I've had three of them. The last one I bought new from Fiat and it was a 1982 EFI car. My friends had British sports cars of the time and I drove them all. They were fun as far as they went but the X1/9 was brilliant! I have never has another car that was as much fun, looked as good or was as inspiring to drive at those X1/9s!
Another gem of a car, clearly ahead of its time! It's a design masterpiece. This model, deserved to have a more distinctive name but even as X1/9, I would still love to have one in my garage!
I’m on my second X1/9, having sold my first to my brother. They very much make up for their lack of power by having superb handling and crisp, go kart steering. They are extremely good fun to drive. Thanks for the video!
I have quoted the X19 as the best mid engined car of all time, people may scoff at the suggestion but hear this out first. It has probably the best practicality , with 2 luggage compartments , whereas other mid engined cars you barely could carry a toothbrush . Also it used standard production parts so it need not be exotic money to run . In that it was a brave car to put into production , because this was not a specialist manufacturer such as Lotus, Lamborghini or Ferrari, but one of the largest manufacturers in the world. Boy, did Fiat build a really good car. Here’s the icing on the cake. The Fiat X19 remains one of the best handling of all mid engined cars to this day. Because of the 70 series tyres , the cars break away into tail slides can be more progressive than those with the lower profile tyres of today, which admittedly have more initial roadholding but can be very vicious breakaway. A fantastic car make it be clear. Wish manufacturers would look at the Fiat as a template to produce small, compact sports cars today. Everything seems to get fatter, wider and overweight. Get video , Matteo
It took Pontiac until 1988 to get the Fiero right. With the 1.5 engine and 5 gear transmission the X 1/9 was a better handling car than even the '88 Fiero. However the Fiero had more power. Why did it take Pontiac so long to get the Fiero right? And then they ceased production.
I had an X1/9 Bertone. It was a 1977. It seems like fiats implode after 80 thousand miles. Not only did it have its' famous vapor lock, but the bad electronics, the head warped, in the winter the radiator froze, and the clutch went. I also had problems with the clutch hydraulics. It also rusts very easy. No matter what I did I could not keep the rust away. This car is only good for Sunday drives once a month. It was fun to drive when it was not in the shop.
I was at Technical School in Chicago & one of the class mates had this Fiat X 1/9. It was orange with a black interior. It looked really good. He was having problems with it idling & stalling. Soon after it was the last time I saw him in class. Still remember that car !
That’s a cool first car if I’ve ever seen one! Definitely cooler than the one I had, which doesn’t spark any affection in me regardless of how much time passes…
The X1/9 had a big impact on my life, from when I was a child, around 10 years old. I had a Lamborghini Countach poster on the wall. I love mid-engine sports cars. I first learned about Triumph TR7 and fell in love with the wedge style when a local mechanic had one and parts car next to his shop for a long time. I wanted to buy it, but my mother wouldn't allow me. I was too young and didn't have a father. Later on, I learned about X1/9 thru magazine with Targa roof & wanted one when I turned 16 to get my driver’s license, but back in the 80's, they were hard to find in my state. Lucky me, I got a great deal for a Pontiac Fiero which I fell in love with it. Personally, I feel Pontiac Fiero is a step up from X1/9, being wider & more room inside, but X1/9 will always have a part in my long history of admiring mid-engine sports cars. I regretted trading it in... now, after some 25 years, I bought the best Pontiac Fiero GT with Lotus aspired suspension.
@@Matteo_Licata Yeah, Pontiac had a lot going for the second generation. The corvette feared that Fiero would put them out of business, which they were supposed to in the 90's. For all FIVE years, Fiero made a profit and outsold MR2 & Corvette in double digits, even when marketing & advertisements were cut short for the last year, '88. On GM proving ground, Chevy people found out that Pontiac put a V8 in a Fiero and it outran corvette. Even their V6 turbo outdid corvette. They whined to GM management. The Pontiac people were far in advanced when it comes to suspension design and I'm sure they took cues from Lotus and paid Porsche as consultant. It took corvette people a long time to catch up in terms of suspension. With C8 now out, you could see how they took a lot of cues from the Fiero program and even hired one of Fiero guys on the engineering team. The trunk in C8 and decklid looks very similar to Fiero style. Anyhow, Fiero got its start by studying X1/9 and Ferrari 308, along with other sports cars of the 80's. I wish Fiero is wider at 75" with hips, like F355. That would be awesome. Even with its 69" wide, it's roomier than a lot of Ferrari cabins, including F355, thanks to X1/9. One of the GM's executive members, who was 6'4" tall, got stuck in a X1/9 and needed help to get out. They were showing X1/9 as an example at the beginning of Fiero program. Hulki Aldikacti, father of the Fiero, made a note of it & told his team to make sure that interior space is roomy. That's why tall people had no problem sitting in a Fiero today.
I remember seeing an X19 at a show in the mid 1970s in Dunedin New Zealand. As a 5 year old I was blown away by the striking sharp lines, it was very different to my parents Corolla :). I would have to say it added to the Car bug that had already started to take hold of me. Thanks for a fabulous overview on a still stunning little car ! Cheers from Brisbane.
