Paying ‘omaggio’ to the fiat barchetta (1995-2005)

Thirty years ago in 1995, as Oasis and Blur were battling to grab the Britpop crown, and De Niro and Pacino finally shared some unforgettable and unbelievably tense screentime in ‘Heat’, there was a more serene moment in the motor world, as Italian car manufacturer Fiat launched the open-topped two-seater “fiat barchetta” (lower case deliberate). Translating into English as “little boat” (hence the lower-case logo styling), this left-hand-drive roadster may not have been a chart-topper here in the UK, but its cool styling, excellent engineering, and affordability mean it’s a coupe well worth paying tribute to – even though it was only in production for a decade.

A slice of history

Development began in the early Nineties with a ‘spirito competitivo’ as two teams were tasked with creating a car that would be a newer and more ground-breaking iteration of the Fiat Uno while also giving other popular coupes of the time a run for their money. And just when it couldn’t get more Italian, each team named themselves after a pizza; Diavola led by Chris Bangle, and Marinara which placed Andreas Zapatinas in the conceptual driving seat.

Both sides had it in their brief to incorporate something of an arachnid theme – possibly in a bid to rival and reflect the Alfa Romeo Spider. The Diavola team had a fierce and fire-proof commitment to their spider version of the Fiat Coupé, while the Marinara crew worked on a number of designs that incorporated various Italian spiders.

Ultimately, it was Zapatinas’ concept that won the nod of approval from Fiat’s management.

The fiat barchetta – design, engineering, and special touches

Once Zapatinas and his plan were approved, the real work began. While there was a sense of paying homage to its predecessor, the Fiat Uno, it was key to introduce several points of difference. While the main aesthetic pre-requisite was to be eye-catching, it also needed to be no-frills, unassuming, with its low weight, gentle curves, and contours… a change to other in-your-face brash coupes of the time. It would also have a wheelbase 17cms shorter than the future Fiat Punto, so the particularly short passenger area found itself slung back behind a rather long bonnet.

The canvas soft-top found itself concealed beneath the two bucket seats, while the three-spoke steering wheel (veering on the almost vertical) provided near-perfect control while making it easy for the driver to gauge both dials and instruments. And just in case you may forget even for an instant that you were in a fiat barchetta, the logo was stylishly embedded on the glove box.

There was a further first-for-Fiat feature – the built-in dashboard radio, placed between round air vents and a trio of circular climate controls. These were all thoughtfully designed to match the instrument cluster and keep the disc-shape consistency throughout the car.

Having been determined (and instructed) to do things differently, the design engineers (joined in 1992 by Alessandro Cavazza) went further against the grain by giving the fiat barchetta a front-engine, front-wheel power rather than real-wheel drive – which was the more common option.

If you want to keep a note of the vital statistics? We’re talking a 1,747 cc DOHC petrol four-cylinder engine fitted with variable valve timing. And weighing in at 1,056 kgs (2,328 lbs) minus aircon, the fiat barchetta could accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.9 seconds with a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph).

Hitting the road… and the buffers

The manufacturing and production process properly began in 1994, with the first fiat barchetta taking to the road in 1995.  However, the launch came at a very similar time to several other roadsters – including the Mazda MX5, Rover MGF and BMW Z3 – so rivalry was intense, and sales not quite as buoyant as Fiat would have hoped.

During its time in development, then in production, there were many chassis changes to the fiat barchetta. With the priority being that it was a pleasure to drive and ride in, while also feeling like a safe and secure sports car, many of the improvements were centred on comfort. The soft top, while often regarded as the main point of a sports car, came with its own challenges. In order to address this, there were revisions to torsional rigidity, while the front windscreen frame acted as a roll bar. Throw advanced safety systems like airbags, side impact bars in the doors, and a reinforced body with a deformation-controlled structure into the mix, and this really was a coupe a couple of years ahead of its time.

And while to some, that front-wheel drive set-up may have felt like a pointless knee-jerk reaction to the more popular rear-wheel options, this engineering did create better handling in low-grip conditions.

Over its decade in production, there were further changes and improvements. One of the major exterior amends was to add a third brake light. Fiat introduced this to its Lido and Riviera models in 2000, and then to all other models, including the barchetta.

There was a further revision in August 2003, and even a relaunch in 2004. A changed front spoiler and rear bumper were introduced, and a decreased torque to 158 N⋅m (117 lb⋅ft) to the engine came into being, but none of these edits were able to stop the cessation in production in June 2005.

The production story wasn’t helped when Maggiora – the coach builder responsible for assembling components – went bankrupt in 2002, literally putting a spanner in the barchetta works. Despite this setback, manufacturing began for a final cycle in 2003 at Fiat’s Mirafiori base.

The post-production story

Rather than commiserate the 20 years since the production wheels stopped turning after 57,000 cars were built, we’ll finish by giving the fiat barchetta a final hurrah to mark its launch three decades ago.  

For those tempted to purchase, the barchetta remains a stylish and reliable coupe that’s usually priced very reasonably. If the left-hand drive doesn’t throw you (great for exiting the car kerbside, not so handy when overtaking), it could be the perfect sports car for the city and beyond, as the boot has capacity for those mini-break bags and golf clubs.

In short, what the spider-influenced fiat barchetta may have lacked in production lifespan and capital letters, it’s more than made up for in its ‘dolce vita’.

If you’re thinking about entering the classic motor trade market or increasing your vintage car collection and want to ensure you have the right insurance solution in place, talk to our specialist team today on 01252 377 546 or email classicmt@howdeninsurance.co.uk.

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