Fiat Barchetta

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Fiat Barchetta black vr.jpg
Fiat Barchetta
Manufacturer: Fiat
Production: 19952002
2004-2005
Layout & Class: FF subcompact roadster
Body Style: Two-door convertible
Engines: 1.8 L
Predecessor: None
Successor: None
Fiat Barchetta black hl.jpg


The Fiat Barchetta (pronounced "bar-KET-ta") is a roadster produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1995 to 2005 (though production was paused between May 2002 and 2004). "Barchetta" in Italian means 'little boat'.

History

The Barchetta was developed between 1990 and 1994 under the project name Tipo B Spider 176. It was designed by Andreas Zapatinas, Alessandro Cavazza under the supervision of Peter Barrett Davis and other car designers at the Fiat Centro Stile, and prototyping was carried out by Stola.

Production began in February 1995 and lasted until June 2005 with a brief pause. The Barchetta was based on the chassis of the Mark 1 Fiat Punto. The Barchetta has 1747 cc dohc petrol engine fitted variable camshaft timing, for the first time in Fiat production car. The engine has 131 PS and 164 Nm of torque. The Barchetta weighs 1056 kg (2328 lb) without air conditioning and can accelerate to 100 km/h in 8.9 seconds and has top speed of 118 mph. It came in various sub-models which offered different features, albeit the barchetta largely remains the same under the skin and cosmetically. Arguably one of the biggest external cosmestic 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 2003 for its relaunch the following year, with a myriad of small alterations inside and out. The most notable changes were the revised front spoiler and rear bumper. Production of the car finally stopped in June 2005.

Production

Car bodies were welded at ILCAS in Sparone Canavese, and final assembly was done in Chivasso by the coachbuilder Maggiora. After Maggiora's bankruptcy in 2002, Fiat relocated production of the Barchetta to its Mirafiori plant and resumed production two years later. Production of the Barchetta was limited to left hand drive cars only, even though the car was marketed and sold in two right hand drive markets, the United Kingdom and Japan.


Old Barchetta

1948 Fiat Barchetta


External links


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Type 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
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500
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Large family car 132 Argenta Croma I Croma II
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Roadster 124 Spider Barchetta Barchetta
Sports car X1/9
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Doblò
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Off-road Campagnola (1107)
*Rebadged Iveco model
Fiat S.P.A.
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Historic models 1 | 1T | 2 | 3.5 CV | 4 HP | 8V | 10 HP | 12 HP | Fiat 16-20 HP | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 130 | 131 | 132/Argenta | 133 | 147/Spazio | 2B | 24 HP | 242 | 500 | 502 HP | 503 HP | 508 | 508C | 509 | 510S | 514 | 518 | 519 | 520 | 524 | 574 Corsa | 60 HP | 600 | 750 | 850 | 1100 | 1200 | 1400 | 1300/1500 | 1800/2100 | 2300 | 2800 | Albea | Balilla | Bianchina | Bravo/Brava | Campagnola | Cinquecento | Croma | Coupé | Dino | Duna/Prêmio | Elba | Mod 5 | Oggi | Panorama | Panda | Regata | Ritmo/Strada | Siena | Tempra | Tipo | Topolino | Turbina | Uno | X1/9 | Zero
Fiat Group brands Abarth | Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | Fiat | Iveco | Lancia | Maserati
Major interests

CNH Global (90%): Case IH · Kobelco · New Holland · Steyr · Case · New Holland Construction
Chrysler Group, LLC (20%): Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, GEM

Commercial brands

Iveco: · Irisbus · Astra · Iveco Magirus

Defunct marques

Autobianchi · Innocenti · Zastava · Seddon Atkinson · Pegaso of Spain

Fiat Group Corporate Website | Fiat Auto Website