Fiat Barchetta Price Guide

The Fiat Barchetta of 1994 was the lightweight front-wheel-drive sports car that Fiat produced when they concluded that a rear-wheel-drive architecture was too expensive. They ended up with a 1.8-litre 16-valve roadster of considerable Italian charm that drove rather well despite the theoretically compromised front-drive layout. The name means ‘little boat’ in Italian, referencing the traditional open sports car body style.

The Car

The Barchetta used the 1,747cc 16-valve four-cylinder from the Punto HGT producing 130bhp in a dedicated two-seat open roadster body (a package not shared with any other Fiat) that weighed just 1,060kg. The front-wheel-drive layout worked well given the car’s careful weight distribution and well-tuned chassis. A limited-run special edition appeared in 2003. Around 56,000 were produced between 1994 and 2005 but, sadly, not a single one in right-hand-drive. They were available new from Fiat dealerships in the UK, but they remained LHD only. Many believe had there been an official RHD conversion, the Barchetta could have challenged the MX5 in the UK’s affordable sportscar market.

Buying

The Barchetta is the affordable Italian classic roadster, a car that has been appreciating quietly for a decade. Roof hood condition is the primary concern on older cars. The 16v engine is reliable, but worn variators can rattle on start-up.