Background:

It's summer so it felt like the right time to tackle another open-top car - this time Fujimi's Fiat Barchetta, a simple kit for a simple car with a nice line in Italian flair and style. Shame it's front wheel drive. I've seen a few examples built on the internet but it's relative obscurity as both a car and a kit also appealed to me.

Kit review:

Pros:

Looks correct to the real thing. Easy to put together and little cleanup required beyond a few seam lines. Comes with both a soft-top and a hard-top roof, along with the default option of open-top. The interior has been designed to make painting the bodywork-colour parts somewhat easier.

Cons:

The in-box wheels are about the most boring choice from all the wheels the real car ever came with. The dashboard is a little flat compared to the real thing and the chassis is somewhat simple, with only a few parts. No engine, typical for kits from Fujimi (and others). Windscreen fit isn't perfect.

Verdict:

If ever a kit proved that simple is not necessarily bad, this is it. Despite a low parts count it has exactly everything it needs to easily build a very nice reproduction of a Fiat Barchetta.

Build notes:

Built over one week in June 2025. Painted with Halfords M3-680 paint (memorable name eh?) and clear coated with Mr Hobby Premium Top Coat Gloss. I swapped the kit wheels for those from a Fujimi Toyota Altezza which fitted perfectly with no alterations needed, added some seatbelts, retainers and interior carpets, and used Italian number plates from a Revell kit. Also included in the kit but not in my photos is another transparent part, the wind breaker behind the driver and passenger. I felt it spoiled the lines when the roof is down.

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