50 Years Young: The Striking Fiat X1/9 Bertone

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  • Опубліковано 17 лип 2022
  • Contrary to most Fiat models, the X1/9 proved much more popular abroad than it ever was in its native country, with the USA becoming the model's largest market as soon as exports there started in 1974. Here's the story of the X1/9, the striking mid-engined sports car that Fiat nearly didn't make...
    #history #fiat #bertone
    My articles on Medium: / membership
    My automotive books:
    Lancia Gamma Berlina & Coupé 1976 - 1984
    www.amazon.com/dp/B09TN45L8Q
    Six Appeal - The Story Of The Alfa 6
    www.amazon.com/dp/1793931046
    Alfa Romeo Giulietta - The Story 1977 - 1985
    ENGLISH: www.amazon.com/dp/1983393746
    ITALIAN: www.amazon.it/dp/B098GVJ7RK
    Alfa Romeo Arna - The Full Story 1980 - 1987 www.amazon.com/dp/1656632500
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 178

  • @brunotulliani
    @brunotulliani Рік тому +6

    Boy that Dallara looked mighty fine! Thank-you.

  • @zeon5323
    @zeon5323 Рік тому +41

    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!

    • @joeontheroad1736
      @joeontheroad1736 Рік тому +2

      Ha...I'm on my 3rd in the USA 🇺🇸 😎 Cheers.

    • @lsmith6378
      @lsmith6378 Рік тому

      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.

    • @josephdonnelly3169
      @josephdonnelly3169 Рік тому +1

      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 😂

    • @zeon5323
      @zeon5323 Рік тому +1

      @@josephdonnelly3169 Plus the X1/9 was a real car. You could drive it in the rain and everything.

    • @earlburns4431
      @earlburns4431 Місяць тому

      It didn't do too bad in snow also. The weight bias over the rear end help maintain traction.

  • @through_changes
    @through_changes Рік тому +23

    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!

  • @martinclapton2724
    @martinclapton2724 Рік тому +16

    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

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +2

      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.

    • @vice4134
      @vice4134 Рік тому

      @@Matteo_Licata
      Not even '88 Pontiac Fiero???

    • @earlburns4431
      @earlburns4431 Місяць тому

      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.

  • @ingvarhallstrom2306
    @ingvarhallstrom2306 Рік тому +19

    That yellow Corsa model looks absolutely stunning! I had no idea there existed such version.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +4

      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

  • @alastairwatson3201
    @alastairwatson3201 Рік тому +24

    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!

  • @michaelcroos4713
    @michaelcroos4713 Рік тому +5

    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
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      That’s something I didn’t know. Thank you for sharing! 👍

  • @pedrodelagarza2286
    @pedrodelagarza2286 Рік тому +10

    Great car, and bold design, exactly what we need today from all the car companies that only produce home appliances.

  • @rabit818
    @rabit818 Рік тому +4

    Fiat X1/9, my first car. I had a silver one I drove around LA in the mid eighties listening to KROQ. Happy times.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      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…

  • @Irishlen64
    @Irishlen64 Рік тому +2

    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.

  • @BanjoLuke1
    @BanjoLuke1 Рік тому +9

    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
      @studiocalder818 Рік тому

      interesting considerations

    • @BanjoLuke1
      @BanjoLuke1 Рік тому +2

      @@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. 🤪😕😞

    • @studiocalder818
      @studiocalder818 Рік тому +2

      @@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

    • @carmelociro8355
      @carmelociro8355 Рік тому

      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..

  • @ag4allgood
    @ag4allgood Рік тому +3

    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 !

  • @paullacey2999
    @paullacey2999 Рік тому +6

    My neighbour had the Bertone final production X1/9.Boy what I would have done for that car....still gorgeous now😍

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому

      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 😆

  • @MrLive2win
    @MrLive2win 2 місяці тому +1

    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.

  • @reitsmaassociates
    @reitsmaassociates Рік тому +8

    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.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      Cool, thank you for sharing this memory with me. Cheers from Turin!

  • @stevephillips8719
    @stevephillips8719 Рік тому +2

    I still have 2 of them. I LOVE driving the X1/9!

