The Fiat X1/9 is a Stunning, Gandini-Styled, Mid-Engined Italian Sports Car

[@billyrayvalentine7972]

I had a 1977 and a brand new 1979. We went to the drive in and I had a Keg and ice in the front trunk. The front of the car frosted up. This is just one of a million X1/9 stories I have

[@kellyanderson7115]

Yep beer in the front trunk. I did that one too.

[@Itsme-vo4fx]

I purchased the first Fiat X1/9 sold in Canada. I saw it at the Montréal Auto-Show. I remember asking the salesman how much it cost and him saying “I don’t know, it’s not for sale. We are simply showing it at the various auto-shows across Canada to attract people to the Fiat area of the shows”. I, then, insisted by saying “I’m interested in buying the car, so give me a price”. The salesman then called his boss at the dealership he worked. His boss made up a price, thinking it would satisfy me and I would leave. However, I told him to write up the invoice, “I’m buying the car”. He replied with “I have good news and bad news”. The good news was he would write up the invoice. The bad news was that I couldn’t get the car until it had finished showing at all the auto-shows across Canada. About a month afterwards I got the call that the car had arrived at my local Fia dealership. When I arrived at the dealership he, again, said “I have good news and bad news”. The good news was that I could pickup the car the following morning. The bad news was that they had made a mistake in guessing at the price and that the price was more then what was given me. I responded by saying that I had two things in my favor. One a signed contract in the amount originally quoted and two, I also have a good lawyer. I picked up the car the next morning at the original quoted price. Heads turned when I drove by with some actually stopping me to ask about this great, cool looking car they had never seen.

[@rajbbhatt]

Legend

[@Americathebeautiful49]

I would love to hear more details. What year was this? I ordered mine at the Lamborghini dealership in Beverly Hills. Apparently there was one person ahead of me on the list. They said it was Yves Saint Laurent. Why he was taking delivery in California I don’t know but I drove away with a lime green (Muira ) colour version in 1974.

[@Itsme-vo4fx]

@@Americathebeautiful49: Google 1972 Fiat X 1/9 for full details. Mine had a brown exterior and light tan interior with aftermarket mag wheels. My dealer was in Montreal, Quebec.

[@philip4846]

I have an X19 that I fitted with a Honda b16a 1600 160 hp engine. The performance is amazing. The fun incredible. I also have a modern more powerful sports car, but the X19 is so much more fun. The astonishment of people when I take them for a spin is great to watch. More fun than you can imagine. I have been offered car swaps and name your price but I could not part with so much fun.

[@bernardscheidle5679]

A friend had a Fiat X1-9 in 1972. It overheated one day, so we opened the engine lid behind the rear window, and we took snow from the ground and packed it on top of the radiator. It cooled enough eventually so we could get home. It was a nice early spring day but there was still some snow on the ground. Chester County, outside Philadelphia, beautiful country to sit by the side of the road.

[@dkblue941]

Is nobody gonna talk about how incredible the engine sounds? It's music to the ears, 9:37 - 9:55 is just perfect, this is my favourite engine sound ever. Sounds better than any Ferrari or Lamborghini or any other sports car if you ask me 🤷‍♂️ It's loud, but not too loud, it's so delicate and beautiful sounding, it really matches the car. What a brilliant engine, like the guy said.

[@BEasay]

Agreed!

[@markwoodland3313]

My friend who has sadly passed away owned an X19, one of the funniest things I remember happening was we were out late one evening blasting around the B roads of Worcestershire and he put the headlights on when all of a sudden they started working alternatively almost looking like they were winking 😂😂 this has brought back some great memories of my friend Wayne so I can't thank you enough for giving my memories back of him and that days little blast around ❤❤

[@gusrojas2219]

My father gifted me a 1975 x 1/9 I think in 1977. Black exterior dark red interior the best driving car ever includes long road trips. Thank you for the video brings back many memories and emotions.

