Fiat Barchetta

Manufacturer	FIAT
Type	Sports Spider
Production	1994  to 2005

The Fiat Barchetta is a sports spider car produced in the plants of the Turin-based company from 1994 to 2005 and which brought FIAT back to the spider field after a long absence.

History 

The classic boat design was born in 1994 by a Greek designer, Andreas Zapatinas who made his first sketches in 1990 inspired by the Ferrari 166 MM and that he remained at the head of the project until 1993; after this assignment, Zapatinas was appointed director of the Alfa Romeo Style Center . The interior was created starting from the first concepts of Peter Davis and Giuseppe Bertolusso. Alessandro Cavazza then replaced Zapatinas as project style manager and brought the machine into production. The code name of the project is 183. The projects for the boat were two and in competition with each other. They were indicated with the names of two pizzas: the Marinara from which the final form of the Fiat barchetta came out , and the Diavola , a reinterpretation of the design by Chris Bangle for the Fiat Coupé .

The car was designed from the chassis Fiat Punto pitch shortened and equipped with an engine of 1,747 cc 16V modular family Pratola Serra disbursing the power of 130 hp at 6300 rev / min, in common to the other sports model Fiat's home , the Coupé , and the HGT version of the new Punto (produced since 1999). Among its main construction features, the phase variator (VFD) on the camshaftsuction side that acts on the valve opening advance and allows the best compromise between power, torque and emissions to be achieved. At low speeds the intake timing is anticipated improving torque , while at high speeds it is delayed optimizing performance. The result is an extreme elasticity of the engine, which delivers 90% of the maximum torque between 2000 and 6000 rpm. This engine allows it to reach over 200 km / h with a click of 0-100 in just under 9 seconds. The Fiat barchetta was exclusively equipped with this engine throughout its production period. There are no versions with different engines. However in 1999 this engine received a technical update but was not advertised to the public. The new engine named Step 2 differed for the previous Step 1 due to the presence of a new Hitachi micro-hybrid control unit positioned in the engine compartment instead of in the passenger compartment. The aluminum intake manifold gave way to a variable geometry intake manifold (VIS) made of plastic that allowed better shooting qualities without worsening polluting emissions and prepared the boat to meet future Euro 3 regulations (1 January 2001) . The gearbox was also updated with the fifth longest gear that allowed a slightly higher top speed and reduced consumption. Further modifications concerned the intake system. At the beginning of 2001 the deliveries of the Barchetta Euro 3 began which substantially differed from the previous version due to the presence of a pre-catalyser mounted on the exhaust manifolds and a new mapping of the control unit. The variable geometry of the intake manifolds was also lost, but the electronic accelerator arrived. 

The body with programmed deformability, reinforced against frontal impacts and fitted with anti-intrusion bars in the doors, is standard. It has been developed in over 40 at the beginning of 2001 the deliveries of the Barchetta Euro 3 began which substantially differed from the previous version due to the presence of a pre-catalyser mounted on the exhaust manifolds and a new mapping of the ECU. The variable geometry of the intake manifolds was also lost, but the electronic accelerator arrived. The body with programmed deformability, reinforced against frontal impacts and fitted with anti-intrusion bars in the doors, is standard. It has been developed in over 40 at the beginning of 2001 the deliveries of the Barchetta Euro 3 began which substantially differed from the previous version due to the presence of a pre-catalyser mounted on the exhaust manifolds and a new mapping of the ECU. The variable geometry of the intake manifolds was also lost, but the electronic accelerator arrived. The body with programmed deformability, reinforced against frontal impacts and fitted with anti-intrusion bars in the doors, is standard. It has been developed in over 40 electronic accelerator. The body with programmed deformability, reinforced against frontal impacts and fitted with anti-intrusion bars in the doors, is standard. It has been developed in over 40 electronic accelerator. The body with programmed deformability, reinforced against frontal impacts and fitted with anti-intrusion bars in the doors, is standard. It has been developed in over 40 crash test . The passenger compartment is a robust survival cell, reinforced in the side members area and with a sturdy windshieldreinforced by a tubular structure with high crushing resistance and which acts as Roll bar . All for a torsional rigidity of 50,000 kgm / rad, the best in its class. A result made possible also by a series of specific interventions on the platform. Two reinforced wide-section side members, two underfloor cross beams and a double central tunnel enclosed by a sub-windscreen cross member that connects the uprights and an insole cross-member constitute a very high-resistance "protection cage".They are also standard : driver's airbag ; seat belts with pretensioners; seats with internal anti-slip crossbar (anti submarining); high strength door locks; FPS fire prevention system with inertial switch , pump block and anti-flow valve fuel and fuel tank in high resistance material placed in protected compartment, passenger airbag on request and the electronic anti-theft key with engine block "Fiat Code".

