Chiming in that the 4C is rare: Rarity is Relative
Sure, 9,195 total 4c (2175 total 4C in USA, 1324 Coupes, 851 Spiders) is "rare", but then let's talk about Bugatti's lifetime production, or as said, "a dino 308"/etc, and yes, the 4c seems like no big deal.
YET the 4c is a bigger, rarer deal than any of these typically thought of numbers. The 4c will always be:
1. Alfa Romeo Single Model (zero evolution, apart from a carbotub tinted red? Maybe?) HAND MADE.
this is rare given a very knowledgeable anyone can list off the special models that were hand made, especially when considering it is all Italian, and the 4c is facts in that list.
2. ICE drivetrained carbon chassis with alloy subframes that...
Now, the carbotubbed fast cars will be on the dumb end of prices or be a strong hybrid/BEV. Ask anyone in 1999 how awesome would a carbotub 4 banger turbo lightweight special made by Italians and you would merely get a drool and some utterances that sound like cursing. Ask the same question today, even, and someone will say "that would be special, if Porsche asked VW for Bugatti's midengine carbon tubs but bolted in even the base flat six, then that's sold out for years on debut".
3. ...wasn't, and still isn't, anywhere near the opportunity cost of a seriously performing asset in a historical bull run time frame. 2013-2019 was an ABSOLUTE PARTY.
this is also "rare", given how many cars can you buy that have the 4c's platform for less than ~$80k? Well... Just ONE. The nearest deal was the McLaren 570s with many miles before 2020, but I would rather buy a 1/1 or 2/1 "starter" rental returning 8% for the same money.
It's one thing to splurge on a Porsche 911 S or Lotus Exige, for example, in 1999, because it fit into the market very nicely, and while your parked money was making "8%", you could've been relatively smart to have gotten a 993 or M3 or, or, or, etc on the side, given roads were relatively empty and running costs were relatively cheapening. Today, those models sell at prices that made them free or better to own and use! You could "buy a house" for example back then but the deals you can cut w banks and the state of construction for properties at the ~$70k range it wasn't going to make anyone rich real fast. Thus, it wasn't rare to splurge on a "special car" back in 1999 since most manufacturers had VERY special "unnecessary" models. These may have "low production numbers", but weren't "rare" - just go to the next car event and the field is basically these models.
In 2013, the "sports car" and even "manual transmission" was dying and gas was popping expensive. For the 4c to even exist in the time frame, it's "rare"... As the other recent roster of "sports cars" from 911's to Hellcats to Supras/Si/STI/etc again will make up the majority field of your next car event. Carbon chassis cars? Yep... Maybe a handful of at all. Alfa Romeo carbon chassis? Yep. The 4c is the only one.
4. Real Talk: NO ONE "needs" a GT3 RS or an Aventador, etc. If you need so much engineering and cost to enjoy driving, you simply don't know how to drive. Full stop.
A go kart is what made Lewis Hamilton (well known). A four cylinder is what made Jim Clark get into F1 (BTCC, Lotus Cortina). Fangio created records not broken for decades in cars that had HAND BRAKES, yes, literally a vertical handle that needed muscle to directly clamp the brake shoes.
So, the 4c is also VERY RARE in that it was even made (few but famous models share this similar narrative, such as the McLaren F1 or the Lotus 2-eleven), and by FCA (only the final generation of Viper joins this distinction).
Basically, the 4c, despite having just over 9k made, is effectively "as rare" as Ferrari's SP1/2/3 or Lamborghini's "Sesto Elements"... Because they are models that didn't make business sense, didn't sit well with corporate heads, and didn't really beat out similar competitors, but we're made anyways for the sheer experiment of the vision.🍀
