The Ford Barchetta was a concept car built in 1983 by the Italian stylists at Ghia.
The Barchetta was based on the architecture of the Fiesta XR2 being an advanced concept for a two-seat sports car, an attractively open market niche at the time.
It was never intended to be displayed publicly but rather to demonstrate that a profitable market could be developed from good design and standard production components.
Barchetta was inspired by the barchettas of the 1950s. It achieved Ford’s goal of demonstrating the potential of an affordable sports car, intriguing European driving enthusiasts about its production possibility.
Barchetta was finished in silver with matte dark grey bumpers and wraparound front indicators, and fitted with perforated 13-inch wheels with Goodyear NCT tyres. It was powered by XR2’s 1.6-litre, 16-valve engine.
The Barchetta’s shape can be recognised in the eventual Capri sports car created by Ford Australia.