I remember meeting someone who owned one such late X1/9 years ago, while I was driving my Spitfire. Hard to imagine both cars were on sale at the same time in the 70s, as the Triumph looked like a relic in comparison. A great looking relic, mind you, but a relic nonetheless 😆
To my simple mind, the 850 Spider is the very epitome of the small, light sporting roadster. As a Briton I ought to favour a Sprite or a Midget.... They are indeed lovely, but for me the 850 Spider is the perfect fusion of simplicity, low mass, modest power, engaging handling and uncomplicated style. The X1/9 had a big task replacing the splendid 850. I think it did a wonderful job. It was flawed, but most cars are: It was not a full convertible, but in those days there were credible fears that federal laws would ban them. The engine had grown, but that was a time when engines were growing. Despite these flaws and others, the X1/9 left a mark on the driving memories of many people. Its eventual "heir", the Batchetta, somehow failed to be more than a Tipo with no roof. The 850 Spider and the X1/9 were both effortlessly Italian, sublimely chic and addictively intoxicating. Flawed and fabulous. Excellent video. Thanks.
@@studiocalder818 Thank you. I may be wrong; I often am. But I mourn the recent (past 30 years+) absence of a truly light, low-powered sporting roadster. Smart tried and failed. The MX5 was never quite small or light enough. The Cappuccino came close, but was (bizarrely) physically too small to make an impact on the marketplace. I am not hopeful that there will be an 850 Spider or X1/9 heir.... The World wants.... Hyundai SUVs with 18" alloys and front wheel drive. 🤪😕😞
@@BanjoLuke1 Right In the centers of Italian cities, which have narrow streets, those traveling toilets break all the sidewalks. I think today a brand new small spider would only sell to nostalgics unfortunately PS: In my opinion Barchetta didn't failed; it had a great success compared with the changed era
I agree with you! I had an 850 spider, English green color, and it was very lovely, it turned a lot of heads(girls) every time I drove it in town, in the USA. That was 1972...In 1984 I purchased a 1980 Triumph Spitfire, same color, I loved it as well..
Roger leloup...70s yoko tsuno...hq...this eas her car......fantastic.....thats why i love this car.....memories of my youth ...Reading the spirou journal....
@@Matteo_Licata I have driven and owned many Italian cars. My petrol powered heart leis in Torino & Bologna. The experiences have brought with them deep joy and a sense of accomplishment. Viva Automobili Italia!
A little side note is that in 1968 the United States had proposed a 50 mph head-on collision standard and a 70 mph rollover, instead of the 30 mph standard head on impact and a 50 mph rollover. The x19 and the Mercedes 450 SEL sedan were the only vehicles that were designed to meet that "proposed" standard when released in the United States in 1974. It's the reason the pundits, at the time, complained that it weighed too much for a compact sports car. It was SAFE!
@@Matteo_Licata 1500. Obviously it wasn't a fast car even if it felt fast. But I loved it. With the roof off I used to just jump in without opening the door. 😄 Happy times. 😊 I have another little Italian bundle of fun now. An Abarth 595 Trofeo. It also makes me smile a lot 🇮🇹 🇬🇧
With that top off and driving it on a sunny day- Wow. I bought two of them (Bertone) and never regretted it. Always felt like a baby Ferrari 328 to me. That X/19 was a genuine Italian beauty.
Cool! I remember meeting the collector who owned a late X1/9 that had a few special details because it had been made for Bertone’s daughter’s 18th birthday. It was red with non-standard upholstery… And I wonder what happened to the car since then
@@Matteo_Licata Bertone's daughters who mismanaged the company and finished it off? Funnily our X1/9 was a girls 18th present, we bought it at 3 years old with red nail varnish stains on the steering wheel!
I love your videos, but I think with the X1/9 you forget its big brother also designed and built by Bertone from 1976 to '79, the Lamborghini Silhouette. It deserves a mention I believe since the Lambo is so similar.
As an Italian/ American I owned many Alfa Romeo's and the X1/9 was the only Fiat I owned.. unfortunately it caught on fire 🔥 .. it handled great but was super slow.. the targa roof made it fun to forget how slow it was. I made a big mistake and went through an automatic car wash.. I got soaked with water!! Still I'll never forget it.. only paid $400 USA dollars for it .. it ran and drove.. until it's unfortunate death.. great video.. I miss it today..
@@Matteo_Licata it's a beautiful car.. I got it cheap because the owner needed a bigger car.. I'm 6'2" and still got in it.. I really wish I was over in Europe to enjoy the cars never imported to the USA. I'd love to have a Lotus Carlton.. funny that GM owned them back then. As I've committed before I love Alfa's.. and will hopefully enjoy my 86 Spider veloce.. for many years to come..
In Brazil, that car was sold as "Corona Dardo", build to a coachbuilder named Toni Bianco, an italian that emigrated to South America. The mecanics were from a Fiat 147 - the brazilian version of the 127 - and was sold on Fiat dealerships. The chassis was made on fiberglass, and there were some 300 cars build between 1979 and 1985. It's a rare and quite apreciated car.
Great video…. I bought a 1977MY X1/9 when I was only 18 years old in 1981…I really thought I was “chocolate” and mimicked Magnum PI… 😝 I later sold to buy a Matra Bagheera and then Lancia Montecarlo. This sweet and amazing sports car started my interest in mid-engined motoring rising thru Ferrari 308, 348 and 360, culminating in current McLaren 570 spider. I have very fond memories of trying to maintain my X1/9 and it still is a super looking car… 👍🏻
Brilliant little car loved at birth and still remembered with affection, why on earth could Fiat management not be anything but enthusiastic about it? My aunt owned hers from new for 40 years! Incidentally a car passed me recently with the British private registration “ X 19 “ ……..it was on a Skoda!