[@michalj7417]

absolutely a car to fall in love on 1st look, i like all the small italian cars and i like to own this X1/9 in future

[@jonathancollard3710]

My first sports car, aged 18 in 1982. Wham!, bam, thank you ma’am … I loved it. Insurance cost me approx 40% cost of car 🙄. For sure, mine at MY1977 was getting rusty already, but I got it all fixed and resprayed. Usual Italian electrics 🥺 but wow was I a happy bunny. The original 3 spoke alloys worked very well. Started my petrol head journey into Matra Bagheera and then Lancia Montecarlo ( which was initially supposed be a big brother to the X1/9) …. No wonder my fingernails were permanently dirty 🤔. Now have McLaren, Ferrari and Lotus but would willing get back into one of these and feel just as happy. 😝

[@mrradman2986]

Back in 1986 I needed a replacement for my Lancia Beta Coupe which suffered an unfortunate demise. The local Fiat Dealer had a Gran Finale in the showroom in metallic red. I thought it was a little over my budget but they were willing to deal and it was mine. 36 years later it is still in my garage. The issue with the gears is partly due to the linkage connecting the rod into the box. It incorporates two round plates separated by a rubber disc to cushion vibration but over time the rubber degrades leading to excessive slop in the movement leading to difficulty engaging gears. It is quick and cheap to replace however.

[@darren1naudi]

I watched this video in two sessions. In the first I watched the first 18 minutes. Now as I type this comment at I'm watching the remaining part. In the few days between the two I got a Bertone version and so wasn't even planning to get one. Young Sir this is how good you are at what you do on KZbin. The simplicity in which your videos are made put you right at the very top of all in this genre of content all over the internet. ReminDr me of the first couple of seasons of Wheeler Dealers, when it was still so simple , no frills program and yet the best reasons ever of the entire series.

[@simonread5966]

I’ve had four of these, absolutely love them, such a shame the Italians couldn’t rust proof a car in the 70’s & 80’s. Quote from Motor Magazine in period “the car is so agile, like a new pair of Nikes. This isn’t driving, it’s liberation on wheels “ ❤️

[@me-gb2wp]

honking rubbish

[@philhawley1219]

So was my Alfa Sud. Haha!

[@markmcgrail697]

I also loved my 1981 X1/9. If you turned the radio off, you could hear it rusting.

[@stephenbrookes7268]

They were designed with an annual built in power to weight ratio increase.

[@mikegriffin8403]

Car & Driver's review compared the X1/9 to an orgasmtron.

[@RS-km7ro]

I bought my used '78 X 1/9 for my 17th birthday, and still have it. It's been sitting for a bit so time for a full restoration next year! Can't wait to drive it again :)

[@KiwiStag74]

