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This is the Bertone Barchetta Concept—let’s just take a moment to appreciate that name. "Barchetta" alone conjures up images of Italy in its glory days of motorsport, where dashing young racers would hurl minimalist, open-topped machines through sun-drenched villages as if national pride were on the line (because, quite often, it was). But this isn’t just a nostalgic trip down memory lane, no. This is a 21st-century Barchetta, crafted by none other than Bertone, the famed Italian coachbuilder celebrating its 95th anniversary with a design that flirts as much with the future as it does with its iconic past.
Bertone's choice of foundation? The Fiat Panda 100 HP. Now, don't roll your eyes just yet—the Panda might be a humble urban warrior, but in the hands of Bertone’s mad scientists, it’s been transformed into something truly special. And that’s where the magic of this Barchetta begins. Like a master tailor crafting a bespoke suit from the simplest of cloths, Bertone took the unassuming Panda and reimagined it as a low-slung, two-seater roadster that’s every bit as provocative as it is purposeful.
The Design: Tradition Meets Tomorrow
From the moment you lay eyes on it, the Barchetta exudes something that feels both familiar and entirely alien. It's like meeting someone you swear you’ve seen before, only to realise they’re unlike anyone you’ve ever known. The shape? Pure, tensed muscle. A compact, taut body defined by two aluminium shells that seem to ripple with energy, joined by a vast expanse of glass that slices through the doors and sweeps into the bonnet. It’s a nod to the past, of course, with shades of Nuccio Bertone’s own 1947 Fiat 500 Barchetta. Yet, there’s nothing retro here—this is a modern interpretation, every curve and line cutting through time like a blade.
The upper bodywork is a masterpiece in aluminium, hand-beaten and polished by Bertone’s artisans who, let’s face it, know a thing or two about crafting things the hard way. The single piece of metal stretches from the tip of the bonnet all the way to the rear arches, wrapping the car like an aerodynamic cloak. Look closer, and you’ll notice how the aluminium twists just above the rear wheel, creating a muscular tension that dissolves into the tail—an homage to Bertone's classic design language, a whisper of aggression beneath a polished surface.
And speaking of design cues, the doors—oh, the doors. They’re not just scissor doors, they’re rearward-opening scissor doors. And they hinge at the rear wheelarch. You know, because just opening a door in the usual way would be far too conventional for Bertone. This flourish isn’t just for show; it’s a continuation of Bertone’s tradition of unconventional accessibility solutions, harking back to wild concepts like the Stratos Zero’s hinged windscreen or the Marzal’s gullwings. It’s car design, but with an extra shot of espresso.
Power and Performance: Panda with a Punch
Now, don’t let the Fiat Panda 100 HP underpinnings fool you into thinking this is a cuddly urban hatch in roadster form. No, the Barchetta’s chassis may be humble, but it’s built to celebrate speed—Italian style. This is a lightweight, minimalist car, and like the best Italian athletes, it prefers to keep things simple. And what it does with that simplicity is remarkable. Every gram shed, every detail pared down, is in service of making the car feel alive—because the Italians know that speed is about more than just numbers; it’s about emotion.
The 1.4-litre engine from the Panda 100 HP remains, but in a car as svelte as this, it’s all you need. This isn’t about supercar levels of power. It’s about balance, poise, and feeling every millimetre of the road beneath those gorgeous 20-inch alloys wrapped in Pirelli 225/30 R20 rubber. And with a footprint as compact as this (3,585 mm long, 1,705 mm wide, and just 1,090 mm tall), every corner will feel like it’s been surgically sliced.
The Cabin: Minimalist Artistry
Inside, the Barchetta’s cockpit is a masterclass in Italian restraint. The seats are sculpted directly into the metalwork—no adjustability here, folks—and trimmed in natural leather. You’re not here to recline; you’re here to drive. A console between the seats holds nothing more than a simple storage tray and an iPod dock, a nod to modernity in a sea of classic inspiration. It’s all very minimalist, but with the kind of care and attention to detail that makes you want to run your fingers across every surface.
The dashboard is anchored to exposed rails, painted in glossy white, and the instruments are gloriously simple—just the essentials: speedometer, oil and water temperature, and fuel gauge. Airflow? Managed by two exposed fans, because why hide something functional when it can look this good? The gearlever, machined from a solid billet of aluminium and polished by hand, is a thing of beauty—just the sort of tactile pleasure that reminds you why driving matters.
Bertone’s Legacy, Reimagined
What we have here is not just a concept car, but a manifesto. The Bertone Barchetta isn’t a car that screams for attention—it doesn’t need to. It seduces with its form, its detail, its nod to history, and its relentless push toward the future. This car celebrates 95 years of Bertone’s unique place in the automotive world, but more than that, it dares you to imagine what the next 95 years could look like.
In typical Bertone fashion, the Barchetta isn’t here to blend in. It’s here to set the pace. And as with all things Italian, it does so with effortless flair. Forget fashion—it is fashion, and every other roadster out there suddenly feels just a little bit drab in comparison.