I owned 3 of the 5 speed versions in my late teens/twenties they drove like a Ferrari !! Except brakes were awful and they broke down regularly but I adored them turned heads where ever I went !! UK was still making the spitfire from the 60s !
😊 I'm here because, it is the first time i've seen this 🇮🇹GEORGOUS Italian car in Nice ( France ). When i was young, i though this was an American car because we could watched it on American series.
Hi Matteo, many thanks for this insightful and informative video on the Fiat X1/9. It is hard to believe the design is half a century 'old' as it still looks so fresh and dynamic. As a testimony to its significance, both Toyota and GM have tried to make their own versions of the X1/9 in the MR2/MRS and Pontiac Fiero respectively. Neither, especially the Fiero, was executed with the same flair and lightness as the Bertone solution. I doubt if we'll see the likes of the X1/9, and the men that made it happen, again. Thanks again Matteo.
Thank you very much! Yes, the X1/9 has aged much better than similar cars made later, and that's what good design does: it retains its validity despite the passage of time...
Can you imagine in the 80s that an average person can say I have an Italian mid-engine Italian sports car, styled by the same guy who styled the Miura, and it only cost you a bag of chips
Thanks for this video and others. Definitively, I felt in love first time I saw this model, lately became a lover of all models created by Marcello Gandini. One question: Do yo have some video about facility of Grugliasco ? (it appears at min 5:20) I'm asking myself if it's the same where Pininfarina made some Alfas & Peugeot 406 Coupé some years after. If not, what do you think about one historic video of this facility, where I've heard than in present time Stellantis is manufacturing modern Maseratis
Let's clarify things here: Grugliasco is a town right next to Turin, where Bertone and Pininfarina used to have production facilities. However, the Pininfarina and the Bertone factories were NOT the same. It's the Bertone one that then became a Maserati factory, but that's going to end soon too.
I do ;) That's Turin's National Automobile Museum, in northwestern Italy. It's a rather pleasant place to visit. However, bear in mind that all those X1/9s were just there for the day: it was a club event and the cars belong to their respective private owners.
I still have my 1986 that I bought new in Northern Virginia. One day I plan on driving it to the Bertone factory. Right now it is parked in Germany so most of the way there.
That's cool! Speaking of the former Bertone factory, which has been building Maseratis since 2013 following a long hiatus, its fate is sealed: production is being transferred to the Fiat Mirafiori plant, and the site will be abandoned for good in 2024.
I looked into that swap because the K20 is such a good motor. But it will never sound right in an X1/9 imo. Btw 180 bhp is possible from the sohc using the later pattern 1600 Tipo motor as the base.
I had low mileage 1977 in 1977 and then a brand new one in 1979 with compomotive 3 piece rims with pirellis on it. The car was incredible. The only thing was it was underpowered. But on the back roads I remember being able to nearly touch a 911s rear grill coming out of the esses only to lose 10 car lengths on any straight away. But after a few turns I could be back on its bumper. The handling was incredible but the lack of power had me beating on the steering wheel.
I can imagine that! That’s why people have been stuffing larger engines into X1/9s since forever, and keep doing so today, with even Honda K20 swap kits now available. However, it’s a pity that Fiat’s disinterest for the car meant no effort was done to give it more power right out of the box.
@@Matteo_Licata . I agree. I could catch almost any car in the turns only to watch them drive away on the straights. I wish they had made it a little larger and stuffed something like the Alfa V6 in it at the factory. Otherwise the handling was incredibly predictable. At the same time my dad had a Lancia beta coupe. Another great handling car. But very heavy and I think it had a Fiat 1.8 liter. Incredibly underpowered. We had a 124 and a 128 and eventually I drove a 131 Brava. That was the era of Fiats in America. Then poof they were gone.
I remember the nightmare while i was line tech 1978 at Fiat dealer and replacing my first water pump on a a/c equipped 75 X1/9 you were better off pulling the cylinder head to do the job pump back then it was like $800.00 just for the part and like 12 hours labor. Great design Fiat
Si tratta del Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile a Torino. Però tutte quelle X1/9 si trovavano lì solo il giorno in cui le ho filmate, esposte dall'X1/9 Club Italia
I'm guessing you're well over 6' in which case I'm surprised you even tried getting in! I'm 6' and I found the interior cramped and claustrophobic. The area around the shifter/ steering wheel/ knee joint/ centre console was particularly annoying. But the pedal box is good, relative to the steering wheel and shifter. I modified the steering column, centre console, steering wheel, and shifter on mine and fitted Tillett carbon seats from the Lotus Elise Cup. I still find it a bit awkward getting in and out with the roof on but once inside it feels nice and roomy. Some of the instruments will be obscured no matter what you do!
Was a gorgeous cool little sports car but back then FIAT stood for "fix it again Tony" for a reason. The Alfa Romeo Giulia on the other hand is an excellent, reliable, beautifully elegant, well built, high quality, high performance compact sports sedan the Germans cannot match.