I have always been a great fan of the X/1.9. One of our local Auckland radio stations was giving a brand new one away back in 1979 and I had a beautiful 1/18th die-cast model of the vehicle, so even though I didn't win the giveaway, I still owned an X/1.9 (hey, I was 10 - gimme a break!). I always wanted to own one, but Dad was ever the practical man and one never appeared on our driveway. I bought myself a 1979 Alfa Sprint Veloce 1.5 back in 1989 and was well proud of that. She went like the clappers and handled lovely. In fact the only thing that was faster was the speed of the tin worms as they ate away at the Alfa....but that's a different story. Then a good mate of mine bought a 1978 X/1.9 - same colour and trim as the one you were driving, except the dash dials were not obscured and it had oil pressure and temp (with warning lights) gauges on the left, then speedo, then fuel then the tach on the right and a vertical line of warning lights to the right of the tach. Choke was beside the handbrake with the pop-up light switch (for use when wanting to wash them, I think) and the driving light switch right in front of the brake on the console. This little blue car had the Chromodora 3-spoke alloy wheels and had been imported to NZ from the UK in 1980. Yes, she too had the worms, but again, that's not part of this story. Steve was 6'1" and was happiest when he could drive the beast without the roof, but was still comfortable inside it with the roof on. The little 1300 4-speed could happily keep up with the Alfa's 1500 5-speed and dammit, it seemed to be on rails when we went through corners! I asked him for a drive in it and I could not believe how well it stuck to the road. He put a set of 185/60/13 Yokohama A008s on it and that thing only ever came unstuck once. He was heading into a roundabout in which the road dropped away as you entered the thing and so you were all cross-cambered halfway round. As he turned hard right to go around it, the dry road suddenly had water running across it from the centre island and with him being already under power to accelerate away, the X/1.9 just swapped ends. I have never figured out how it went round so fast and within such a little space, but it did! Otherwise, this thing was unstoppable. In NZ, we have kilometres per hour as our speed standard, but he reckoned if the sign for a corner said 60, you could take it in the X/1.9 with her speedo reading 60 and have no issues.....even though the speedo in the X/1.9 was in mph! Whereas I had a car that could take 3 passengers, the X/1.9 only had one spare seat. Steve liked that as nothing got between him and the pure driving pleasure that the wee beasty gave him. The day I got stuck ferrying a car-full of people while he just stuck his guitar in the passenger's seat so nobody got in with him, I saw his point! The X/1.9 was always best when you were in it on your own anyway. He was working on my Alfa one afternoon and I had to head into work and planned do my shopping on the way back. He told me to take the Fiat and assured me it would be fine. I adored that time alone in the car, but never thrashed it. The main power band appeared to be between 2750 and 5500rpm (quickest between 3000 and 5000) and the gearing as such that when you changed at 5000, you still dropped back within the engine's power band for the next gear. I know Steve had the wee Fiat doing over 110mph too and if anything pulled up beside him at 60, he could just feed her the pedal and she'd jump to 80 or 90 very quickly, I went to work, just letting the little car cruise along and then made a number of people at the supermarket stand looking incredulous as I loaded the bags of shopping into what they perceived as the engine bay up front! She could easy hold a week's groceries for two people and I reckon she would have done so for four had I needed to.....unlike my Stag a couple of decades later. He and I went away on fishing trips n the wee beast and there was plenty of room for our necessaries along with the fishing gear (with the rods themselves tied to the roof with bungee cords!) The Fiat got a transplant when the 1300 dropped a couple of cylinders after ingesting a pile of dust on a loose metal road through a hitherto unknown broken air filter housing. - she got the engine and box out of a low milage wrecked 1500/5-speed. Apart from the effective overdrive gear and a wee bit more punch, the car didn't seem to change much. Certainly her stance nor her handling were affected by the additional weight and she was a little more economical. Finally, after 8 years of not being garaged, we addressed the rot that had crept in everywhere on the car (my Alfa had been sold after only 12 months of ownership because it kept getting lighter every time I drove it and the wind inside the car with the windows up and the vents shut was still quite notable). Finding that most of what we thought was metal was actually a thick layer of filler with a lattice work of rusty metal strands, was a bit of a let-down, but we progressed, replacing panels with second hand ones and patching what we could not replace or which was small enough to not need major surgery. She got a respray of her original metallic blue colour and I hand-painted the decals on the front, rear and sides as they were not available locally (and this was before you could go online and order them from overseas - it required a phone call or a letter to do that back then). She looked a million dollars again and he drove it for another two years before selling the wee beast on to another enthusiast. I've just checked and it appears her registration is on hold (our equivalent of your SORN I believe), so maybe she's being refreshed again. Lovely trip down memory lane, Ed. Thankyou for your time an effort bringing us this little car to see - that engine noise makes me miss that Fiat a whole lot more than I thought it would. I might have to track down another one - for ME this time!

[@Saboda53]

Had a new ‘80 X1/9 5-speed w/fuel injection purchased here in the States. Dark brown w/cream interior. Loved it!

[@ericbennik2071]

Are you sure they were fuel injection, I thought they had webers.

[@markallen2984]

I had a 1977 Fiat x1/9 when I was in high school in Burbank, CA. I inherited it from my brother who was a Fiat mechanic. It was a great handling little car and the trunk room in front was particularly impressive. The front trunk could hold an ice chest and a beach chair.... A couple of gym bags could fit in the rear trunk, too. My car was the same color as the one in the video. It was a four-speed manual transmission but I seem to remember it being a 1.5 L engine. My brother had installed twin Bayless carburetors to give the car a little extra kick. The handling was remarkable and I would drive it just for pleasure, sometimes down Kanaan road to the beach at Malibu and sometimes up at Mullholland Drive above the Hollywood Bowl. Unfortunately, the car was prone to blowing head gaskets, and I went through three of them while I owned it. Of course that's a major problem, but that's really the only problem that I ever had with it.... Surprisingly the electronics worked fine and I never had any suspension troubles or starting issues. In 2012 I bought a new FIAT 500c..... I guess once you catch the Italian car bug it never quite goes out of your system.

[@markgoscinski3509]

My elder brother had a 1300c.f. Lidl special Edition in black with cream vinyl seats and then swopped it for the 1500c.c. 5 speed, they were brilliant in their day , handled great and such fun .