The braking system with double crossed circuit and double braking corrector allows the control of the car even in case of anomaly to one of the two branches. The brakes are 4 discs . The low-stroke brake booster makes braking more effective in sporty driving. On request the ABS system with four channels and four sensors was available (equipped as standard on some versions including the "Riviera").Weight distribution is typical of front-wheel drive : 65% at the front and 35% at the rear.The front axle, which uses the MacPherson system , has sporting adjustments: rigid springs, well-sized bar, wide track, sports tires and characteristic wheel angles.At the rear it has independent wheels with longitudinal arms and anti-roll bar.

Maggiora also developed a "Sport" prototype with lowered and stiffened structure, enhanced braking system, self-locking differential, 16 "wheels and 160 HP engine, which however was not followed despite the excellent dynamic qualities of the chassis.

From 1994 to 2002 , the Fiat barchetta carried the words Maggiora with its symbol of Carrozzeria Maggiora on the doors, which dealt with the final assembly at the former Lancia factory in Chivasso , after the chassis had been built at the ILCAS of Sparone, and painted and polished at Carrozzeria Bertone SpA of Grugliasco (TO). The engines were built in Pratola Serra (AV) and transported to the Maggiora, which always had an escort. Instead, the transmission system came from the Termoli (CB) plant. In 2002, after the failure of the Turin coachbuilder, production was suspended. In June 2003 , the restyling version of the "Barchetta" , edited by Tom Tjaarda , resumed at the Mirafiori plant . Production was then interrupted again until April 2004 and ended definitively in June 2005 .Despite the great demand of the English market , the barchetta was only available with left-hand drive, since Fiat considered too expensive to produce also the right-hand drive version. 

About 57,791 units were produced. The first Fiat "Progetto 183" (experimental) were produced in 1994 (from chassis 00000099 to 00000161). The real production was started in January 1995 , coinciding with the revelation of the official name "barchetta" by the manufacturer. The last boat came out of the Mirafiori assembly line in June 2005. The last 2000 units (from chassis 00055890 to chassis 00057890) were characterized by a modest restyling that modified the line.The barchetta were homologated for use on the road from chassis 00000162. Fiat presented the car to the press in Jerez de la Frontera , in southern Spain, from mid-February to early March, where it set up a special test circuit to make it test for journalists . Also in March there was the presentation at the Geneva Motor Show.

Specification

Built at: Fiat Mirafiori,Turin
Replaces: Fiat 124 Sport Spider
Replaced by: Fiat 124 Spider (2016)
Produced: over 57,000
Engine type: 4 cylinders in-line
Displacement: ( Bore x stroke 82.0 mm 82.7);1,747 cm³
Engine performance: Power : 96 kW (130 hp) at 6,300 rpm
Torque: 158 N m (16.1 kgm) at 4,300 rpm
Tire sizes:195/55 R 15 H 195/50 R 15 H 205/45 R16 V
Drive Traction : front wheel drive
Engine position: front transverse
Top Speed: 200 km/h
CO 2 emissions: 181 g / km
Wheelbase : 2275 mm
Length: 3916 mm
Width: 1640 mm
Height: 1265 mm
Mass: 1060 kg
Total seats: 2