From R&T’s July 1979 issue, read about two sporting Fiats at a time when they actually made cars like these.
This is why I used to love R&T- you could read about two cars from the same manufacturer, presumably the same type (sports cars, even though they are completely different in design), and all in the same issue.
Read the X1/9 test first:
That last paragraph neatly moves us on to the (124) Spider, a “traditional roadster”:
This is Sixties Vs. Seventies.
The Fiat X1/9, what a great looking car!! I remember wanting one at the time although I suspect I would have been disappointed with the reliability. Green or Yellow…I can’t decide.
I can’t make up my mind which I’d prefer, so I’ll take them both. Hopefully, they were more reliable than what I was experiencing in 1979. I did drive a friend’s 1969 124 Spider that was a blast but I never got to sample an X/19. Can’t remember the last time I saw either one of these. There were many more interesting, rather affordable choices in the auto market in 1979 than now. I miss that.
Ah, the malaise era. 67 whole horsepower from the X1/9’s 1.5. A whopping 80 for the 2000 Spider. Nowadays 10+ sec 0-60 times are for subcompacts and hybrids, not cars with sporting personalities.
That having been said I always did love the X1/9 in all its wedgy 70’s Bertone glory. It’s quite a looker, especially without the huge federal bumpers. And the spider has grown on me over the years–the design is a true classic (as the article notes!)
The Spitfire had a mere 55 horses down 20! from the euro version. All were dog slow for a sports car. To get only 18mpg from the MGB was a feat of enginering!. Proves how early emission controls ruined imports.
I owned a 124 Spyder for a few years, yellow with black stripes, quite a nice looking roadster, wore its Fed Gov bumpers much better than the Alfa or any of its British contemporaries.
Test drove an X1/9 at the time, impressive handling but incredibly small, especially in traffic. Your head is barely above the tires of something like a Navigator.
My aunt had a brand new (in 1980) X 1/9. It was red. Compared to the american cars in my family at the time (79 Old Cutlass, 77 Nova) this Fiat felt like a space ship (at least for an 8 year old kid).
The blaupunkt radio cassette, the targa roof and the mid engine layout really made the experience of being a passenger on this car an unique one. One detail I liked aboutthe car was the “tinklebell” warning with a yellow light telling you to refuel!!
Then the came back to our (Puerto Rico) market in 1986 as Bertone X 1/9….and those were REALLY unreliable.
Came real close to picking up a spider – from a used car dealer. almost pulled the trigger but it was so roached, it looked like somebody had already pulled the trigger. On their shotgun. Over and over.
Instead, bought a VW Dasher from the same dealer later on. Only upside was that the short-term warranty fully covered the half shafts which failed as a result of bad CV boots. That deal worked out really well, and the car survived BK for three years.
Never did an X. Dad bought a red Gen1 MR2 5sp which tho made in a stockpot of Yoda parts was probably a much better car anyhow.
My older brother bought a new 124 Spider in 1975 – wine red with a black top and interior. I got a fair amount of seat time in the car, and it was very entertaining to drive. However, the car was not that reliable as a daily driver, especially since my brother was not really mechanically inclined. We shared a rented house in the late ’70s and whenever my brother left town for a weekend, he would borrow my very well-worn ’65 Mustang convertible knowing that the Ford would at least get him to his destination and back. That left me with a cute red sports car to cruise in – I didn’t complain much.
Back in the early 80s, a co-worker who was into cars about as much as I was, had a black X1/9. It had had the engine modded by a very knowledgeable Italian mechanic…..but the appearance was kept “stock”. He tried to get me to swap cars with him one afternoon because I had admired it for being nearly everything my Fiesta WASN’T. Alas, I could not get behind the steering wheel, so I never got the chance to try it.
Wouldn’t mind trying a Spider, though.
Re: Fiesta vs X1/9 … the 1300 X1/9’s were much slower than the US market 1600 Fiesta, but the 1500 was a pretty close match. In our San Francisco Region of the SCCA the Fiesta was capable of winning races in the Showroom Stock C class, but in 1981 one driver started showing up in an X1/9, and it was very competitive. Whatever it may have still lacked in straight line acceleration was compensated by better braking and cornering.
I had a new 75 X1/9. Was broadsided by a ’73 Cadillac Coupe d’Ville, driver’s side. I have a vivid memory of the Cadillac wreath & crest hood ornament and giant chrome grille looming above me an instant before the crash. The Fiat caromed off the Cadillac, slid across a 6-lane intersection, mounted a curb, took out a fire hydrant, and pirouetted through a bus stop. I exited the car through the spot where the roof had resided moments before, minus my shoes, glasses, wallet, and everything else in my pockets. That was the sorriest looking Fiat you ever saw. All four tires were blown out, all 4 suspensions were tucked underneath the chassis, and the only straight piece of sheet metal was the rear trunk lid. Meanwhile, the Cadillac remained nearby, the engine still idling, although the engine fan was clanking quietly against the fan shroud. Walked away with a goose egg on my head, some bruised ribs, lots of aches and pains, and a highly offended sense of dignity. Never did see the wallet again.
Here in Arizona you see almost everything automotive eventually, and yes, they get driven. However, Fiat spiders are a rare sight. Not sure why this great looking little roadster is so uncoveted by the automotive community.