[@Michael-4]

Had two of these. Apart from being gutless, they are brilliant cars. In the end, rust sent them to the garage in the sky.

[@EnglishroG]

I had one that rusted away. They are gutless, and its a great shame that Fiat seemed to have lost interest in them. In the club a handful of people had replaced the engines with Fiat and Lancia twin cams. They were wonderful (although they needed much better brakes) and showed that there could have been a third generation X1/9 with one of those engines that could have gone head to head with the Toyota MR2.

[@LOTPOR0402]

Yeh but lets face it other makes of the time were just as bad

[@ccrider8483]

In the 1970s a friend of mine's father had a used car business and had an X19. I got a chance to drive it and it was an epiphany to me. Granted not very powerful but the light weight and crisp handling left me with memories I will never forget.

[@stephen300o6]

Everything is 'gutless' compared to something else. So we just enjoy them for what they are.

[@808bigisland]

Friend had one. Gutless is an apt description. My Alfasud won the rust race. Barely ;-) Today a well developed x19 can be a very competitive hill climb car. So many great 70s project cars...we definitely need to revisit the Gandini style. The man designed some of the most beautiful and dramatic cars.

[@davidstrohl]

This was the car I learned to drive in. Mom had a red 1979 X1/9 and, when it wasn’t in the shop (often) being serviced by Fiat, it was the car that I used to get about in starting in 1982. It got to the point that she ended up buying another car because I used it so much. I was always enamored with its gauges, especially its unique reverse tach that started at 0 on the right and curved left to redline. I’m surprised to see that the rear boot and engine compartment release wasn’t moved over for the RHD market, that must’ve been inconvenient-but I suppose that re-engineering would’ve been cost prohibitive. The X1/9 was my first love, and like all first loves I was heartbroken when the Midwestern US’s arch-nemesis, salt and rust, finally took its toll upon her. I swapped her out for a 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT-another mid-engined two-seater, and though I liked it very much and it had considerably more horsepower with a V6 and many more creature comforts, it just didn’t have the same road feel as my mid-engined Italian sports car. When I moved to Italy in ‘89 I tried to find another X1/9 but they were impossible to find locally. Thanks for the great video and for all the fun memories it brought back to me. Well done!

[@ajwasp3642]

The first car magazine I ever bought, was Road&Track April 1973. The X1/9 was on the cover. I was in elementary school, and I still have that issue.

[@zoomboy57]

I got my yellow one in 1976 and it was my favorite car ever. Here in the Cascade mountains in Southern Oregon in the US driving on a narrow 2 lane winding road with a 3000 foot drop off is what sport driving is meant to be.

[@adammann2025]

I have a barn find 87 Bertone version, no rust, less than 60k miles. Can't tell you how much I love the driving experience of my little x 1/9. Thinking about k24 swap, but something about keeping it as is. If you ever get a chance, and you love the driving experience, the handling thru curves can't help but put a smile on your face! Thank you for the spirited video, can't wait til spring when I can awaken it from my garage for it's 36th year!

[@daraghmorrissey]

it still looks gorgeous in 2022. These light cars with smaller engines are so much fun. You can really push them - unlike a modern Porsche where you hit 60 in 2nd or 3rd gear and never get to push them outside of a track or an autobahn. I also liked the MX5 and Fiat made a car like this more recently - the Fiat Coupe - which was also a looker. Great video.

[@joshbacon8241]

Exactly. You don’t need eleventy-bajillion horsepower to have huge amounts of fun behind the wheel, you know! As James May once said in his Fiat Panda review in Series 18 of Top Gear, “it’s not actually about how much power you have, it’s about how much power you can use.” …and cue all the young, immature Ferrari/Lamborghini fanboys - who likely aren’t even of legal driving age - who will probably disagree.

[@s2meister]

One of the single greatest cars ever made. I've owned a 74, 77, 79, 80 FIAT and an 85 "Bertone". Not in that order, some bought new others used. I miss them all and one day I will get another. Top tip, always carry a phone and a good fire extinguisher, especially when driving across the deserts of California.

[@chestnut01111]

I had two different 128 3P's with this engine. Absolute riot to drive!! The first one was 10 years old when i bought it and already needed its doors replace for the second time due to rot.