I have had 7 of them! (from the 1300cc versions, the 1500, and later the Bertone's) If the updated version had had something like the twin cam that Abarth had used the car would have been the equal of many much more expensive cars and the grotesquely ugly MR2 would have been marginalized. At one time I had all the fiberglass body panels pulled directly from a Dallara (Bayless) But never mounted them. If I could have only one car, it would have to be a Stratos but next would be the Dallara.
Wow, seven examples! That's true love indeed. I agree, the X1/9 should have gotten better engines and proper development, and it's a pity Fiat didn't invest on it properly
Imagine a small great handling car to transport 2 people and plenty of grocery space . Unfortunately we love huge SUVs and guzzling gas and polluting. Driving thus car must be scarey when you driving next to huge pickups and SUVs
That's a rather obscure prototype made by Bertone experimenting with a different roof design... But very little is known about it, and the idea didn't look all that brilliant, to be honest!
Boy that Dallara looked mighty fine! Thank-you.
I've had three of them. The last one I bought new from Fiat and it was a 1982 EFI car. My friends had British sports cars of the time and I drove them all. They were fun as far as they went but the X1/9 was brilliant! I have never has another car that was as much fun, looked as good or was as inspiring to drive at those X1/9s!
Ha...I'm on my 3rd in the USA 🇺🇸 😎 Cheers.
I had one although it was a great car it fell apart because of the rust devil. You can say it was a high maintenance car but went well when new.
Reminds me back when I would take my X 1-9 out for a drive with my friend who had a Triumph spitfire. Fiat was always stronger through the curves 😂
@@josephdonnelly3169 Plus the X1/9 was a real car. You could drive it in the rain and everything.
It didn't do too bad in snow also. The weight bias over the rear end help maintain traction.
Another gem of a car, clearly ahead of its time!
It's a design masterpiece.
This model, deserved to have a more distinctive name but even as X1/9, I would still love to have one in my garage!
This should be brought back ..20 years ahead of anything at it time . Love this .... Great job ...also 👏
I’m on my second X1/9, having sold my first to my brother. They very much make up for their lack of power by having superb handling and crisp, go kart steering. They are extremely good fun to drive. Thanks for the video!
Cool, thank you!!!
I have quoted the X19 as the best mid engined car of all time, people may scoff at the suggestion but hear this out first. It has probably the best practicality , with 2 luggage compartments , whereas other mid engined cars you barely could carry a toothbrush . Also it used standard production parts so it need not be exotic money to run . In that it was a brave car to put into production , because this was not a specialist manufacturer such as Lotus, Lamborghini or Ferrari, but one of the largest manufacturers in the world. Boy, did Fiat build a really good car. Here’s the icing on the cake. The Fiat X19 remains one of the best handling of all mid engined cars to this day. Because of the 70 series tyres , the cars break away into tail slides can be more progressive than those with the lower profile tyres of today, which admittedly have more initial roadholding but can be very vicious breakaway. A fantastic car make it be clear. Wish manufacturers would look at the Fiat as a template to produce small, compact sports cars today. Everything seems to get fatter, wider and overweight. Get video , Matteo
Thank you, and I’m inclined to agree with you about the X1/9: I can’t imagine of any other mid-engined car so well packaged and usable.
@@Matteo_Licata
Not even '88 Pontiac Fiero???
It took Pontiac until 1988 to get the Fiero right. With the 1.5 engine and 5 gear transmission the X 1/9 was a better handling car than even the '88 Fiero. However the Fiero had more power. Why did it take Pontiac so long to get the Fiero right? And then they ceased production.
I still have 2 of them. I LOVE driving the X1/9!
Cool 👍
That yellow Corsa model looks absolutely stunning! I had no idea there existed such version.
Me neither, until I saw the one I filmed. Took a while to find out what “Corsa” stood for in the X1/9 range, and I bet they didn’t sell many
I had an X1/9 Bertone. It was a 1977. It seems like fiats implode after 80 thousand miles. Not only did it have its' famous vapor lock, but the bad electronics, the head warped, in the winter the radiator froze, and the clutch went. I also had problems with the clutch hydraulics. It also rusts very easy. No matter what I did I could not keep the rust away. This car is only good for Sunday drives once a month. It was fun to drive when it was not in the shop.
I was at Technical School in Chicago & one of the class mates had this Fiat X 1/9. It was orange with a black interior. It looked really good. He was having problems with it idling & stalling. Soon after it was the last time I saw him in class. Still remember that car !
Oh man...it was my dream car.
Very interesting. I considered an X1/9 , decided to keep my 1974 124 spider. Thanks for your insight.
Keep up with the one off and unique content!
Thank you!!!!
Fiat X1/9, my first car. I had a silver one I drove around LA in the mid eighties listening to KROQ. Happy times.
