Hi there, first post on the forum. I have a couple of questions about this italian wonder, i did a search but cannot find the answers.

Did fiat sell the B in the UK or were they imported?

I have read that they are quite reliable cars, which im surprised at with fiats history, but when there are issues, is it as simple as just popping to fiat to get it sorted?

Fiats arnt known for their build quality either and im slightly concerned about it not being crash tested by NCAP as it is based on an old punto, have people found it to be quite robust if they have been unfortunate enough to be in an accident?

Thanks

Jay

Did fiat sell the B in the UK or were they imported?
YES Fiat sold them in the UK and even Japan.

I have read that they are quite reliable cars, which im surprised at with fiats history, but when there are issues, is it as simple as just popping to fiat to get it sorted?

If you are looking for a Barchetta spend as much as you can and get one with loads of paperwork. Try and go for a special edition with all the bells on if you can. You can get a good Barchetta for 5k but once you own it you will end up spending far more time and money on it then you expected because you get bitten by the B bug.

Fiats arnt known for their build quality either and im slightly concerned about it not being crash tested by NCAP as it is based on an old punto, have people found it to be quite robust if they have been unfortunate enough to be in an accident?

The B was not build by Fiat it was outsourced to Magoria and 9 out of 10 times the body is almost rust free or only little spots are found. Most the time you only see lots of rust after its been in a crash and put back together. Check the rear wheel arches as spots of rust are starting to show on older Bs.

You dont want to crash a Barchetta ever! Not because of you but because the front bumper and wings cost £££££ to replace.

You can find loads more on this car by searching this forum.

Sorry forgot to say hi, so hello and welcome to the forum jaydh. If you get a chance come to one of the Barchetta meets as its the best way to meet other owners and ask lots of questions.

Hello J and welcome.

Think doc has pretty much summed it all up, but most that have been in a crash including those that have had the misfortune to roll it have came off well. But like most things, when the sh*t hits the fan there are no guarantees.

Fiat reliability is a thing of the past, the reputation is far worse than the reality and has been passed from generation to generation it seems. Fiat are no worse than any other mass manufacturer and seem to be getting better and better with age. I just bought a brand new Fiat in Nov from the factory and have no issues, the dealers I use are also very good as I've got to know them well. But there are many dealers that are crap however that goes for any manufacturer so just find a good one and when you do get to know them. In my experience they treat you much better as a result.

Hi, I bought mine last year and i,m so happy with her i bought another.

docorangepeel said:

I have read that they are quite reliable cars, which im surprised at with fiats history, but when there are issues, is it as simple as just popping to fiat to get it sorted?

If you are looking for a Barchetta spend as much as you can and get one with loads of paperwork. Try and go for a special edition with all the bells on if you can. You can get a good Barchetta for 5k but once you own it you will end up spending far more time and money on it then you expected because you get bitten by the B bug.
.

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im guessing that when you say ill spend more money than expected, its not on repairs?

if i do get one, it would be a riviera with the red leather (great combo) but for the moment i have a car so im just doing my research

cheers for your help people

They have a beautiful 2002 B Milano with red leather at DTR Sports, silk black with a red roof. If I was buying now I'd seriously consider that one.
http://www.dtrsports.com/carsforsale/carsforsale.htm

xS

thanks shelxs but firstly that isnt cheap (shown by the fact that one 2 years newer is the same price and that privately you can pick one up for around 4k), even though it looks a goodun and secondly i have a car at the moment so wouldnt be looking to buy until after the summer, which is also the best time to buy a convertible.

also, doc, how come the barchetta parts are so pricey? if it was sold in the UK the parts shouldnt be too much more than other uk sold cars...

how many barchettas you can see on roads around? few? none? because they are rare and parts are rare and expensive. parts for other cars you can found on every crossing and under every bridge. in my country i believe there are maybe 10-15 barchettas...

but, if you buy one, you will never regret. you have to buy it, you must have it!!

and yes, you will spend some extra money... for mods! (and reseting airbag light)

jaydh said:

also, doc, how come the barchetta parts are so pricey? if it was sold in the UK the parts shouldnt be too much more than other uk sold cars...

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The barchetta as stated is quite rare in the UK, the mechanical parts are simmilar or the same as the Punto HGT so to that end as you state simmiler to the price of other cars in the UK, however body parts are sold on demand and as there isn't that many of them the demand is low so body panels are very expensive in comparison.

Doc was referring by spending money to getting various mods done such as induction kits lower suspension etc, it seems popular here but you can enjoy a B just as much without.

DTR cars are expensive but as they are the main UK specialists for the Barchetta you are guaranteed to get a well serviced and looked after car, if you are mechanically able then that won't matter so much. Good luck in finding a good one

Age is just one factor when you are look at getting a B m8, I would rather have a 2000 B thats been well looked after with loads of paperwork then a 2003 average joe.

The best built Bs are the last batch made before the Maggiora factory closed down and production was moved.

:yeahthat:

MK2's suffer from build quality issues slightly more than the MK1's as they were built by FIAT!

Try to get as late a MK1 as possible, there are one or two knocking around on 51 plates but I would try for a late Riviera or Milano.........good luck, you won't regret it!

Early Barchetta's were £16k the later ones Mk2's were only £11k so there must be some reason for the difference although all UK car prices dropped at about the same time.

Good point Alan how did Fiat cut the cost so much?

They had to, as there was a huge saving by importing at the time, "Rip off Britain" and all that stuff. I think the last Mk1s were less expensive [just to get rid of stock before production was paused?]

They were dropped in price in 2001.

Also the Mk2s were not offered with leather seats.

I know that many were going to europe to by mk1's as they were about £10k and have a vid from wheeler dealers where they did exactly that. UK always used to pay more than most of europe then after much shouting UK prices started to fall but £5k is a lot as you say.

Shelxs said:

They have a beautiful 2002 B Milano with red leather at DTR Sports, silk black with a red roof. If I was buying now I'd seriously consider that one.


xS

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i was under the impression that the milano was black, but on the DTR website it looks purple?

jaydh said:

i was under the impression that the milano was black, but on the DTR website it looks purple?

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It is a sort of black but with aubergine mixed in.

The EU also gave car manufacturers a bit of a kicking as the dealers used to try and refuse to service non-UK cars. That was stopped.

In terms of reliability, mine has never stopped in three years or so.

I'm not long back from an International Mini Meet and I can tell you that the old style Minis around the same age as my Barchetta are full of problems.

I'd say that the Barcehtta was slightly above average in terms of reliability and rust.

jaydh said:

i was under the impression that the milano was black, but on the DTR website it looks purple?

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Yes as Nicolas says. It looks black then has an aubergine sheen when it catches the light. It is a fantastic colour and looks even better in the flesh.

https://www.fiatforum.com/barchetta/130396-fancy-getting-together-8.html

xS