RE: Fiat Barchetta: Spotted

[Wiltshire Lad]

I picked up a brand new Barchetta in Rome in 1995 - metallic green, full leather and hard top - drove it back to Germany (I was in the Army there at the time) over the Alps via Venice and Sienna. Loved the car - never missed a beat. Replaced it with the newly launched MGF after 2 years- what a mistake - bag of spanners! (Lacquer peeled off the mirrors first time I took it over 80mph on the Autobahn / roof leaked first time it rained).

[Wiltshire Lad]

BricktopST205 said:

0-60 in 8.9 seconds and 130BHP. Honestly have no idea why you would have one of these over an MK2 MX5 sport let alone an MK3 MR2. I would more than likely entertain an MGF Trophy above one as well.

Hell though it is Italian and has flair though right? There is a reason these sold in such few numbers.

These small sports car are all essentially bought on style - and the Barchetta had it in spades - back in its day no-one batted an eyelid at an MX5 - the Barchetta was a constant source of attention wherever you drove it in the UK. I know MX5 was dynamically better but in the real world there was no real difference - and don’t get me started on the MGF - traded mine in for one (both bought brand new) - and regretted it instantly. Ditched that ASAP for S2000.

[Mogul]

Great little cars. I ran a '95 in Heinz tomato soup orange for a couple of years at the end of the 90's and it saw action on the Route Napoleon and NE Scotland. However the best bit was arguably the easy to control lift-off oversteer around Highbury Corner.. I could be happy in one of these and just viewed one for sale in CH at twice the price of the subject car (because CH).

https://abmotors.ch/listings/2005-fiat-barchetta-1...

[WJNB]

Sorry but with the best will in the world I'm unable to think of a single reason to buy one. My feelings when launched & now. In fact if I was given one I'd give it away. An awful Fiat thing.

[JustinF]

Pooh said:

JustinF said:

If only they'd given it the 5 pot 2.0

That would have been interesting but I do wonder if the extra weight in the nose would have upset the handling.

You could well be right but it'd be fun finding out

[GTEYE]

WJNB said:

Sorry but with the best will in the world I'm unable to think of a single reason to buy one. My feelings when launched & now. In fact if I was given one I'd give it away. An awful Fiat thing.

Here’s some reasons:

Pretty
Light
Nimble
Turns heads everywhere
Cheap to buy
Rare

If you can’t see the positive in these you should wonder why you’re still on PH

[anonymous-user]

GTEYE said:

WJNB said:

Sorry but with the best will in the world I'm unable to think of a single reason to buy one. My feelings when launched & now. In fact if I was given one I'd give it away. An awful Fiat thing.

Here’s some reasons:

Pretty
Light
Nimble
Turns heads everywhere
Cheap to buy
Rare

If you can’t see the positive in these you should wonder why you’re still on PH

It's a rare, handmade (I believe) Italian sports (someone will argue that) car.

I was watching the old top gear Middle East episode the other day and wanting one of those. It was a shame they kinda destroyed it.

[ballans]

WJNB said:

Sorry but with the best will in the world I'm unable to think of a single reason to buy one. My feelings when launched & now. In fact if I was given one I'd give it away. An awful Fiat thing.

On paper they make no sense whatsoever but in the real world they work really well.
Willing engines, great styling, lovely interior and rarity works well in their favour.
I remember 15 years ago people saying “why didn’t you get an MX5, MGF, etc” but when they actually drove it they were always very pleasantly surprised.
Worth giving a go if you get the chance.

[rdjohn]

The last fun car I owned. I replaced it with a Boxster, which in theory does the same job, only better. But you never get the same pleasure of seeing the faces of pedestrians light-up with a smile when they see you coming.

It’s a great little car - the very essence of what fun motoring should be about. Built by Maggiore and loads of Scorpions everywhere. It has zero connectivity, so you are never distracted from the lovely exhaust note - mine had a BTR conversion.

Every time I see another bright yellow one, a warm glow still comes over me.Other colours just don’t really do it.

[Nik Gnashers]

Each to their own of course, but even when they were new, I thought they were a bit ugly looking, and the unreliable underpinnings were another factor to put me off. I just don't get the love for these at all, but hey ho, I guess sometimes it's the ugly underdogs which get the love.

[BricktopST205]

GTEYE said:

Here’s some reasons:

Pretty
Light
Nimble
Turns heads everywhere
Cheap to buy
Rare

If you can’t see the positive in these you should wonder why you’re still on PH

You could have just gone down the Lotus Elan M100 route if that is what you wanted. Also all of your reasons are opinionated and not fact.

