Fiat X1/9

Fiat X1/9 at a glance

The X1/9 belongs in the Fiat catalogue, although the last cars wore Bertone badges.

From a Bertone show car to a production Fiat

The shape started as a Bertone show car. At the 1969 Turin show the coachbuilder displayed the Autobianchi A112 Runabout, a wedge-shaped open two-seater with a prominent roll bar. Wikipedia IT records that Gianni Agnelli saw the prototype at Bertone in 1971, and the production car kept its proportions, its roll-over hoop and its sharp nose. Fiat intended the new car as the replacement for its small 850 Spider.

Fiat held the launch back until after the Turin Motor Show of November 1972 so that the X1/9 would not overshadow the new Fiat 126. Press drives followed at the end of that month. In February 1973 CAR magazine called it "the most significant sports car of our time", according to Practical Classics.

Engineering: a 128 drivetrain moved behind the seats

Gandini, who also drew the Lancia Stratos, placed the transverse engine and gearbox of the Fiat 128 behind the cabin and drove the rear wheels. The result was a light car of 880-920 kg, only 1,170 mm high. The design was planned from the start to meet the coming US safety regulations. The removable roof panel fits in the front boot, so the car carries luggage at both ends.

Other details included pop-up headlamps, a spoiler built into the nose and 227 mm discs at every wheel. The first engine was the 1,290 cc SOHC four of the 128 family, rated like the 128 Sport Coupe 1300 at 55 kW (75 PS) at 6,000 rpm and 97 Nm at 3,400 rpm, linked to a four-speed gearbox. Hagerty UK gives 0-60 mph in 12.7 seconds and 106 mph (170 km/h).

Five Speed, US bumpers and the Bertone years

The Series II of 1978-1979 brought the 1,498 cc engine from the Fiat Strada (Ritmo) with 63 kW (85 PS) and 118 Nm, plus a five-speed gearbox. Hagerty UK quotes 0-60 mph in 10.4 seconds and 112 mph, while Wikipedia lists 185 km/h. The body grew to 3,969 mm.

US cars show the clearest changes. The 1974 cars had small steel bumpers, the 1975-1978 cars wore ladder-style impact bumpers, and the 1979 cars received square aluminium bumpers. Their 1.5-litre engine gave 50 kW (67 hp) in 1979; from 1980 Bosch injection lifted it to 56 kW (75 hp). US list prices rose from USD 4,167 in 1974 to USD 13,990 in 1984. Right-hand-drive cars reached the UK in 1976 according to Hagerty UK and in 1977 according to Practical Classics.

In 1982 Fiat ended its own production and handed the X1/9 to Bertone, which replaced the Fiat badges with its own and sold the car until 1989. Bertone added the better-equipped VS and, in 1982, the In with red leather trim. The final Gran Finale got a rear spoiler and special badges. Wikipedia counts about 140,500 Fiat-built cars and about 19,500 Bertone cars; Practical Classics gives 163,750 in total and Classics World about 170,000. The X1/9 had no direct heir until the front-engined Fiat Barchetta.

Racing versions and prototypes

Scuderia Filipinetti showed a race car at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1973 with about 118 kW (160 PS). Abarth built the X1/9 Prototipo rally car in 1973, with a 1,840 cc engine of about 147 kW (200 PS) according to Wikipedia IT, but Fiat chose the 131 Abarth for its rally programme. Dallara's Icsunonove of 1975 ran in the Group 5 class of the World Championship for Makes.

Fiat X1/9 today: what to check when buying

Hagerty UK's buying guide warns that rust can affect every panel, joint and seam. Check the inner wheel arches, floorpans, sills, engine and suspension mounts and the headlamp pods. Practical Classics adds the windscreen surround, a repair that costs over GBP 1,000 at a specialist, and Classics World lists the front suspension turrets and the roll bar. Triple-skinned bulkheads around the engine can hide corrosion, and steel coolant pipes running through the body can rot the car from inside.

The engines last well with routine servicing. Change the cambelt every three to four years or about 30,000 miles (48,000 km), use the correct coolant, and look for oil leaks between camshaft carrier and head or signs of a failed head gasket. The five-speed gearbox is weaker than the four-speed, with poor second and third synchromesh on some cars, and worn linkage bushes make the shift vague. Rear wishbone ball joints, seized calipers and leaking brake master cylinders are other common faults. Gearbox parts, interior trim and roof seals are hard to source, and the roof drains must be clear.

Hagerty UK's guide of February 2023 gives about EUR 2,900 (GBP 2,500) for a rough running project, EUR 6,300 (GBP 5,500) for a good 1500, about EUR 10,400 (GBP 9,000) for a clean right-hand-drive car and up to EUR 23,000 (GBP 20,000) for the best concours examples. Late, well-equipped 1500s are the sensible choice for regular use. Other affordable sports cars of the period are listed in the classic cars section.