[@philiptownsend4026]

Hello Ed, You're driving! We built one of these for Rallycross! On the basis that if you do the same as everybody else then you won't ever be better than them... We started with a tatty car but the chassis was very good, it was a 1500 5-speed. Our class permitted max 1600cc normally aspirated 2 valve engines. The original engine could have been modified for considerately more power but would still not have been competitive. I was a fan of the Fiat/Lancia twin cam as it has hemispherical combustion chambers, big valves and can be tuned to 180/190 hp in 1600 form. Our engine and gearbox from a Beta was built for us by Swiftune near Ashford, race cams, bigger valves, dry sump oiling etc, a full race engine. The gearbox was Punto turbo with a competition straight cut gear set from Italy along with LSD. The gearbox cost more than the rest of the car, this was usual in Rallycross at that time. There were two problems though - the Beta engine is wider and canted over by about 45 degrees and the engine to gearbox bolt patterns are different. We overcame those two issues by developing an adaptor plate between the two. The Beta flywheel was too big for the Punto bellhousing so we removed the ring gear and turned it down to fit the X1/9 ring gear thus enabling the bigger Beta clutch and the original X1/9 starter motor bolted to the Punto gearbox. It was all topped off by a pair of 45DCOE Webers. We took the engine to an engine dyno man and he set it up for us, jets, timing etc. One interesting fact he demonstrated to us was that running temperature has a big influence on race engine power output - the cooler the engine the more power it produces. He was able to control water temperature on his dyno rig and showed us a hot running engine produces markedly less power than a cool running engine, the effect was significant and we paid a lot of attention to good oil and water cooling when building the car. We had Koni adjustable dampers with adjustable spring pans and 2.25" springs of various gauges and lengths. Bonnet and boot lids were glass fibre. The car was really fast off the line but we were still working on the handling after two Rallycross events when a helpful person torched our garage one night and everything went up in flames, the car was destroyed. That was the end of that.

[@robertmyers5269]

In the early to mid '80s i had a '79 US-spec 1500 carburated 5-speed, 67hp. Best handling car I ever had. Fastest turn in. Very solid feel. Your speculations about long distance travel are correct. I took several trips of around 350mi one-way two up in comfort. Cruised easily, if buzzily, at 80+ mph, iirc it was already 4000rpm at 60mph. Surprisingly practical with the double trunks. I always appreciate X1/9 related content.

[@markbowden7238]

Maybe look at my build thread at RMS Motoring Forum / The Ultimate X, contains lots of info and links to videos.

[@ChrisB...]

Great video! I've owned two X1/9s in the past, a 77 and a 79. IMO one of the best looking cars in history.

[@billyrayvalentine7972]

Me too. A black 1977 and a dark brown 1979 brand new.

[@neilharrison01]

I had 3 of these. The original 1300cc (my first) was my favourite. Loved it.

[@BEasay]

Why did you like the 1300 over the 1500?

[@neilharrison01]

@@BEasay Not sure. Lack of US bumpers. Seemed very simple/pure. `i was so young then...seemed very exotic. Revved lovely. Simple/minimalist sums it up.

[@roberttaylor6295]

Due to my own advanced age and that of my laptop, this video just popped up and I have no idea how it fits into your reviewing chronology. Yet it as every mark of excellence about which I have for years bruited your brilliance, not just your automotive knowledge and erudition, but the true uniqueness of your superb presentational style - your out and out smiling enthusiasm and utter enjoyment of cars. This is not cringing sycophancy but utterly genuine admiration for your outstanding, youthful career which will surely be snapped up by national head hunters. Yet selfishly I would be sad as having been an architect of corporate culture in other areas, it can be the death of originality that you exude by the vast bucket full. But repeated thanks for your hugely entertaining reviews, and I look forward to my car adrenalin fix on Sunday as usual! Rob

[@greghamilton4129]

In my early 20s I had a 1979 silver X 1/9. At the time you could find parts to modify the engine, exhaust and suspension. I was always tinkering with it. I loved and miss that car to this day. It drove beautifully. Not sure how I ever drove something that low and small. Bravo!

[@sw651]

When I was in high school a guy in Wilbraham. Massachusetts, raced these X1/9's. He sold a performance package for these cars that was featured in Road & Track magazine.