MK2 MX5 was also pretty, light, nimble, turned heads, cheap to buy. Also benefited from a correct drivetrain for a open top sports car. Some came with an LSD, 6 speed close ratio box, more powerful engine. Also more importantly had the steering wheel on the correct side.

MGF Trophy 160. Lovely engine, big 4 pot brake setup and mid engine RWD layout. A bit on the softer side but great for a British road blast.

MK3 MR2 which in my opinion is the best of the bunch. Basically a poor mans Elise with a engaging chassis and economical and peppy engine. Only let down by baggage space.

Alfa GTV6 spider i totally get a car like that as it has its USP of the busso V6. Please tell me the Barchettas USP which isn't opinion apart from being LHD only? They could have at least put a 2.0 TS in it or something.

Edited by BricktopST205 on Monday 22 April 11:11

[carinaman]

BricktopST205 said:

GTEYE said:

Here’s some reasons:

Pretty
Light
Nimble
Turns heads everywhere
Cheap to buy
Rare

If you can’t see the positive in these you should wonder why you’re still on PH

You could have just gone down the Lotus Elan M100 route if that is what you wanted. Also all of your reasons are opinionated and not fact.

MK2 MX5 was also pretty, light, nimble, turned heads, cheap to buy. Also benefited from a correct drivetrain for a open top sports car. Some came with an LSD, 6 speed close ratio box, more powerful engine. Also more importantly had the steering wheel on the correct side.

MGF Trophy 160. Lovely engine, big 4 pot brake setup and mid engine RWD layout. A bit on the softer side but great for a British road blast.

MK3 MR2 which in my opinion is the best of the bunch. Basically a poor mans Elise with a engaging chassis and economical and peppy engine. Only let down by baggage space.

Alfa GTV6 spider i totally get a car like that as it has its USP of the busso V6. Please tell me the Barchettas USP which isn't opinion apart from being LHD only? They could have at least put a 2.0 TS in it or something.

I'm not sure I get the argument. Then as now the Barchetta offers another choice.

Both the GTV V6 Spider and Barchetta are Fiat Group parts bin specials. Their underpinnings are both based on other front wheel drive Fiat group platforms. The Barchetta isn't a convertible version of a Coupe, though I don't know if the GTV Coupe and the 12 Valve V6 Spider were released at the same time in Europe. Even the MX-5 has gone down the route of offering a fastback style roof now. The Busso is used in many cars, not just Alfas. I am not sure the Barchetta engine is used elsewhere. Did it feature in a warm or hot Punto?

I couldn't find the Autlousso Twin Spark Barchetta on eBay now, but I found it elsewhere:

https://www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2016-1...

[carinaman]

I like the colour and as the article says, the 124 is a MX-5 underneath:

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/fiat-barchetta-vs...

[SloppyClock]

The HGT engine in the Barchetta is also used in a warm hatch Punto. It seems to share a number of components with the 2.0 L Alfa engine as you can swap things like the cams over from what I've heard.

Also the MR2 MK3 while engaging to drive is generally not a very nice car. The engine is very thrashy and while revvy it's not exactly an enjoyable experience as you push it on. Equally the interior is not only drab but pretty nasty, especially with the unsightly two columns holding up the central dash.

The Barchetta has a unique market position in that it offers a rewarding driving experience though a willing engine, well-rounded handling and unique styling. How is that not a USP?

It's only downfall is LHD.

And about the reliability concerns - all of its competitors have black marks against them. MG F/TF - HGF. MX5 - rust. MR2 - pre-cat failure. At least parts with the B are cheap due to the Punto under-pinnings and better made than the rover equivalents that seems to have metal made of chocolate!

[sledge68]

Just because you cant see why someone would chose the Fiat necessarily makes it a bad car.

And cause you mate had a bad Fiat does not make all Fiats bad, with that reasoning all MBs are crap as my good friend and one of my brothers have had C class and E class models that have been bought brand new in the last few years and have had numerous serious issues, the C class was in the dealer for 5 of the first 6 weeks of ownership, had both front and rear bumpers replaced because the sensors went off all the time randomly.

The E class's tracking was so out on pick up, my brother had to fight the steering wheel to keep the thing from mounting the pavement, he got it straight back to the dealer, the mechanic who came to look at it said they had had quite a few like this.

I drive a JDM Legacy and wouldn't drive anything else going forward, horses for courses.

C.A.R. said:

I just can't see why someone would part with money for one of these when the MX5 exists. It doesn't have a redeeming feature over it!

