CC For Sale: 1998 Fiat Barchetta – This Little Boat Wants To Set Sail


I found this 1998 Fiat Barchetta (= little boat) for sale on a small lot in Waterloo, Ontario. The Barchetta was produced from 1995-2005, with a 2 year hiatus from 2002-2004, according to Wiki. As Fiat withdrew from the North American market in 1981, these were never sold here.

The Barchetta is based on the FWD platform of the Mk1 Punto and powered by a 1747 cc DOHC 4-cylinder rated at 129 hp/121 lb.ft. With a curb weight of about 2350 lbs, contemporary reviews praised lively performance and fine handling. Only about 56,000 were produced, and a Fiat forum believes that almost half of that number went to Germany. It was perhaps overshadowed by the hugely successful Mazda MX-5 Miata.

The car looks to be in very good condition, with 80,000 km on the odometer. There’s a small dent/chip by the left taillight, but no other major blemishes. The trunk contains a brand new timing belt and various pulleys/tensioner, plus three air filters, and miscellaneous parts. The lot attendant said it’s on consignment by a foreign student who is returning home. Asking price (verbal) $10k CDN, but I didn’t speak with the shop owner. The small shop is close to two large universities (U of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier) which both have a high percentage of foreign students.

Do any of our trans-atlantic readers have first hand experience with this little car?

Related Reading:

Roger Carr’s “Ahoy, Matey” to the Barchetta