Barchetta

A barchetta (Italian pronunciation: [barˈketta], "little boat" in Italian) was originally an Italian style of open 2-seater sports car which was built for racing. Weight and wind resistance were kept to a minimum, and any unnecessary equipment or decoration were sacrificed in order to maximize performance.

Although most barchettas were made from the late 1940s through the 1950s, the style has occasionally been revived by small-volume manufacturers and specialist builders in recent years.

Typically handmade in aluminium on a tubular frame, the classic barchetta body is devoid of bumpers or any weather equipment such as a canvas top or sidescreens, and has no provision for luggage. Some barchettas have no windscreen; others, a shallow racing-type screen or aero screen(s).

The classic barchetta either had no doors, in which case entry and exit entailed stepping over the side of the car, or very small doors without exterior handles.

Origin and examples

Giovanni Canestrini, when editor of La Gazzetta dello Sport, a popular Italian sporting newspaper, was the first to use the term "barchetta" on a car, using it to describe the new Ferrari 166MM displayed at the 1948 Turin Auto Show. The name has been associated with the model ever since.