  • @oliveroneill1388
    @oliveroneill1388 Рік тому +4

    This should be brought back ..20 years ahead of anything at it time . Love this .... Great job ...also 👏

  • @javierportillo7054
    @javierportillo7054 Рік тому +3

    The best driven experience I ever had with pleasure in my life ❤️

    • @javierportillo7054
      @javierportillo7054 Рік тому

      Always proud to own five of them in 25 years just one of the best for ever x19 bertone fiat

  • @dortkommendieclowns1474
    @dortkommendieclowns1474 Рік тому +3

    I've always had soft spot for the X1/9 after a friend had one, what a fun car to drive.

  • @Steve-gc5nt
    @Steve-gc5nt Рік тому +8

    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. 😁

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      Which one was yours? 1300 or 1500?

    • @Steve-gc5nt
      @Steve-gc5nt Рік тому +1

      @@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 🇮🇹 🇬🇧

  • @kadran3263
    @kadran3263 Рік тому +3

    The MR-2 may have been a copy but the MX-5 was the spiritual successor. X1/9 is still the best looking.

  • @vice4134
    @vice4134 Рік тому +2

    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
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      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

    • @vice4134
      @vice4134 Рік тому

      ​@@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.

  • @zoomboy57
    @zoomboy57 Місяць тому +1

    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

  • @joaoguimaraes4993
    @joaoguimaraes4993 Рік тому +2

    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....

  • @cancracker
    @cancracker Рік тому +5

    Fiat could have called it the Barchetta like the model from the mid nineties.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому

      Pretty much any name would have been better than the anodyne, hard to pronounce project code they stuck with. Pity…

  • @arth3313
    @arth3313 Рік тому +5

    Keep up with the one off and unique content!

  • @rossmorgan9974
    @rossmorgan9974 Рік тому +2

    Still sexy in it's 50s , wish fiat still made cars like this

  • @northstar5405
    @northstar5405 Рік тому +2

    Oh man...it was my dream car.

  • @mikesage9544
    @mikesage9544 Рік тому +6

    Mille grazzie Signor. I love your commentary in English. Always well researched and beautifully presented facts. Well done! Best wishes Mike.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому

      Thank you!!!

    • @mikesage9544
      @mikesage9544 Рік тому +1

      @@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!

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      That’s great to hear, hope you’ll enjoy the upcoming videos, and rest assured that I’ll keep focusing on Italian motoring stories

  • @Pat_RickX
    @Pat_RickX Рік тому +3

    Still a beauty after 50 years. The yellow Corsa is fine. Thx Matteo, another nice video.

  • @nrs6956
    @nrs6956 Рік тому +3

    Thank you. Love the evolution of Italian cars built with "passion," not simply the people haulers presently.

  • @ke6319
    @ke6319 Рік тому +2

    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

  • @CathodeRayNipplez
    @CathodeRayNipplez Рік тому +8

    Believed to be very last made R/H drive fuel injected Bertone X1/9 ever built is currently for sale here in Australia.

    • @downesy68
      @downesy68 Рік тому +1

      Just checked it out. Looks like a really nice example and the price seems pretty reasonable too.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +4

      That’s interesting. Production in the late 80s was down to a trickle, and sometimes cars took until 1990 to sell out.

  • @ShaunHensley
    @ShaunHensley Рік тому +1

    Always wanted one, was in elementary school when they came out

  • @des9655
    @des9655 Рік тому +2

    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
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      Thank you for watching and for sharing these memories with the car 👍

    • @des9655
      @des9655 Рік тому

      @@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..

  • @aldostefanini1392
    @aldostefanini1392 Рік тому +1

    Grazia questo. Greetings from South Africa

  • @Speeder76
    @Speeder76 Рік тому +2

    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.

  • @appie1full
    @appie1full Рік тому +4

    Still a nice car

  • @MicrobyteAlan
    @MicrobyteAlan Рік тому +2

    Very interesting. I considered an X1/9 , decided to keep my 1974 124 spider. Thanks for your insight.

  • @richfixescars
    @richfixescars Рік тому +2

    Thanks for remembering the anniversary. I still love driving my Father's 1987 model through the country lanes here in England. Thank you Nuccio!

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      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

    • @richfixescars
      @richfixescars Рік тому

      @@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!

  • @rustybearden1800
    @rustybearden1800 Рік тому +2

    Thank you for this marvelous post - I have always loved the X1/9 - now I know why!

  • @michaelmccann8039
    @michaelmccann8039 Рік тому +2

    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 !

