Friday 16th January 2009

SOTW: Fiat X1/9

Yes, Shed's back...

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X1/9. It’s not the prettiest name in the world, sounding more like a homicidal android from the 23^rd Century. That’s a shame really because it was the name given to one of the prettiest cars ever made.

The miniscule mid-engined Fiat’s lines were the work of Bertone, the Italian design house responsible for some of the best supercars the world has ever seen: the Lamborghini Miura, the Countach and the Lancia Stratos.

But the X1/9 wasn’t Bertone bunging together a supercar copy years after the exotica dried up, oh no. Bear this in mind: Ferrari’s first mid-engined car was the Dino which cropped up in 1968.

Arguably the use of this layout was in answer to the Lamborghini Miura, which had stopped the world in its tracks in 1966. The X1/9 first appeared in 1972, just a handful of years later, when the mid-engined concept was still seen as the reserve of the race track and the supercar elite.

It wasn’t until 1977 that the X1/9 arrived in the UK in RHD form and it soon attracted a cult following. At one point it was the biggest selling mid-engined car in the world and to many people it was their chance to drive a baby supercar.

It changed little over the years apart from the 1290cc unit changing to the 1498cc four from the Strada, and the addition of some extra bits of plastic.

The last production models were named the Gran Finale and were sold over the 1989/1990 period. They featured a rear spoiler and Gran Finale badges, although to many purists the best looking X1/9s were the simple early models.

So, you can’t surely get a decent X1/9 for under a grand, I hear you say. Of course you can – and it should look something like this.

Here we have a 53,000 miles ’86 X1/9 that has tax and test, reconditioned original alloys, a stainless steel exhaust and a very tidy interior that would suggest the mileage is genuine.

Obviously there is always the slim chance that underneath that shining bodywork the structure is as solid as a chocolate chip cookie, but hey, it’s Italian. All this for £950, and you get to walk into a pub and say you drive a mid-engined Italian sports car. Just don’t mention the F-word…

Autotrader ad reads: '1986 FIAT X19 1500 Sports 2dr Sports Coupe, 53,000 miles, Manual, 5 new reconditioned alloy wheels,stainless steel exhaust,elec windows,casette player,taxed & mot'd. £950.'

[infradig]

Has anyone ever bought a car from a backstreet with a handwritten sign in the window? I bet the shiny black 900 round the corner is his too. If I aerosol my engine does that count as reconditioning?
If this thing made it home and then through another MOT I'd be amazed-but if it did I suppose it would be a bargain. Good SOTW-welcome back!

[crofty1984]

Yeah, my dad bought his old 190E like that

[BlueSei]

Nothing wrong with driving a Fiat, still think they're more reliable than French Cars, based on those I have had. I would love an X1/9 as a second car. I am sure lots of people will dismiss this car on here just because it is a Fiat.

[mgv8]

X19 is very good to drive and the turbo engin will fit very will
I did look at quite a few but all had BIG rust problems.

[massive1]

OMG!!!! how old does that look.
havent seen one in years

[spoonoff]

Was the 16 slice toaster on the back standard or an option?

[jaik]

spoonoff said:

Was the 16 slice toaster on the back standard or an option?

[Moospeed]

BlueSei said:

I am sure lots of people will dismiss this car on here just because it is a Fiat.

This was around when I was at school (was still very much into cars even back then) and quite often I'd hear people say "Poor man's MR2" when one drove past. I always used to think it looked slightly nicer than the MR2 (bearing in mind it was Mk1 back then)

[Turbobanana]

Fond memories...

Once slept in one of these overnight outside the main gates at Brands Hatch after a mate's offer of a bed for the night evaporated.

Still like them, though: handled like go-karts.

[Oli S]

spoonoff said:

Was the 16 slice toaster on the back standard or an option?

When you look at the engine cover like that it does look slightly odd doesn't it

[Twincam16]

spoonoff said:

Was the 16 slice toaster on the back standard or an option?

