Official press release:

FORD GHIA "BARCHETTA" ROADSTER

"Barchetta," the name of Ford Motor Company's newest concept car, conjures up images of sleek gondolas plying the canals of Venice. Barchetta means "little boat" in Italian, and is a popular designation for two-seat sports or racing cars. The car is being displayed at selected U.S. auto shows this spring.

This small, low priced, sporty convertible was conceived by Ford designers in the spirit of earlier European sports cars which combined low price with a youthful, fun-to-drive feel. Barchetta's styling is distinguished by its wedge-shaped, aerodynamic exterior and driver-oriented instrumentation. The roadster body — which sports flush headlamps, turn signals and taillights — was designed jointly by Ford of Europe and Ghia Operations.

The car was fabricated in Turin.

According to Donald F. Kopka, vice president - Design, Ford Motor Company, "The Barchetta concept vehicle represents a contemporary interpretation of the classic two-seat open-roof roadster that was popular in Europe and the U.S. during the 'sixties and 'seventies."

The design uses the current Fiesta XR2 platform and mechanicals, providing for a modern front-wheel-drive powertrain arrangement.

This driveable concept vehicle is equipped with a four-cylinder 1.6-liter OHV engine (same as that used in Fiesta XR2) and a four-speed manual transaxle. Barchetta also features a fast 60-degree windshield, scissors-type convertible fabric roof which stows behind the seats, integrated plastic bumpers, 13-inch wheels and servo-assisted disc brakes.

Barchetta has been conceived as a small, functional roadster which would appeal to youthful sporty car buyers in Europe, North America and other world-wide markets. Mr. Kopka said, however, "Ford has no immediate plans to manufacture a vehicle of this type. The Barchetta simply demonstrates to us that we could design an affordable and attractive two-seater convertible using modern FWD powertrain and chassis components."

Dimensions

Overall length    3.50    m.    137.7    in.

Overall width    1.55    m.    61.1    in

Overall height    1.20    m.    47.1    in

Wheelbase    2.29    m.    90.1    in.

Engine & performance:

Position: front

Type: Ford Fiest XR2, 4-cylinder

Capacity: 1599 cc

Power: 84 hp @ 5500 rpm

Torque: 125 Nm @ 2800 rpm

Dimensions:

Length: 3500 mm

Width: 1550 mm

Height: 1200 mm

Wheelbase: 2290 mm