  • @RobinCapper
    @RobinCapper Рік тому +2

    Love these, still regret not buying a mint 1 owner Bertone back in the early 90s.

  • @rolanddavis6935
    @rolanddavis6935 Рік тому +1

    Fabulous Car, I still have mine, 1984 VS great fun 🤩

  • @arthuralford
    @arthuralford Рік тому +2

    I still love these, and regret that I missed out on buying two of them

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому

      Was it on two separate occasions or were you actually offered two cars at the same time?

  • @jayartz8562
    @jayartz8562 Рік тому +3

    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.

  • @lynnhooley7608
    @lynnhooley7608 Рік тому +2

    Thank you Matteo for another outstanding video. buona giornata

  • @simonhodgetts6530
    @simonhodgetts6530 Рік тому +4

    Lovely cars - surely also the inspiration for the original Toyota MR2?

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      I’d say the MR2 was definitely inspired by the X1/9, as the similarity in concept is uncanny

  • @winstonblackman9047
    @winstonblackman9047 Рік тому +1

    I have always loved this babe of a car, inside and out. It looks so committed, so perfect from every angle...

  • @Stratoszero
    @Stratoszero Рік тому +1

    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!

  • @Texmotodad
    @Texmotodad Рік тому +1

    My English Professor had a 1974. Damn, I'm starting to feel a little bit old - but still having fun!

  • @humanistology
    @humanistology 6 місяців тому +1

    Great video…thank you! I owned a’76 in the late 80s-yellow👍 wish I had kept it…

  • @tonyadams6375
    @tonyadams6375 Рік тому

    I’ve never owned an X/19, but I’ve always consider them beautiful cars!

  • @hglimshire8356
    @hglimshire8356 Місяць тому +1

    I had a 75 X 1/9 ....FIAT would be smart to bring it back. Modernized yet retro. They'd sell millions of them

  • @alister_grigg
    @alister_grigg Рік тому +1

    Another great video….thanks!

  • @davidpeters6536
    @davidpeters6536 Рік тому +1

    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.

  • @inverlane1939
    @inverlane1939 Рік тому +1

    Great video and I always marvelled when I saw these sleek looking sports cars in the early eighties 👍

  • @GForceVRX
    @GForceVRX Рік тому +1

    Beautiful cars, I would own 10 of them if I could

  • @x19guy
    @x19guy Рік тому +1

    Great video

  • @Juani_lol
    @Juani_lol Рік тому +1

    Great car and great video 👏

  • @robertmenghini.lowbournecl8531

    Fantastico grazie

  • @SmallBlogV8
    @SmallBlogV8 Рік тому +1

    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!

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      Couldn't agree more! Those were an option from Bertone, and I bet they're quite rare now.

  • @josephdonnelly3169
    @josephdonnelly3169 Рік тому

    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.

  • @eleftheriosmerkouropoulos1549
    @eleftheriosmerkouropoulos1549 Рік тому +1

    thank you

  • @djdigital3806
    @djdigital3806 Рік тому

    I missed my 1978 Bertone Fiat X 1/9

  • @robertbuss
    @robertbuss Рік тому +1

    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.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      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.

    • @frostyfrost4094
      @frostyfrost4094 Рік тому

      Hurry up they might knock it down

  • @JK061996
    @JK061996 Рік тому +1

    192 hp from a naturally aspirated 1.3? Wow, it's still an impressive figure by today's standards.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +2

      Well, it’s understandable, given it was a race engine, with no holds barred: 16v head, dry sump etc. Only the block remained stock

  • @sainta2667
    @sainta2667 Рік тому +1

    Brilliant Matteo

  • @michaelbutler8296
    @michaelbutler8296 Рік тому +1

    Bayless Racing offered many performance parts for the X1/9,,,,,,,,,,,Including a Twin Can conversion, from a 124 Spyder

  • @PPetty
    @PPetty 6 місяців тому +1

    ❤ Fiat X1/9 ❤

  • @LeeJcc
    @LeeJcc Рік тому +3

    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.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      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...

    • @vice4134
      @vice4134 Рік тому +1

      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.

  • @DooWops4U2
    @DooWops4U2 Рік тому

    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

  • @bertone83
    @bertone83 Рік тому +2

    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!

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      That sounds like a great plan indeed 👍

    • @markbowden7238
      @markbowden7238 Рік тому +1

      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.

  • @mikemccormick8115
    @mikemccormick8115 Рік тому

    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.

