A little shiver of joy went through me when I saw this X1/9 at parked at Jerry’s. Yes; you’re still on the road! I found this same car at in a Walmart parking lot four years ago, and wondered then what its future held. And it makes such a fine contrast to that whale of a car behind it.
As to the title of this post, one of the first comments left at that post was somewhat typical of the negativity these cars tend to attract:
I have never, ever, understood the X-19, at least in America. In Europe, its proper environment, it would be a ball, and I could see it being popular in Jolly Old England®️, and even Japan. However, in the U.S., the X-19 fits into only two niches:
In the backyard, under a tarp, or serving as a wheel chock for some guy cluelessly backing up a big pickup truck at a stop light, while wondering who is honking so furiously… I guess I feel bad for this one which has so clearly fallen into ‘flog-‘er-till-she-dies’ status. Please, someone take this poor thing away from this bad man and give him the old Pontiac Sunbird he both wants and deserves. They’re soulless anyhow, so no damage would be done. Somebody, please?
If this has “clearly fallen into ‘flog-‘er-till-she-dies’ status“, than it’s a testament to how tough these cars actually are, contrary to popular opinion. As to the owner deserving a “soulless Sunbird“, that seems rather harsh.
What makes this X1/9 rather unique is its dash, which is a couple of pieces of aluminum framing the original instruments. I rather like it.
These were terrific little cars; a ball to drive. It made the British roadsters feel like from a different century. Makes me wonder how it would have done in that group of nine 1973 Showroom Stock Sports Cars we had the other day. The X1/9 arrived here in 1974, so it might have joined them the following year. I can’t seem to readily find anything on that.
Keep on going, lil’ X1/9.
Related reading:
CC Fiat X1/9: The Mid Engine Revolution Comes To Main Street
The CC Effect strikes yet again: just saw one of these on the road for the first time in years. Looked in good shape, and a nice ride for that beautiful early spring day. Nice to know that a few are still being enjoyed.
At first, viewed on a small phone screen, I thought the title referred to this being a hacked Fiero with X1/9 doors grafted on, which the pics seemed to support if you don’t zoom in and look more closely. But a closer look showed it was indeed the real thing. Anyway a Sunbird isn’t a Fiero even if the latter was disappointingly soulless too. I should know, being a former owner of a soulless Sunbird with a wheezy 1.8L carbureted mill and 3 speed automatic. Actually it was a soulless J2000, the first of four names in four years that Pontiac bestowed upon their soulless lump before settling on Sunbird.
One of my neighbors from that time drove an X1/9 and hers was reasonably reliable in the four or so years she had it.
In the late 70s a co-worker had one of these. From outside it looked somewhat stock looking, though it had a few extra antennas attached to it’s rear bumper (for electronic ” countermeasures “), but the engine was far from factory stock. The owner had taken it to a very well known Italian mechanic in the Bay Area and basically given him a blank check to do whatever he wanted short of nitrous oxide injection.
Anyway, one day, because he was dying to try my car which he had ridden in a few times, we decided to swap out for a drive through the mountains. Unfortunately, I was not able to fit in the driver’s seat. The steering wheel was too close to the driver’s seat and the wheel didn’t have room between the rim and the driver’s seat for me to slide under it. I could ride as a passenger, but never a driver.
I’m not sure if the X1/9 was the first instance of an F/F powertrain transplanted into a M/R chassis, but it always struck me as a brilliant idea – whoever came up with the idea originally. I only have limited time in the X1/9, but it felt less like driving a car, and more like operating a mechsuit. I’ve never experienced a car that felt more like “rider and horse are one”.
The Unipwer GT used the Mini’s FWD train in the rear, in the mid 60s. There may have been one or two others that used the Mini’s drive train.
And, yes, the Unipower was considered to be quite a blast to drive, with the Cooper S engine.
Wow- Curbside Classic once again introduces me to an unknown car from long ago. Looks like a fun ride, but the profile is a bit butt-heavy. Could be a fun project to upgrade with a modern powerplant.
