The Fiat Ritmo cabrio was originally displayed as a concept at the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show but went on sale in mainland Europe only in 1981. It was assembled by Bertone and, coinciding with the 1982 facelift, was badged as a Bertone instead of a Fiat. It was cheaper than, and competed against, the Volkswagen Golf cabriolet but was not up to Volkswagen standards in terms of quality or ability, despite the fact that the German rival was not built in-house, but by Karmann.