  • @jordiperez2519
    @jordiperez2519 Рік тому

    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

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      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.

    • @jordiperez2519
      @jordiperez2519 Рік тому

      @@Matteo_Licata thanks fou your information. Pininfarina mounted his models in San Giorgio Canavese too ?

  • @billyrayvalentine7972
    @billyrayvalentine7972 Рік тому +1

    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.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому

      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.

    • @billyrayvalentine7972
      @billyrayvalentine7972 Рік тому +1

      @@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.

  • @ThomasD1962
    @ThomasD1962 Рік тому +3

    Almost bought one... Didn't fit in it with the roofpanel in place... 😒

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому

      Just like Tom Selleck with the Ferrari 308 :) What a pity though. What did you get instead?

    • @markbowden7238
      @markbowden7238 Рік тому +1

      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!

  • @juancarlosmuchogusto3717
    @juancarlosmuchogusto3717 Рік тому

    Dove si trova il museo visto nel video?

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому

      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

  • @ofirs5830
    @ofirs5830 Рік тому +2

    6:35 Headlights from the 127?

  • @wickiezulu
    @wickiezulu Рік тому +1

    Before the mid-engined layout was chosen, was a front-engined layout ever looked at during its development?

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +2

      As far as I know, not by Bertone. Nuccio was hell-bent on the mid-engine format, and rightfully so, as we can see.

  • @chrislox1
    @chrislox1 Рік тому +1

    Anyone know where that museum is?

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +5

      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.

    • @chrislox1
      @chrislox1 Рік тому

      @@Matteo_Licata That's great, thank you:)

  • @robertos4172
    @robertos4172 Рік тому +1

    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.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      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

  • @pisitumporn3851
    @pisitumporn3851 Рік тому

    Nice car.

  • @anderslarsson6149
    @anderslarsson6149 Рік тому +2

    Nicknamed First of September, in Sweden…

  • @acecarrera1
    @acecarrera1 9 місяців тому +1

    If only it had twin cam engine to back up its appearance.

  • @raufsahin334
    @raufsahin334 Рік тому +3

    😘😘😍😎😎

  • @paulrobinson3649
    @paulrobinson3649 Рік тому +3

    I may have just pressed the thumbs down by mistake. Apologies. Aimed for up. I will buy new glasses tomorrow.

  • @sharksport01
    @sharksport01 Рік тому

    If you rounded its corners, you would have a Buick Reatta.

  • @recyclespinning9839
    @recyclespinning9839 Рік тому

    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

  • @caribman10
    @caribman10 Рік тому

    Great styling. Gutless.

  • @malcolmhardwick4258
    @malcolmhardwick4258 Рік тому +1

    Looks like the Triumph TR7 !

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому

      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 😊

    • @malcolmhardwick4258
      @malcolmhardwick4258 Рік тому

      @@Matteo_Licata Ha ha !! Love it ! This is why I love your channel !

    • @vice4134
      @vice4134 Рік тому

      @@Matteo_Licata
      WRONG! The fact they both have the WEDGE style. You don't look like Brad Pitt at all. LOL Oh please!

  • @jaygill5582
    @jaygill5582 Рік тому +1

    Il bambino 308

  • @alexandermathar7780
    @alexandermathar7780 10 місяців тому +1

    There could have been a Dallara X1/9 Superleggiera with 160 Hp Formula 3 engine and Aluminium body ! Bye bye Lotus Esprit !

  • @get71grip
    @get71grip Рік тому

    But.. but.. but.. but.. the red one with no roll hoop...???

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      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!

    • @get71grip
      @get71grip Рік тому

      @@Matteo_Licata thanks you, I totally agree with you. I owned a blue Bertone Gran Finale edition 20yrs ago. It was so much fun 😁

  • @NullStaticVoid
    @NullStaticVoid Рік тому

    great looking car, but wow, 12 sec to 60? My camper van does better.

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому +1

      Cars were slower in the 70s… As they say, the past is a different country!

  • @jonathancollard3710
    @jonathancollard3710 Рік тому +1

    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… 👍🏻

    • @Matteo_Licata
      @Matteo_Licata  Рік тому

      Wow, thank you for sharing your very cool and impressive car history 👍
      I’m glad you enjoyed the video!

  • @pierrepinson2906
    @pierrepinson2906 Рік тому +1

    😊 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.