Rare Italian: Low-Mile 1997 Fiat Barchetta

Is it enough that it’s a Fiat? No, it has to be front-wheel drive too. Four-cylinder, yes; manual top, yes. And Maggiora, the coachbuilder hired by Fiat to produce its Barchetta, managed to go bankrupt mid-stream, leaving Fiat in the lurch. Stellantis – owner of Fiat – delicately describes this as a “hiatus”. The company’s Turin factory took up the task, and the Barchetta lived to see another day – several in fact, as it was made from 1995 through 2005. Never sold in the US, the Barchetta is now found here in tiny handfuls, thanks to the 25-year import rule. Here on eBay is one such immigrant, currently bid to $5001 (not a typo), reserve not met. The car is garaged in Daniels, West Virginia, and if you have no qualms about adding to the 39,096 km odometer reading, it can be driven home.

Powered by a 16-valve, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, good for 130 hp, Fiat’s “little boat” can propel itself to 60 mph in about 8.8 seconds. The engine employs variable valve timing, but even with that dose of technology, torque rings in at only 121 lb-ft at 4300 rpm. The gearbox is a five-speed manual. This example has been serviced to within an inch of its life; the seller is clearly an enthusiast. The only mechanical flaws noted are an occasional belt squeal (which goes away as soon as the car is taken to the mechanic!) and a flicker of the airbag lamp on the dash.

The interior is in fine condition, with good gauge visibility through the steering wheel, color-keyed door panels, and ice-cold AC. The rest of the accessories, gauges, switches, and lights work as they should. The trunk contains a spare, which doubles as a tool kit receptacle. Leave it to the Italians.

The Barchetta was designed in-house at Centro Stile. The front end and forward lines are Bertone-esque, but the rear end is a somewhat unfortunate resolution of its curves. The advent of the Miata no doubt discouraged Fiat’s US ambitions – we were completely besotted with Mazda’s sports car. Today, the few Barchettas that have sold in the US registered mid-four-figure prices – about where this one is bid to now. A Miata will cost twice as much. What do you think, go for the rare Italian, or would you prefer the ubiquitous Japanese option?