Fiat X 1/9 Five Speed - wedge time for the young and young at heart

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Fiat X 1/9 Five Speed - wedge time for the young and young at heart

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Created on February 27, 2019

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

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Fiat

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Archiv Zwischengas

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Archiv Bertone

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - a wedge of a sports car

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - from 1978 the car was available with five gears

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - less than four meters long and less than 1.6 meters wide

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - flat and open at the top thanks to the Targa roof

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - Folding headlights were "en vogue" in the seventies

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - the engine is above the rear axle

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - the roll bar is integrated into the body line

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - what was called a "safety convertible" at the time

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - the American-style bumpers were added in 1978, but they hardly detract from the appearance

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - lots of plastic in the interior

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - the steering wheel is reminiscent of the Lamborghini Marzal

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - easy-to-read instruments when not covered by the steering wheel rim

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - in the middle the fuel gauge, a former owner still noted the tire pressures

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - Speedometer up to 200 km/h

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - inverted rev counter

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - Interior looks appealing, but the seats were sweaty

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - Mixed construction - artificial leather meets fabric on the seats

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - Buttons from the Fiat Ritmo - not everyone liked them

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - Panasonic radio from the period

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - Digital clock - that was modern back then

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - not original - but almost all owners changed the gear knob, which looked like a popsicle stick

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - there is still room for a trunk behind the transversely mounted engine

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - Engine, clutch and gearbox are positioned axially one behind the other

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - the 1.5-liter engine comes from the Fiat Ritmo

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - here the clothes stay nice and warm

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - Fiat sign on the nose

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - American-style bumpers

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - fitted alloy wheels, steel wheels were standard

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - there is a second (larger) trunk at the front

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - these door openers were also available on the Stratos and the Ferrari Dino 308 GT4

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - designed and built by Bertone

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - the tank is behind the driver and is filled behind the roll bar

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - the Fiat badge of the time

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - the number of gears became an additional type designation

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Autobianchi Runabout (1969) - cross-sectional drawing of the interesting mid-engined two-seater

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Fiat X 1/9 (1974) - on the road on mountain roads with the targa roof open

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Fiat X 1/9 (1974) - together with various derivatives of the Fiat 128

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Fiat X 1/9 (1973) - wedge-shaped and two-seater

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Fiat X 1/9 (1973) - Transparency drawing

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Fiat X 1/9 (1973) - production at Bertone

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Fiat X 1/9 (1973) - at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show

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Bertone (1974) - Advertising from 1974 - Fiat X 1/9

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Fiat X 1/9 (1973) - the wedge-shaped front end

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Fiat X 1/9 (1973) - the Gandini design on the Bertone stand at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show

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Fiat X 1/9 (1973) - World premiere of the Targa sports car developed by Bertone - at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show

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Fiat X 1/9 (1973) - with folding headlights

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Fiat X 1/9 (1973) - Front and rear lamps

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Fiat X 1/9 (1973) - a wedge from Bertone

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Fiat X 1/9 exclusive (1976) - in the advertisement - pretty exclusive

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Fiat X 1/9 (1976) - Special model "Exclusiv"

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Fiat X 1/9 (1976) - "speciale" series, a special model from Bertone

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Fiat X 1/9 (1976) - "speciale" series by Bertone

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Fiat X 1/9 (1976) - Interior of the mid-engined sports car built by Bertone

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Fiat X 1/9 (1972) - the wedge from Bertone

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Fiat X 1/9 (1974) - with chains in the snow

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Fiat X 1/9 (1976) - "Special" model - with extended headlights

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Fiat X 1/9 (1972) - wedge-shaped and with folding headlights - obeying the fashion of the time

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Fiat X 1/9 (1976) - "Special" model with striped interior

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Fiat X 1/9 (1976) - "Special" model - front and rear luggage compartment

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Fiat X 1/9 (1978) - coarser bumpers and larger engine, presented at the 1st Birmingham Motor Show

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Fiat X 1/9 (1980) - modified second series of the Fiat mid-engined sports car

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Fiat X 1/9 (1980) - from the work of Bertone

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - with US-compatible bumpers

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Fiat X 1/9 (1979) - the cockpit with the unloved gearshift handle

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Autobianchi Runabout (1969) - Bertone prototype and forerunner of the Fiat X 1/9 - Auto e Moto d'Epoca 2018

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Summary

At the end of 1972, Fiat presented a new sports car called the X 1/9, which was clearly different from the competition: it had two seats, a wedge shape and a mid-engine. And it was considerably cheaper than it looked. No wonder it became the dream of many young and young-at-heart. This did not change when it was given a more powerful engine and stronger bumpers after seven years. It was built for almost 18 years. It is still attractive today. This driving report tells the story of the Fiat X 1/9, showing it in current and historical pictures as well as in the sales brochure from back then. And of course you can also hear it.

This article contains the following chapters

Bertone, Autobianchi, Fiat
Not a platform car
Amazingly practical
From 1976 exclusively
Facelift in 1978
On a par with the competition
Bertone without Fiat
Compact and agile
Further information

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Two-seater, wedge-shaped, flat, looking like a Lamborghini from the front - this is how one imagines expensive super sports cars. The fact that Fiat presented a sports car suitable for everyday use with these characteristics at the lowest end of the five-digit price spectrum at the beginning of the 1970s must therefore come as a surprise. As early as autumn 1969, Bertone presented a study that the press described as "breathtaking": "The rocket-like looking spider called Runabout Barchetta has the engine of the front-wheel drive Autobianchi A 112 in the rear and features colorful striped upholstery and headrests. The headlights on this extremely futuristic-looking vehicle in white and red are set into the outside of the roll bar!"

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