1996 Fiat Barchetta

You’ve got to love the Barchetta. Built on humble Punto underpinnings but massively outranking supposedly thoroughbred “proper” sportscars in the driver satisfaction stakes. Literally the only downside we can think of is the placement of the steering wheel. Get over the initial oddity of this and swallow your pride when you inevitably get back in on the wrong side, though, and you’ve got the perfect little roadster.

This superb, 55k mile example ratchets up the fun-dial to 11 in its gleaming Giallo Ginestra livery. Owned by a 19-year-old, this is actually his very first car (it’s going to be a tough act to follow!) and he drives it every single day on his commute. Can you think of a better way to beat the daily drudgery?!

It came to us for a brand new timing belt, water pump and variator and it was a pleasure to work on. Even for us, a Barchetta is not an everyday sight and this one is certainly one of the better ones.

If you’re unsure of when the cambelt is due on your own Italian car, or you’d like a quote from us to take care of it, Click Here.