pininfarina design. When combined with the more spirited motor, the 1972-75 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce may be the next best thing to a Giulia or Boattail. There can be dozens of them on the market at any given time and many have indeed seen better days. The good news with the earlier cars is that some have been through an older restoration and, if well preserved, can be found in like new condition for about what a tired Miata will cost, making La Dolce Vita that much sweeter.