That’s a cool first car if I’ve ever seen one! Definitely cooler than the one I had, which doesn’t spark any affection in me regardless of how much time passes…
The X1/9 had a big impact on my life, from when I was a child, around 10 years old. I had a Lamborghini Countach poster on the wall. I love mid-engine sports cars. I first learned about Triumph TR7 and fell in love with the wedge style when a local mechanic had one and parts car next to his shop for a long time. I wanted to buy it, but my mother wouldn't allow me. I was too young and didn't have a father. Later on, I learned about X1/9 thru magazine with Targa roof & wanted one when I turned 16 to get my driver’s license, but back in the 80's, they were hard to find in my state. Lucky me, I got a great deal for a Pontiac Fiero which I fell in love with it. Personally, I feel Pontiac Fiero is a step up from X1/9, being wider & more room inside, but X1/9 will always have a part in my long history of admiring mid-engine sports cars. I regretted trading it in... now, after some 25 years, I bought the best Pontiac Fiero GT with Lotus aspired suspension.
It’s sad that GM threw the towel so quickly on the Fiero. It was a concept that would have been great to see being developed into the 90s and beyond
@@Matteo_Licata
Yeah, Pontiac had a lot going for the second generation. The corvette feared that Fiero would put them out of business, which they were supposed to in the 90's.
For all FIVE years, Fiero made a profit and outsold MR2 & Corvette in double digits, even when marketing & advertisements were cut short for the last year, '88.
On GM proving ground, Chevy people found out that Pontiac put a V8 in a Fiero and it outran corvette. Even their V6 turbo outdid corvette. They whined to GM management. The Pontiac people were far in advanced when it comes to suspension design and I'm sure they took cues from Lotus and paid Porsche as consultant.
It took corvette people a long time to catch up in terms of suspension.
With C8 now out, you could see how they took a lot of cues from the Fiero program and even hired one of Fiero guys on the engineering team. The trunk in C8 and decklid looks very similar to Fiero style.
Anyhow, Fiero got its start by studying X1/9 and Ferrari 308, along with other sports cars of the 80's. I wish Fiero is wider at 75" with hips, like F355. That would be awesome. Even with its 69" wide, it's roomier than a lot of Ferrari cabins, including F355, thanks to X1/9. One of the GM's executive members, who was 6'4" tall, got stuck in a X1/9 and needed help to get out. They were showing X1/9 as an example at the beginning of Fiero program.
Hulki Aldikacti, father of the Fiero, made a note of it & told his team to make sure that interior space is roomy. That's why tall people had no problem sitting in a Fiero today.
I remember seeing an X19 at a show in the mid 1970s in Dunedin New Zealand. As a 5 year old I was blown away by the striking sharp lines, it was very different to my parents Corolla :). I would have to say it added to the Car bug that had already started to take hold of me. Thanks for a fabulous overview on a still stunning little car ! Cheers from Brisbane.
Cool, thank you for sharing this memory with me. Cheers from Turin!
Great car, and bold design, exactly what we need today from all the car companies that only produce home appliances.
Still a beauty after 50 years. The yellow Corsa is fine. Thx Matteo, another nice video.
Thank you!!!
My neighbour had the Bertone final production X1/9.Boy what I would have done for that car....still gorgeous now😍
I remember meeting someone who owned one such late X1/9 years ago, while I was driving my Spitfire. Hard to imagine both cars were on sale at the same time in the 70s, as the Triumph looked like a relic in comparison. A great looking relic, mind you, but a relic nonetheless 😆
To my simple mind, the 850 Spider is the very epitome of the small, light sporting roadster. As a Briton I ought to favour a Sprite or a Midget.... They are indeed lovely, but for me the 850 Spider is the perfect fusion of simplicity, low mass, modest power, engaging handling and uncomplicated style.
The X1/9 had a big task replacing the splendid 850. I think it did a wonderful job. It was flawed, but most cars are: It was not a full convertible, but in those days there were credible fears that federal laws would ban them. The engine had grown, but that was a time when engines were growing.
Despite these flaws and others, the X1/9 left a mark on the driving memories of many people.
Its eventual "heir", the Batchetta, somehow failed to be more than a Tipo with no roof. The 850 Spider and the X1/9 were both effortlessly Italian, sublimely chic and addictively intoxicating. Flawed and fabulous. Excellent video. Thanks.
interesting considerations
@@studiocalder818 Thank you. I may be wrong; I often am. But I mourn the recent (past 30 years+) absence of a truly light, low-powered sporting roadster. Smart tried and failed. The MX5 was never quite small or light enough. The Cappuccino came close, but was (bizarrely) physically too small to make an impact on the marketplace. I am not hopeful that there will be an 850 Spider or X1/9 heir.... The World wants.... Hyundai SUVs with 18" alloys and front wheel drive. 🤪😕😞
@@BanjoLuke1 Right
In the centers of Italian cities, which have narrow streets, those traveling toilets break all the sidewalks.
I think today a brand new small spider would only sell to nostalgics unfortunately
PS: In my opinion Barchetta didn't failed; it had a great success compared with the changed era
I agree with you! I had an 850 spider, English green color, and it was very lovely, it turned a lot of heads(girls) every time I drove it in town, in the USA. That was 1972...In 1984 I purchased a 1980 Triumph Spitfire, same color, I loved it as well..
Roger leloup...70s yoko tsuno...hq...this eas her car......fantastic.....thats why i love this car.....memories of my youth ...Reading the spirou journal....
I've always had soft spot for the X1/9 after a friend had one, what a fun car to drive.
Mille grazzie Signor. I love your commentary in English. Always well researched and beautifully presented facts. Well done! Best wishes Mike.
Thank you!!!
@@Matteo_Licata I have driven and owned many Italian cars. My petrol powered heart leis in Torino & Bologna.
