The Fiat Barchetta (; Type 183) is a
roadster produced by the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
manufacturer
Fiat
Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
from 1995 to 2006. ''
Barchetta'' in
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
means "little
boat
A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.
Small boats are typically found on inl ...
", and also denotes a type of open-top sports car body style.
History
The Barchetta was developed between 1990 and 1994 under the project name ''Tipo B
Spider
Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
176''. It was designed by
Andreas Zapatinas Andreas Zapatinas (born 1957) is a Greek people, Greek automobile designer and industrial designer.
Early life and education
Zapatinas was born in Athens. He studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and graduated in 1986 ...
and Alessandro Cavazza, under the supervision of Peter Barrett Davis and other
car designers at the Centro Stile Fiat, and prototyping was carried out by
Stola
The stola () (pl. ''stolae'') was the traditional garment of Roman women, corresponding to the toga that was worn by men. It was also called ''vestis longa'' in Latin literary sources, pointing to its length. History
The ''stola'' was a staple ...
.
Production began in February 1995 and lasted until June 2005, with a brief pause, due to the bankruptcy of coachbuilder
Maggiora
Maggiora is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northwest of Novara.
Maggiora borders the following municipalities: Boca, Borgomanero, Cureggio
Cureg ...
.
The Barchetta was based on the chassis of the Mark 1
Fiat Punto
The Fiat Punto is a supermini car (B-segment) produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1993 to 2018, spanning over three generations. The third generation of the car was marketed between 2005 and 2009 as the Grande Punto, and between 2009 ...
, but with shortened wheelbase. The Barchetta has 1,747 cc
DOHC
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...
petrol engine fitted with
variable valve timing
In internal combustion engines, variable valve timing (VVT) is the process of altering the timing of a valve lift event, and is often used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions. It is increasingly being used in combination with varia ...
.
The engine has at 6,300 rpm and of torque at 4,300 rpm. The Barchetta weighs 1056 kg (2328 lb) without
air conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...
and can accelerate to in 8.9 seconds and has a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph).
It came in various trim levels which offered different features, for example, diamond cross stitch, patterned red leather instead of the standard black leather or fabric seats, alloy wheels instead of steel wheels, or fog-lights as an option. Arguably one of the biggest external cosmetic changes was made by the addition of the third brake light, first introduced by Fiat on the Lido and Riviera in 2000, and on sub models thereafter.
The Barchetta was revised in August 2003 ahead of its relaunch the following year, with some alterations inside and out. The most notable changes were the revised front spoiler and rear bumper. Engine revision decreased torque to . Production of the car eventually stopped in June 2005.
Production
Car bodies were welded at ILCAS in ''Sparone Canavese'', and final assembly was done in
Chivasso
Chivasso (; pms, Civass) is a comune in the Metropolitan City of Turin, in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin. Chivasso has a population of about 27,000. It is situated on the left bank of the Po river, near the inf ...
by the coachbuilder
Maggiora
Maggiora is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northwest of Novara.
Maggiora borders the following municipalities: Boca, Borgomanero, Cureggio
Cureg ...
. After Maggiora's bankruptcy in May 2002, Fiat relocated production of the Barchetta to its
Mirafiori
The Stabilimento di Mirafiori (in English, the Mirafiori Factory) is the headquarters and industrial district of the Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat, a subsidiary of FCA Italy, which is part of Stellantis, and is the headquarters of CNH I ...
plant and resumed production two years later. Around 57,700 cars were built up to 2005.
Production of the Barchetta was limited to
LHD cars only, even though the car was marketed and sold in two
RHD markets, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
Bertone concept car
![Bertone Fiat Barchetta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Bertone_Fiat_Barchetta.jpg)
The Italian styling house of
Bertone Bertone is an Italian surname meaning "descendant of Roberto". Notable people with the surname include:
* Alicia Bertone, American academic, researcher, and veterinary surgeon
* Catherine Bertone (born 1972), Turkish-born female Italian marathon r ...
created a one off roadster show car for Fiat called the Barchetta in March 2007, at the
Geneva Motor Show
The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...
.
References
External links
www.fiatforum.com/barchetta - International web based club with an active Barchetta owners area FORUMwww.fiatbarchetta.com - unofficial Fiat barchetta website
{{Modern European Fiat vehicles
Barchetta
Roadsters
Sport compact cars
Front-wheel-drive sports cars
2000s cars
Cars introduced in 1995