Introducing Maserati Barchetta that might you've not known before

Unique ONES Actually, the name Maserati already has been famous for a long time because of the row of exotic cars it made. Indeed, not all production models are known to the public, and there are several models that were not widely known to the public before.

The Maserati Barchetta was one of the last Maserati models built under Alesandro de Tomaso ownership. (Picture from: Supercars.net)

Just like when we came across this following Maserati model while surfing on the internet, we felt that we had never known before that this Italian brand had made one. So this made us curious to find out more about this model. 

The Maserati Barchetta's body was made from composite and carbon fiber, which had built on a single backbone chassis made from aluminium. (Picture from: UltimateSpecs)

Well, one of the cars in question is the Maserati Barchetta which is a bit out of the ordinary on Maserati's list of road cars because it was never really intended for road use. As quoted from Supercars.net, this roofless sports car creation occurred during the transition to Maserati ownership in early of the 1990s, in which Fiat's board worked closely with Alejandro De Tomaso (Fiat took over full management of Maserati in 1993).

The Maserati Barchetta is a roodless mid-engine racing car, that was designed by Carlo Gaino of the Synthesis Design, an Italian design house. (Picture from: CarThrottle)

As quoted from Wikipedia, the Maserati Barchetta is a mid-engine racing car, like the 350 and 450S, that was designed by Carlo Gaino of the Synthesis Design, an Italian design house. This car was developed for the one-make racing series Grantrofeo Barchetta championships which were held at various race tracks throughout Italy and Europe during 1992 and 1993. It consisted sixteen race rounds in total, most of them in Italy.

The Maserati Barchetta was developed for the one-make racing series Grantrofeo Barchetta throughout Italy and Europe during 1992 and 1993. (Picture from: CarThatNeverMadeItEtc)

The Maserati Barchetta's body was made from composite and carbon fiber, which had built on a single backbone chassis made from aluminium. At the time, it was a new technology that had been developed previously for the Chubasco-prototype as well.

The Maserati Barchetta is powered by an mid-mounted 24-valve 2.0L Maserati AM501 V6 engine, which capable spewed power up to 315 hp. (Picture from: CarThrottle)

As we've mentioned above, the car is developed for racing purpose, so no wonder if it powered by such powerful drivetrain, which is an mid-mounted 24-valve 2.0L Maserati AM501 V6, which capable spewed power up to 315 hp. In addition, the car with a total weight of only 775 kg, and F1-styled wheel geometry is claimed to have an outstanding performance as well.

De Tomaso Guarà coupé powered by a Ford's V8 engine and legal to drive in California USA. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

At the time, Maserati told everyone that mass production of the Barchetta would come out in 1992, and sold it with the prices of 148 million Italian lire or approximately 77,000 euros. Although at the end, there were only 17 customers who expressed a desire to pay the amount Maserati was asking. So during that periods, this Italian manufacturer only produced 16 units of the Maserati Barchetta, and only one Stradale (road) version.

Well, after only surviving to race in the Grantrofeo Barchetta event for 2 racing seasons before the race ended, that was not the end of the car's history. It turns out that the platform lived on to underpin the De Tomaso Guarà, produced the year after Alesandro DeTomaso's plans to leave the brand. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SUPERCARS.NET | CARTHROTTLE | WIKIPEDIA | ULTIMATESPECS ]

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