Auto Express – August 20, 2019

Fiat Barchetta

Years produced: 1995-2005

Price range: £1,000-£8,000 Rarity:★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

INthemid-nineties,anyonelookingforanaffordable
roadsterwasspoiltforchoice.TherewastheMazda
MX-5,MGF,BMWZ3and,later,aToyotaMR2.Allwere
rear-wheeldriveandpracticalenoughtouseeveryday,
whichmeantyouhadtobeprettydeterminedtogo
yourownwaytobuyaFiatBarchettainstead.
Itlookedgood,andhadPuntomechanicals(with
eithera1.7or1.8-litreengineandamanualgearbox)
but,crucially, wasonlyavailablewiththesteering
wheelontheleft.Unsurprisingly,itsoldintiny
numbersintheUK,butthatrarityisabonusnow
forenthusiastswantingadistinctivedrop-top.

54 SpecialIssue http://www.autoexpress.co.uk

Theultimateguide to

modern classiccars

Fiat Cinquecento

Sporting

Years produced: 1994-1998

Price range: £500-£3,000 Rarity:★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

WEallhaveasoftspotforourfirstcar,andfor

thousandsofenthusiaststhecheekyCinquecento

Sportingwasanaffordablewayintoahatchback

whichcouldalmostbeconsidered‘hot’.ThetinyFiat

lookedthepart,withloweredsuspension,dinkylittle

alloysandabodykit.Itevenhadredseatbelts.

Theenginedoesn’tsoundasthoughitcould

matchtheSportingpromisethough,becausethe

1108ccproducedonly54bhpwhennew.However,the

Fiatweighsjust735kg–abouthalfamodernfamily

hatch.Thatmakesitfeelprettylively,withgreatfuel

economy,anditstillhasaffordableinsurance.

Buyerswantingtorelivetheiryouthnoware

findingnumbersaredwindlingfast,because

manycarswerecrashedbyinexperienceddrivers,

badlymodifiedorbodgedbyyoungownerstrying

torunthemonashoestring.So,whileareally

goodSportingusedtobeworthwaylessthanfour

figures,thebestwillnowbe£2,500ormore.Buy

onebeforetheygoupanyfurther.