A quick Google search tells me they’re still extant over in foggy England, and trade in the range of $30k-40k.
Interesting. He/she/they are taking measures beyond the usual to keep it working based upon the dash picture. What you think the bike brake lever is doing…my guess is hood release? Or mates up to throttle cable for hand/choke/cruise control? Or conversion to cable brakes in a misguided hipster way?🤔
The Brake levers are the heater and defrost controls
Ah, the Fiat X1/9. My cousin owned one in the late 1970s – early 1980s. As I recall the car spent more time on a mechanic’s lift than on the road. I got a ride or two in it before he wised up and bought a Honda.
The X 1/9 could not have joined the group of 7 after it came out. The third S after Showroom Stock was “Sedan”. As a traditional sports car it didn’t qualify. It would have to wait until a few years later. More people wanted in on “Showroom Stock” as it was the latest and greatest attempt at “affordable racing”. One on the world’s greatest oxymorons.
SCCA expanded the list of eligible cars. This became four separate classes, A,B,C, and Sports Car. The X 1/9 was way too slow for the Sports Car class (think 924,280Z/ZX and RX7) and ended up in Showroom Stock C with R5’s,Fiestas (Mk.1) and Starlets.
The SCCA Showroom Stock Sports Car series started in 1973. We just had a feature on it recently:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/vintage-review-road-track-april-1973-testing-9-showroom-stock-sports-cars-as-scca-racers/
Haven’t seen one of these in quite some time.
If I owned this, I would have the rest of the car painted to match the turquoise door.
It’s puzzling why this “take a transverse FWD powertrain and make it mid-engine” idea isn’t done more often. Not counting the niche/exotic Lotuses/Alfa 4C/modern Alpine 110/original Acura/Honda NSX (and the Kei car contingent Honda Beat/S660 and Mazda Autozam AZ-1), there are only 3 mainstream representatives: FIAT X1/9, Toyota MR2/MR-S and Pontiac Fiero. It seems to be such a natural thing to do.
Ford’s stillborn GN34 would’ve been a wonderful example.
Kita, a 4th “Mainstream” application is by a marque dating from the early 1920s, serious race winner in the hands of Tazio Nuvolari “il Mantovano Volante” – and speed record breaker. Carroll Shelby’s first racing mount was a TC. The last MG in my stable is an F, with the nice MG & Rover transverse 16V 4 cyl dohc, injected Variable Valve timing, factory Stage Tuned (Special Tuning Manuals have accompanied every Postwar MG. Stage 1 for the TC includes “plane 1/10 of an inch from the mating face of the cylinder head” Stage 10 was a whopping great belt-driven blower. The F has a factory part-numbered bolt-on blower, with recommended shorter high performance conrods for strength and reduced static C.R.
The first Lotus Elise was a lightweight ripoff of the MGF, with MG Engine, drive train and suspension geometry. Lotus used MG Rover engine/transmission unit til it became unavailable.
The Elise was first shown just 6 months after the MG-F, is made of glued aluminium and plastic, and weighs 600lbs less than an F. Less a rip-off than a much more expensive high-tech original. But it’s true it used Rover engine/gearbox units, and unmodified straight off the production line at that.
And don’t forget you wouldn’t be embarrassed to drive the Elise, where-as the MGF, well…
As I mentioned in a comment on the Showroom Stock Sports Car piece, that class didn’t last long and was replaced by combined sedan/hatch and sports car classes ranked from A to C and later with GT added. The X1/9 was placed in SSC and very competitive against Ford Fiesta’s, twin-stick 1600 Colts, non-GTI Rabbits and even 258 six Gremlins.