The experiences have brought with them deep joy and a sense of accomplishment. Viva Automobili Italia!
That’s great to hear, hope you’ll enjoy the upcoming videos, and rest assured that I’ll keep focusing on Italian motoring stories
A little side note is that in 1968 the United States had proposed a 50 mph head-on collision standard and a 70 mph rollover, instead of the 30 mph standard head on impact and a 50 mph rollover. The x19 and the Mercedes 450 SEL sedan were the only vehicles that were designed to meet that "proposed" standard when released in the United States in 1974. It's the reason the pundits, at the time, complained that it weighed too much for a compact sports car. It was SAFE!
That’s something I didn’t know. Thank you for sharing! 👍
Thank you for this marvelous post - I have always loved the X1/9 - now I know why!
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you very much!
I loved mine. Huge fun and it flattered the driver. Get it into a tail-out on a wet surface and it was so easy to catch and drift. 😁
Which one was yours? 1300 or 1500?
@@Matteo_Licata 1500. Obviously it wasn't a fast car even if it felt fast. But I loved it. With the roof off I used to just jump in without opening the door. 😄
Happy times. 😊
I have another little Italian bundle of fun now. An Abarth 595 Trofeo. It also makes me smile a lot 🇮🇹 🇬🇧
Thank you. Love the evolution of Italian cars built with "passion," not simply the people haulers presently.
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you!!!
The best driven experience I ever had with pleasure in my life ❤️
Always proud to own five of them in 25 years just one of the best for ever x19 bertone fiat
With that top off and driving it on a sunny day- Wow. I bought two of them (Bertone) and never regretted it. Always felt like a baby Ferrari 328 to me. That X/19 was a genuine Italian beauty.
Thanks for remembering the anniversary. I still love driving my Father's 1987 model through the country lanes here in England. Thank you Nuccio!
Cool! I remember meeting the collector who owned a late X1/9 that had a few special details because it had been made for Bertone’s daughter’s 18th birthday. It was red with non-standard upholstery… And I wonder what happened to the car since then
@@Matteo_Licata Bertone's daughters who mismanaged the company and finished it off?
Funnily our X1/9 was a girls 18th present, we bought it at 3 years old with red nail varnish stains on the steering wheel!
Thank you Matteo for another outstanding video. buona giornata
Thank you!!!
I love your videos, but I think with the X1/9 you forget its big brother also designed and built by Bertone from 1976 to '79, the Lamborghini Silhouette. It deserves a mention I believe since the Lambo is so similar.
As an Italian/ American I owned many Alfa Romeo's and the X1/9 was the only Fiat I owned.. unfortunately it caught on fire 🔥 .. it handled great but was super slow.. the targa roof made it fun to forget how slow it was. I made a big mistake and went through an automatic car wash.. I got soaked with water!! Still I'll never forget it.. only paid $400 USA dollars for it .. it ran and drove.. until it's unfortunate death.. great video.. I miss it today..
Thank you for watching and for sharing these memories with the car 👍
@@Matteo_Licata it's a beautiful car.. I got it cheap because the owner needed a bigger car.. I'm 6'2" and still got in it.. I really wish I was over in Europe to enjoy the cars never imported to the USA. I'd love to have a Lotus Carlton.. funny that GM owned them back then. As I've committed before I love Alfa's.. and will hopefully enjoy my 86 Spider veloce.. for many years to come..
Love these, still regret not buying a mint 1 owner Bertone back in the early 90s.
In Brazil, that car was sold as "Corona Dardo", build to a coachbuilder named Toni Bianco, an italian that emigrated to South America. The mecanics were from a Fiat 147 - the brazilian version of the 127 - and was sold on Fiat dealerships. The chassis was made on fiberglass, and there were some 300 cars build between 1979 and 1985.
It's a rare and quite apreciated car.
I had no idea, thank you!
Still sexy in it's 50s , wish fiat still made cars like this
I still love these, and regret that I missed out on buying two of them
Was it on two separate occasions or were you actually offered two cars at the same time?
Believed to be very last made R/H drive fuel injected Bertone X1/9 ever built is currently for sale here in Australia.
Just checked it out. Looks like a really nice example and the price seems pretty reasonable too.
That’s interesting. Production in the late 80s was down to a trickle, and sometimes cars took until 1990 to sell out.
Quite a few made it to Australia, at 6'4" had to drive it with the roof off. Not straight line fast but super fun to drive.
Great video…. I bought a 1977MY X1/9 when I was only 18 years old in 1981…I really thought I was “chocolate” and mimicked Magnum PI… 😝 I later sold to buy a Matra Bagheera and then Lancia Montecarlo. This sweet and amazing sports car started my interest in mid-engined motoring rising thru Ferrari 308, 348 and 360, culminating in current McLaren 570 spider. I have very fond memories of trying to maintain my X1/9 and it still is a super looking car… 👍🏻
Wow, thank you for sharing your very cool and impressive car history 👍
I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
Great video and I always marvelled when I saw these sleek looking sports cars in the early eighties 👍
Thank you!!!
I have always loved this babe of a car, inside and out. It looks so committed, so perfect from every angle...
The MR-2 may have been a copy but the MX-5 was the spiritual successor. X1/9 is still the best looking.