Standard. They're a bit of a bugger to work on, and there are quite a few little design flaws - like the non-locking fuel filler cap mounted right next to the louvred engine cover. As usual you get the fuel vacuum when refilling, you unscrew it, and flecks of fuel spit out of the filler neck and into the engine bay.

I quite liked mine although if you want to keep it long-term you really do have to look after it as fastidiously as you would a Dino 206 - clean completely before putting it into the garage, never drive in the rain if you can help it, service it religiously, start it regularly during winter to keep it from seizing and if any rust rears its ugly head, even in a minor way, eradicate it completely. You just can't use it as an everyday car or keep it on the street or you'll kill it.

It's a good-looking car but the Mk1 Toyota MR2 is much better in every way. Although the handling of the X1/9 is almost in the Elise league, it's not quite as satisfying to drive - main culprit is the awful gearchange.

Shame really - Fiat should have continued to develop it rather than getting to 1978 and going 'that'll do for another twelve years'.

[Mafioso]

My Dad had one of these from new. He said it was gutless and gave him nothing but trouble.

Edited to add that when I asked him why he bought it, he said "just because I fancied one"!

That pretty much sums this car up I think! Pretty but crap!

Edited by Mafioso on Friday 16th January 13:06

[Fire99]

Strangely my Dad also had one. Bought it new around the 82-83 era. He loved the car but said after 18 months the rust appeared. Sadly though they were very small patches they weren't simply surface blisters but signs of deeper trouble so sadly he sold it.

I love them other than the tin-worm.

[Gerkin]

My mates got a 9bar and it's hilarious. He popped it on it's roof not long ago at a roundabout so he just turned it back over and drove off. Nearly no damage at all. He has had it since he was 17 and it now 34. Quad ansa pipes and a rev counter that goes the wrong way. He thought he was the dogs when he was younger..........

[stephen300o]

Fantastic car, second best car I've owned, despite the trouble.
Early ones are best,

[griffter]

I had an '83 VS. Orange over black with full black leather; my first 'sports car'. Brilliant packaging: front and rear boots (both good size), spare wheel behind the passenger, hard panel roof comes off and stows under the front bonnet on top of luggage.

I have great memories of commuting in it and loving the steering, the noise (that revvy 1500 with a Pipercross just behind your head) and that fact that it had Ferrari 308 GT4 door handles and rear lights (ahem).

Donwsides?

The time I had a very 'exciting' moment when the rear wheels slid on a wet drain lid mid-corner, and the compliments on buying and driving a TR7.

[FourWheelDrift]

Oli S said:

spoonoff said:

Was the 16 slice toaster on the back standard or an option?

When you look at the engine cover like that it does look slightly odd doesn't it

Less of an engine cover, more of a heat sink.

[Twincam16]

griffter said:

I had an '83 VS. Orange over black with full black leather; my first 'sports car'. Brilliant packaging: front and rear boots (both good size), spare wheel behind the passenger, hard panel roof comes off and stows under the front bonnet on top of luggage.

I have great memories of commuting in it and loving the steering, the noise (that revvy 1500 with a Pipercross just behind your head) and that fact that it had Ferrari 308 GT4 door handles and rear lights (ahem).

Sounds identical to mine - wasn't B44KRY was it? If so you'll be happy to know it's still going strong (albeit not in my hands).

Rear lights weren't from the 308 GT4, they were shared with the Lotus Esprit S1:



Had a lot of exotic DNA though - the structure was basically a downsized Miura, whole systems are interchangeable with the Stratos and it was rattled off by Gandini as part of a Bertone mid-engined 'project' which also included the 308 GT4 and Urraco.

[bob the viking]

It looks small enough to be used as a spare wheel never mind as a second car. Still they where pritty cool in their day and makes a nice change to a MGB now.

[tonym911]

One of the easiest cars to spin, and once they've started to go there's no catching 'em. Luckily they spin in a very small space.