Fiat is not exactly known for making convertible sports cars. While they have legendary models like Fiat 850 Spider and Fiat Dino Spyder, for the last couple of decades, Fiat was reduced to building econoboxes. But every now and then, they make something that blows everyone out of their seats, like the new Fiat 124 Spider and its predecessor, the Fiat Barchetta. Say what you want about Fiats, but when they make small roadsters, they know what they are doing.We love small Italian roadsters, and the Fiat Barchetta was one of the better modern examples of a small Italian convertible that you could live with and enjoy every day. It had everything you would want from a little roadster for a remarkably low price. It introduced open-top motoring to the masses and ensured that every little trip is something special. While it wasn't the most powerful car around, the performance was decent, and with an eager-to-rev engine singing up at the front, it would put a smile on your face. However, it was overshadowed by another great roadster, one that almost all automotive enthusiasts love — the Mazda MX-5 Miata — and the Barchetta remained a hidden gem.But we think Barchetta deserves much more love than it gets. And these are the reasons why we love the Fiat Barchetta, and we think you should do too.
8 Funky Looks
It's hard to not fall in love with the Fiat Barchetta. For us, it was love at first sight, but for others, it is a thing that will grow on you. No matter what camp you are on, Barchetta was one of the finest looking roadsters when Fiat released it on the market.
There was quite a bit of inspiration from old, great Italian cars like Ferrari 166 Touring Barchetta, but you won't see us complaining. It took the name and some of the lines from a great-looking car and made it fit into the late '90s. Fiat designers at Fiat Centro Stile did one of their best jobs while designing the Fiat Barchetta, and it is truly a magnificent looking car.
7 Rev-Happy Engine
Pop the hood and what you'll see is a 1.8-liter four-pot that produces 130 horsepower. This engine is closely related to Alfa Romeo's 4C and some other road cars Fiat was producing at the time, including Barchetta's platform donor, Fiat Punto.
But Fiat engineers made something special for Barchetta. This little roadster was the first Fiat to use variable valve timing, so it was adequately powered and quite rev-happy. This engine produced 121 lb-ft of torque, with %90 of it available as low as 2000 rpm and was capable of propelling it from 0 to 60 in less than 9 seconds, with a respectable top speed of 121 mph, while being easy on the ears. Not bad for an FWD roadster.
6 Very Fun For A FWD Car
When it comes to the Barchetta, the elephant in the room was always the front-wheel-drive layout. Some purists go out of their way to say that Barchetta will never be a true sports car because it is not rear-wheel drive. Normally, RWD cars are more fun than their FWD counterparts, but not this time.
Yes, the Fiat Barchetta might be just an FWD car, but this made it faster in the corners and more fun when it comes to the real world. It was faster than the stock MX-5's on the track, and thanks to its layout, you could take corners at higher speeds, with confidence.
5 Makes Everyday Driving Fun And Special
Most sports cars are rarely driven, reserved for short road trips and weekend cruising with maybe a little track time once every blue moon. But not the Barchetta, it was made to be driven every day. And if you drive your Barchetta every day, then every trip is special.
To start, the soft top is really good. It has surprisingly good storage capacity, and that 130 hp engine lets you have fun at legal driving speeds. If you want to drive it in winter, Fiat and some companies make hardtops and the heater works surprisingly well.
4 It's Cheap To Own and Maintain
The Fiat Barchetta's main weapon against its rivals was always its price. It was cheaper than the MX-5 when it first came out, and in 2003, Fiat lowered the price by a considerable margin. Nowadays, you can buy a good Barchetta for $6000 and if you want a prime example, you shouldn't expect to pay more than $14000. Plus importing costs, because the car was never offered in the US.
But if you are living in Europe, it's good news for you. You can get yourself an Italian roadster for a very reasonable price, and the price you should pay for maintaining it is peanuts compared to other European offerings. And if things go bad, and let's be real, they will, this car shared many parts with period's Fiats, so parts are plentiful and cheap.
3 It Is Rare
Fiat only made 57,000 Barchettas between 1995 and 2005, and sadly, many fell victim to the tin worm, meaning beautiful Barchettas getting rarer. When was the last time you saw a Barchetta? But not to worry, because this makes this little Fiat an interesting alternative to Mazda MX-5.
For a fair price, you would be a proud owner of a modern Italian classic. The car is mechanically pretty solid with an abundance of parts available, so you could and should enjoy your Barchetta as often as you like, and you will stand out wherever you go, because not many people remember them even existing.
2 It Aged Like Fine Wine
Some cars really look better when they are a bit older. Early Barchettas are now 26 years old, and this age really suits them. This little Fiat's classic character lines made it stand out back in the day, and now it makes it desirable. Everything about this little bundle of joy aged beautifully, as we don't have similar cars anymore.
Yes, now we have 124 Spider, but it's just a Mazda MX-5 in an Italian suit, while there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, it doesn't have the same flare, that Italian charm of the Barchetta. Everyone needs a Barchetta in their life. This car amplifies everything you feel, and it looks good doing that.
1 One Of The Best Affordable Sports Cars From Europe
The formula for a successful affordable sports car was made in Europe. But in the '80s and '90s, Europe was full of cool sedans, coupés and hot hatches. Yes, these were all great, but they were losing grounds on the affordable sports car market. Japanese-built cars like the MX-5 and Nissan's Z cars were selling like hot cakes. Barchetta was the first serious contender from Europe in a long time.
After the Barchetta, MG, BMW and Porsche joined in on the fun. But not only did the Barchetta lead the charge, it was one of the better roadsters that Europe built in a long time. Yes, the Barchetta became overshadowed again, this time by European big guns, but this is not a bad thing. Because nobody really knows about the car, the prices are still pretty low, and you can get one of the best affordable roadsters ever made.