Grazia questo. Greetings from South Africa
I had a 1976 and true it was under powered but the handling was spectacular and driving it was the most smiles per miles of any vehicle ever
Brilliant little car loved at birth and still remembered with affection, why on earth could Fiat management not be anything but enthusiastic about it? My aunt owned hers from new for 40 years! Incidentally a car passed me recently with the British private registration “ X 19 “ ……..it was on a Skoda!
Lovely cars - surely also the inspiration for the original Toyota MR2?
I’d say the MR2 was definitely inspired by the X1/9, as the similarity in concept is uncanny
Fabulous Car, I still have mine, 1984 VS great fun 🤩
Cool! The VS looks great!
I owned 3 of the 5 speed versions in my late teens/twenties they drove like a Ferrari !! Except brakes were awful and they broke down regularly but I adored them turned heads where ever I went !! UK was still making the spitfire from the 60s !
Great video…thank you! I owned a’76 in the late 80s-yellow👍 wish I had kept it…
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Another great video….thanks!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Had a 1.3 1977 version, lived it when it wasn’t in the shop.
Really like the look of the all silver model in this video.
My English Professor had a 1974. Damn, I'm starting to feel a little bit old - but still having fun!
Always wanted one, was in elementary school when they came out
Lovely car. The wheel designs on the X1/9 deserve a shoutout of their own, TBH. The rifled rims on the yellow Corsa edition are particularly cool!
Couldn't agree more! Those were an option from Bertone, and I bet they're quite rare now.
😊 I'm here because, it is the first time i've seen this 🇮🇹GEORGOUS Italian car in Nice ( France ). When i was young, i though this was an American car because we could watched it on American series.
Hi Matteo, many thanks for this insightful and informative video on the Fiat X1/9. It is hard to believe the design is half a century 'old' as it still looks so fresh and dynamic. As a testimony to its significance, both Toyota and GM have tried to make their own versions of the X1/9 in the MR2/MRS and Pontiac Fiero respectively. Neither, especially the Fiero, was executed with the same flair and lightness as the Bertone solution. I doubt if we'll see the likes of the X1/9, and the men that made it happen, again. Thanks again Matteo.
Thank you very much! Yes, the X1/9 has aged much better than similar cars made later, and that's what good design does: it retains its validity despite the passage of time...
I thought the Pontiac Fiero was a step up. All it needed was a more powerful engine, but GM won't allow it... because of stupid corvette.
Can you imagine in the 80s that an average person can say I have an Italian mid-engine Italian sports car, styled by the same guy who styled the Miura, and it only cost you a bag of chips
Great car and great video 👏
Thank you!
Great video
Thank you!!!
Fiat could have called it the Barchetta like the model from the mid nineties.
Pretty much any name would have been better than the anodyne, hard to pronounce project code they stuck with. Pity…
Thanks for this video and others. Definitively, I felt in love first time I saw this model, lately became a lover of all models created by Marcello Gandini.
One question: Do yo have some video about facility of Grugliasco ? (it appears at min 5:20)
I'm asking myself if it's the same where Pininfarina made some Alfas & Peugeot 406 Coupé some years after.
If not, what do you think about one historic video of this facility, where I've heard than in present time Stellantis is manufacturing modern Maseratis
Let's clarify things here: Grugliasco is a town right next to Turin, where Bertone and Pininfarina used to have production facilities. However, the Pininfarina and the Bertone factories were NOT the same. It's the Bertone one that then became a Maserati factory, but that's going to end soon too.
@@Matteo_Licata thanks fou your information. Pininfarina mounted his models in San Giorgio Canavese too ?
Anyone know where that museum is?
I do ;)
That's Turin's National Automobile Museum, in northwestern Italy. It's a rather pleasant place to visit. However, bear in mind that all those X1/9s were just there for the day: it was a club event and the cars belong to their respective private owners.
@@Matteo_Licata That's great, thank you:)
Still a nice car
I’ve never owned an X/19, but I’ve always consider them beautiful cars!
I still have my 1986 that I bought new in Northern Virginia. One day I plan on driving it to the Bertone factory. Right now it is parked in Germany so most of the way there.
That's cool! Speaking of the former Bertone factory, which has been building Maseratis since 2013 following a long hiatus, its fate is sealed: production is being transferred to the Fiat Mirafiori plant, and the site will be abandoned for good in 2024.
Hurry up they might knock it down
Brilliant Matteo
Thank you!
Fantastico grazie
thank you
The x 1/9 can easily be converted to a Honda K20/24 engine with more than 200 HP. There are conversion kits available. I would love to build one!
That sounds like a great plan indeed 👍
I looked into that swap because the K20 is such a good motor.
But it will never sound right in an X1/9 imo.
Btw 180 bhp is possible from the sohc using the later pattern 1600 Tipo motor as the base.
I had low mileage 1977 in 1977 and then a brand new one in 1979 with compomotive 3 piece rims with pirellis on it. The car was incredible. The only thing was it was underpowered. But on the back roads I remember being able to nearly touch a 911s rear grill coming out of the esses only to lose 10 car lengths on any straight away. But after a few turns I could be back on its bumper. The handling was incredible but the lack of power had me beating on the steering wheel.