My mate had a Punto of this era and it was woefully unreliable too, HGF, busted radiator, electric problems. Have people conveniently forgotten that? I would be worried about a car based on a Punto even if it was rwd!

[GTEYE]

carinaman said:

BricktopST205 said:

GTEYE said:

Here’s some reasons:

Pretty
Light
Nimble
Turns heads everywhere
Cheap to buy
Rare

If you can’t see the positive in these you should wonder why you’re still on PH

You could have just gone down the Lotus Elan M100 route if that is what you wanted. Also all of your reasons are opinionated and not fact.

MK2 MX5 was also pretty, light, nimble, turned heads, cheap to buy. Also benefited from a correct drivetrain for a open top sports car. Some came with an LSD, 6 speed close ratio box, more powerful engine. Also more importantly had the steering wheel on the correct side.

MGF Trophy 160. Lovely engine, big 4 pot brake setup and mid engine RWD layout. A bit on the softer side but great for a British road blast.

MK3 MR2 which in my opinion is the best of the bunch. Basically a poor mans Elise with a engaging chassis and economical and peppy engine. Only let down by baggage space.

Alfa GTV6 spider i totally get a car like that as it has its USP of the busso V6. Please tell me the Barchettas USP which isn't opinion apart from being LHD only? They could have at least put a 2.0 TS in it or something.

I'm not sure I get the argument. Then as now the Barchetta offers another choice.

Both the GTV V6 Spider and Barchetta are Fiat Group parts bin specials. Their underpinnings are both based on other front wheel drive Fiat group platforms. The Barchetta isn't a convertible version of a Coupe, though I don't know if the GTV Coupe and the 12 Valve V6 Spider were released at the same time in Europe. Even the MX-5 has gone down the route of offering a fastback style roof now. The Busso is used in many cars, not just Alfas. I am not sure the Barchetta engine is used elsewhere. Did it feature in a warm or hot Punto?

I couldn't find the Autlousso Twin Spark Barchetta on eBay now, but I found it elsewhere:

https://www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2016-1...

To all the naysayers, that don’t get it, you need to have driven one or owned one to really understand. And at a guess most on here would not have driven one.

I owned a new one, a ‘99 Italian parallel import - it was a proper feelgood car in a way that the MX-5 and MG weren’t- and I later owned those too. The Barchetta was a car that was more than the sum of its parts, and I struggle to see how some call it ugly - it was a car that universally got positive comments when I owned mine.

Hammond rated the one he owned and again later on TG. The motoring press liked it too and only LHD stopped it being a bigger success.

And the icing on the cake £12k brand new for an Italian coachbuilt car (by Maggiora) - that alone made it unique. Values are rising too, not the case for MGFs or Mk2 MX-5s....

Edited by GTEYE on Monday 22 April 16:26

[B17NNS]

Always had a soft spot for these. There's a certain delicacy to the design especially on those steels. With front wheel/wrong hand drive it never really stood a chance in the UK.

[kambites]

Curious car really. It can't match the MX5 (or for that matter the MGF) dynamically and the transverse front engined layout makes a bit of a mess of the proportions but for some reason i can't quite articulate it's still a highly likeable little car.

[BricktopST205]

carinaman said:

I'm not sure I get the argument. Then as now the Barchetta offers another choice.

Both the GTV V6 Spider and Barchetta are Fiat Group parts bin specials. Their underpinnings are both based on other front wheel drive Fiat group platforms. The Barchetta isn't a convertible version of a Coupe, though I don't know if the GTV Coupe and the 12 Valve V6 Spider were released at the same time in Europe. Even the MX-5 has gone down the route of offering a fastback style roof now. The Busso is used in many cars, not just Alfas. I am not sure the Barchetta engine is used elsewhere. Did it feature in a warm or hot Punto?

I couldn't find the Autlousso Twin Spark Barchetta on eBay now, but I found it elsewhere:

https://www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2016-1...

I was simply stating how bad the GTV spider was compared to its contemporaries at the time but more than made up for it with that soundtrack of the busso. I was just vouching my opinion on how a Fiat/Alfa can have its USP and be a viable alternative to say the Boxster/S2000 but in the Barchetta's case I see none.

Edited by BricktopST205 on Monday 22 April 20:41

[carinaman]

BricktopST205 said:

I was simply stating how bad the GTV spider was compared to its contemporaries at the time but more than made up for it with that soundtrack of the busso. I was just vouching my opinion on how a Fiat/Alfa can have its USP and be a viable alternative to say the Boxster/S2000 but int Barchetta's case I see none.

It's cool. I like them both. From what I've read I reckon the 12 valve V6 916 Spider would be quite something.