07 Mar 07
Bigger isn't necessarily better when it comes to concept cars, as a look at the Stola stand in Geneva aptly demonstrates. Bertone's Barchetta - based on the chassis and powertrain of the 100bhp Fiat Panda - is small but perfectly formed.
Created to celebrate the styling house's 95th anniversary, this Barchetta is a deliberate evocation of the 1947 Fiat 500 Barchetta, a one-off built by Nuccio Bertone as his own personal racer. It's an open-top two-seater with a high waistline, short front and rear overhangs, a low speedster-style windshield and glazed doors. They're set off by a one-piece hand-beaten and polished aluminium panel running from nose to tail, interupted only by the passenger compartment and an air vent for the engine. It sits on 20" wheels with 225/30 R20 Pirelli tyres.
In typical concept-car fashion, the doors are scissor-hinged to the rear - no chance of those making it onto a production Panda roadster - and there's the usual LED lights. Practical touches include a small luggage compartment, a rear roll bar, and a cockpit with stowage trays and an iPod dock. The cabin's trimmed in natural leather with an adjustable dash set-up, mounted on rails and featuring just the essentials: speedo, and water, oil temperature and fuel gauges.
Bertone has a long relationship with Fiat, stretching back over 80 years and over 50 collaborations, notably the Fiat 850 Spider and X1/9 sports car. There's some chance that Fiat may decide to develop a Panda roadster, and if it does, it could be a toned-down version of this one, but sadly it's a slim chance. A Fiat 500 cabriolet is more likely.