I test-drove an X1/9 once upon a time. This might have been a “Bertone” rather than a “Fiat”. My overwhelming opinion was that it was gutless, gutless, GUTLESS. Never mind having “suds”, it had not a single bubble. It was about one step away from being unsafe. Rather like my ’80 Civic, except the Civic wasn’t pretty. The Honda didn’t make promises with it’s body that the engine couldn’t keep. The X1/9 was/is so gorgeous I have trouble breathing when I see a photo.
Didn’t occur to me at the time to ask the salesguy if there was something wrong with it. Idled OK. Didn’t surge, buck, misfire. Just didn’t “go”.
I believe that thing would get out-run by a ten-speed bike and a healthy teenager.
In the four weeks I owned my X1/9 in 1979 I didn’t have any trouble with it.
It was a great handling little car, heavy and maybe underpowered, but keep it revving on a twisty road and it was great.
A 2 litre Lancia engine was a popular conversion later on. JZ DeLorean also slid a V6 into one as a test bed for the DeLorean.
Short memories here, or perhaps youth. Anyone thinking the X1/9 is slow is obviously unfamiliar with it’s predecessor, the Fiat 850 Spider. X1/9’s were practically dragsters compared to the 850s. 850s did have a point, they never had to slow for a curve, between their handling and lack of power, they could go balls out all the time.
Still, somehow I think I’d rather have an 850 as slow as they are, I’m sure there are some sort of Abarth parts to make them faster.
I had a brief fling in one of the original 1.3’s 20 years ago, warm night, roof off, and it was wonderful fun. Encouraged by the owner, I caned it without mercy, or, it must be said, breaking any speed limit.
It one oddity, though, that I would never have been able to live with, and it’s detectable in the picture above. The gearstick felt for all the world like it was somewhere past my hip in second and fourth. It wasn’t, of course, but it did feel most awkward.
The basic mechanicals in these sold as FWD units in their millions, and are tough as nails.
A “brief fling” in one of those you were lucky “somewhere past” your hip was all the gearstick went!
I didn’t say from which direction…..
Ouch, lol!
There are two types of car people:
1. Those who get the FIAT X1/9.
2. The thick of neck, short of dick, gold chain wearers
That’s taking stereotypes a bit far.
We have a commenting policy of not disparaging groups, and this is an example of that. Maybe next time you can make it a wee bit more nuanced?
As you wish…
There are two types of car people:
1. Those who get – and appreciate – the FIAT X1/9.
2. The thick of neck, short of johnson, gold chain wearers who mean no harm
The X1/9 is fifty years old this year
I owned a 78 with the updated 1.5L when I was in college. Bought used with a bad wheel bearing, dead shocks, and various broken interior pieces I was able to quickly get it back up and running nicely. This is the only car I know of with manual 4-wheel disk brakes and of course manual steering too but both felt very light and responsive. With the top off the chassis remained stiff without the judder and shake my later Supra exhibited with the targa off. I did do a full repaint when rust around the windshield became an issue but otherwise it was a solid daily driver for me. Definitely not an unreliable car as its critics always complain. It was terribly slow though. Even after an Abarth cam and intake it remained slow and needed to be driven with the revs up and throttle wide open to keep up. For its size its a heavy car at 2100 lbs and really needed a bigger engine. It eventually retired to my parents garage when I left to go to grad school. When I occasionally visited it always looked sad with boxes of Christmas decorations and recyclables piled on top of its dusty paint. Eventually about 10 years later I sold it to someone in Victoria B.C. Hopefully he got it back up and running. I wouldn’t regret buying another one if I got the chance.
I should have bought one of these when they littered California .
Driving slow cars fast is an acquired taste and much fun once you ‘get’ it .
I wonder of those who don’t like them are the same ones who never maintain anything ? .
FIAT’s have a nasty reputation in America but I’ve known man who adore them, take excellent care of them and run the living crap out of them with no breakdowns .
Not very different from my beloved old Mercedes and air cooled VW’s I think .
I’ve never seen anyone with gold chains driving an X19 or Bertone , not even when they were new .
-Nate
And, hopefully, you never will, Nate!