I can imagine that! That’s why people have been stuffing larger engines into X1/9s since forever, and keep doing so today, with even Honda K20 swap kits now available. However, it’s a pity that Fiat’s disinterest for the car meant no effort was done to give it more power right out of the box.
@@Matteo_Licata . I agree. I could catch almost any car in the turns only to watch them drive away on the straights. I wish they had made it a little larger and stuffed something like the Alfa V6 in it at the factory. Otherwise the handling was incredibly predictable. At the same time my dad had a Lancia beta coupe. Another great handling car. But very heavy and I think it had a Fiat 1.8 liter. Incredibly underpowered. We had a 124 and a 128 and eventually I drove a 131 Brava. That was the era of Fiats in America. Then poof they were gone.
I had a 75 X 1/9 ....FIAT would be smart to bring it back. Modernized yet retro. They'd sell millions of them
6:35 Headlights from the 127?
Well spotted 👍
Beautiful cars, I would own 10 of them if I could
Bayless Racing offered many performance parts for the X1/9,,,,,,,,,,,Including a Twin Can conversion, from a 124 Spyder
I remember the nightmare while i was line tech 1978 at Fiat dealer and replacing my first water pump on a a/c equipped 75 X1/9 you were better off pulling the cylinder head to do the job pump back then it was like $800.00 just for the part and like 12 hours labor. Great design Fiat
Before the mid-engined layout was chosen, was a front-engined layout ever looked at during its development?
As far as I know, not by Bertone. Nuccio was hell-bent on the mid-engine format, and rightfully so, as we can see.
Dove si trova il museo visto nel video?
Si tratta del Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile a Torino. Però tutte quelle X1/9 si trovavano lì solo il giorno in cui le ho filmate, esposte dall'X1/9 Club Italia
Almost bought one... Didn't fit in it with the roofpanel in place... 😒
Just like Tom Selleck with the Ferrari 308 :) What a pity though. What did you get instead?
I'm guessing you're well over 6' in which case I'm surprised you even tried getting in!
I'm 6' and I found the interior cramped and claustrophobic.
The area around the shifter/ steering wheel/ knee joint/ centre console was particularly annoying.
But the pedal box is good, relative to the steering wheel and shifter.
I modified the steering column, centre console, steering wheel, and shifter on mine and fitted Tillett carbon seats from the Lotus Elise Cup.
I still find it a bit awkward getting in and out with the roof on but once inside it feels nice and roomy.
Some of the instruments will be obscured no matter what you do!
I missed my 1978 Bertone Fiat X 1/9
192 hp from a naturally aspirated 1.3? Wow, it's still an impressive figure by today's standards.
Well, it’s understandable, given it was a race engine, with no holds barred: 16v head, dry sump etc. Only the block remained stock
❤ Fiat X1/9 ❤
Was a gorgeous cool little sports car but back then FIAT stood for "fix it again Tony" for a reason. The Alfa Romeo Giulia on the other hand is an excellent, reliable, beautifully elegant, well built, high quality, high performance compact sports sedan the Germans cannot match.
They kept the prototype X denomination because the X1/9 greatly fitted the futuristic styling. Spaceship X 1/9.
Nicknamed First of September, in Sweden…
Eheheh, that's cool!
Nice car.
It sure is!
I had this little green with same sticker for 42 years ago.
I have had 7 of them! (from the 1300cc versions, the 1500, and later the Bertone's) If the updated version had had something like the twin cam that Abarth had used the car would have been the equal of many much more expensive cars and the grotesquely ugly MR2 would have been marginalized. At one time I had all the fiberglass body panels pulled directly from a Dallara (Bayless) But never mounted them. If I could have only one car, it would have to be a Stratos but next would be the Dallara.
Wow, seven examples! That's true love indeed. I agree, the X1/9 should have gotten better engines and proper development, and it's a pity Fiat didn't invest on it properly
😘😘😍😎😎
If only it had twin cam engine to back up its appearance.
Imagine a small great handling car to transport 2 people and plenty of grocery space .
Unfortunately we love huge SUVs and guzzling gas and polluting. Driving thus car must be scarey when you driving next to huge pickups and SUVs
Looks like the Triumph TR7 !
The same way I look like Brad Pitt. We both are male and have the same number of limbs, but the execution is rather different 😊
@@Matteo_Licata Ha ha !! Love it ! This is why I love your channel !
@@Matteo_Licata
WRONG! The fact they both have the WEDGE style. You don't look like Brad Pitt at all. LOL Oh please!
If you rounded its corners, you would have a Buick Reatta.
That one was a nice looking car too!
But.. but.. but.. but.. the red one with no roll hoop...???
That's a rather obscure prototype made by Bertone experimenting with a different roof design... But very little is known about it, and the idea didn't look all that brilliant, to be honest!
@@Matteo_Licata thanks you, I totally agree with you. I owned a blue Bertone Gran Finale edition 20yrs ago. It was so much fun 😁
Great styling. Gutless.
I may have just pressed the thumbs down by mistake. Apologies. Aimed for up. I will buy new glasses tomorrow.
No problem Paul 👍
Il bambino 308
There could have been a Dallara X1/9 Superleggiera with 160 Hp Formula 3 engine and Aluminium body ! Bye bye Lotus Esprit !
great looking car, but wow, 12 sec to 60? My camper van does better.
Cars were slower in the 70s… As they say, the past is a different country!