RE: SOTW: Fiat X1/9 'Gran Finale'

[Howrare]

Always loved these, and very nearly took the plunge this year.... but bottled it and got another MX5 instead. Would love to have a go in a Uno Turbo engined one, but would like a go in one of the P1X 3.0 Alfa V6 Conversions more. Now that would be a crackin little sports car!

[dorikin2009]

Excellent. Saw one just the other day.

[fastgerman]

Friend at college at one, only person who had a rwd car and we could do donuts on the rugby pitch. He said it had a sports clutch when I tried it out but I think the clutch was just gone. Either way, great fun and it could keep up with my Golf GTI!

[theturbs]

Good shed. Assuming its condition in the flesh is as good as in the photos, it's got to be worth a punt at £600. It's probably as good an example as any out there (I haven't checked the classifieds).

[Buffalo Girls]

I had a Gran Finale when they were new. Fantastic little car. Pearlescent paint and alcantara upholstery.

[morgrp]

Sod the Fiat, I want that 780

[Nickellarse]

Top shed, but a braver man than me would part with £600 for it.

Volvo 760? Probably similar isn't it?

[jaylott]

1300 version was a better car, prettier, better suspension set up as well. Anyone know of a good one and I could be tempted to take a brave leap into teh past !

[corporalsparrow]

Why on earth would you buy an X19 when there are plenty of MK1 MR2's about?

[LuS1fer]

corporalsparrow said:

Why on earth would you buy an X19 when there are plenty of MK1 MR2's about?

One's a stunner, the other is a boxy Toyota with dubious proportions. They may have improved the idea mechanically but aethetically, not even close.

[jaylott]

corporalsparrow said:

Why on earth would you buy an X19 when there are plenty of MK1 MR2's about?

Having owned both I know which is the more interesting car and which I'd prefer to have in the "classic" garage

[bimsb6]

loved my x19 it would drift on a wet roundabout so nicely ,shame the passenger door fell off due to rust ! the body would split on them where the door hinge bolted on as well ,seen 2 with a split there and i've only looked at 2 .

[frp4914]

bimsb6 said:

loved my x19 it would drift on a wet roundabout so nicely ,shame the passenger door fell off due to rust ! the body would split on them where the door hinge bolted on as well ,seen 2 with a split there and i've only looked at 2 .

X1/9 on a wet roundabout! So controllable, you can just choose what angle you want to drive at according to mood. I had one in 1984 and loved it, but after a year I decided I needed a car that wasn't falling apart. Mind you, a few years later I bought a Montecarlo

[Rach*]

I had this on my list for the next adventure! Someone suggested it on my "what car" thread

[anonymous-user]

Fiat X1/9 was a fine little car although ultimately short of grunt.

It's bigger brother, the mid-engined Lancia Beta Montecarlo, was built in much smaller numbers. It was in many ways a more interesting car but similarly tarnished by the Fiat group reputation.

[willE36]

morgrp said:

Sod the Fiat, I want that 780

[willE36]

morgrp said:

Sod the Fiat, I want that 780

[PATTERNPART]

This Lambretta was a Bertone design I like all there late 60's and ealy 70's bits and pieces. The X19 is prettier than the Toyota surely? Was the Strada a Bertone effort. It looked good especially the black plastic details like the bonnet vent. The Lambretta has some similar discrete details and even has an ink splat on the leg shield. That was standard in 1969 which I think shows a certain something.

[ArranAshman]

I actually rolled one of these whilst showing off to my mate on how well they handled ( I was 19 at the time !! ) and walked away with just a bump to the head. When the fire Brigade arrived they thought I was going to be dead when they heard it was an X/19 which had rolled!! I actually cried when I looked back at it,as the policeman walked me away, He let me off on due care and attention as he said he thought I had learned my lesson because I was so upset....The boot had actually welded itself to the wing such was the speed I was travelling when it landed on its roof. I have since learned my lesson in not to hit the brakes when the rear of a car starts to let go.....hmmm

[Sam_68]

ArranAshman said:

When the fire Brigade arrived they thought I was going to be dead when they heard it was an X/19 which had rolled!!

You probably couldn't have picked a better car... allegedly, it was the only open 2-seater ever designed to pass a 70mph rollover test, being proposed in the United States at the time.

Everyone else came to the conclusion that it wasn't practicable and that the legislation would kill convertible cars altogether, but it never materialised. The scaremongering virtually wiped out open sports cars for a generation, though, and is the reason that the TR7 was originally designed only as a fixed head.