[@jensvanwinckel7877]

This car will always have a place in my heart. My dad bought one a few years before I was born, so I litteraly grew up with it. The first time I realised it was a special car was when we went to a track day at Spa-francochams when I was about seven. When I was 14 my dad sadly sold the car because there where some engine problems my dad couldn't fix himself. A few years later I saw that car for the last time, the guy that bought it had revised the engine and made the car comletly as original. I sometimes look online to see if I can afford one myself. If I ever get one I will for sure take it to Spa-framcorchamps with my dad.

[@Jared00g]

A friend had one in the late 70s that he let me borrow.It was fun to drive,but if you wanted to drive it hard,you HAD to keep the RPMs up near the top of the band,or it couldn't get out of its own way.Maybe I was just used to the immediate response of American Iron,but if you kept it revved up,it was an extremely fun car to drive,and cornered like it was on rails.My friend worked at a Fiat dealer,and he and his coworkers had a lot of fun tweaking it.

[@vwestlife]

The quality of your productions keeps getting better and better.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate, means a lot :)

[@chrisslater3174]

I'll never forget one Christmas Day in the mid-80s - just when I was nurturing my love of cars - when the lady neighbour across the road from me with the well used, rusty gold coloured X-19 received a brand new one as a prezzy from her husband. All black, red bow around the roof and a gift tag on the aerial. Fab looking (and sounding) little car!

[@jeremymtc]

I had a 'Kermit Green' '74 swapped to a 1500 with Weber DCNs and a header. Fun car. Gearbox was similarly unwilling, but chassis, brakes and suspension all did well enough. It wasn't fast, but it could be pretty much fully wrung out anywhere. Scooting it through a cloverleaf on the throttle was giggle worthy. I always liked that there was a legitimate, accessible mid-engined Gandini wedge on the mainstream market, and that it was actually a pretty decently usable car on it's own account.

[@grayfool]

I remember first seeing the X19 in magazines when I was 13 in '73, yes i'm that old. I was instantly in love. By the time I could afford one, they were all very rusty and broken. I did get to play with a Fiat 128 though. That was a brilliant little car. The engine was amazing. And you got to drive it. lucky you.

[@ericbennik2071]

My Dad bought a blue X-19 in 1982 (1500 Bertone 5spd) He let me drive it around.It felt solid and comfortable in the leather seats as a 23 y.old. I loved the roofless driving especially at night. It handled tight roads probably better than any other car. If you pushed it to its high limit it could suddenly oversteer. There was still acceleration above 160kmh (100mph) As he was a slightly porky 55yo he sold it after a year. He is still around at 96yo this year. The dealer said only 2 were sold in NZ in 1982 due to the high price 28k nzd (=approx 70k usd2022dollars)

[@forfluf]

Wow! A test drive. This channel has grown.

[@lillorebaudi7858]

Best X1/9 report ever.

[@stevensmith4896]

Someone in our street had one of these in the late 70’s early 80’s. A wee stunner.

[@RobinCapper]

Drove a 128 for years and still regret not buying a mint one owner x1/9 in late 80s. Great review of a favourite car

[@every1665]

Unusually for a young man the early 80's, I wasn't much interested in cars. But I remember the moment I saw an X1-9 I was in love. Metallic dark green with mustard seats on prominent display at a car yard and I kept going to look at it every few days wishing I could afford it. Absolutely perfect shape! Modern small cars are too 'cube' shaped for body rigidity I assume.

[@jamesyoung7443]

79 and up had a great undercoating. I had a79 and 81 and still have the 81 and run it every summer. It has Koni shocks, new great upholstery, fuel injected, 5 speed, electronic ignition. My 1999 MIata is much more refined but I always prefer to drive my X 1/9. As one car review wrote " driving it is orgasmic "

[@edo.r1324]

Complimenti!! I really loved the passion you put in your excellent description of this awesome Italian sports car. Well done👏👏😎

[@lgwappo]

They still look great. A friend of mine in high school had one & I rode in it once. 1975. The flattest cornering car I ever rode in. He threw it into corners & it stuck like glue. When it did break loose he controlled the drift & kept going. Most fun I ever had in a car. I wanted one but they quit making them. I wonder how hard it would be to make a car this light & agile today & pass safety & emissions regs.

[@AhmedBarnawi]

You brought back the old good memories. In 1977, when I was studying in the UK, I bought my imported right hand drive 1977 Fiat X 1.9 (tax free), used it for six months, and then exported it to Saudi Arabia. Thank you.

[@veloce1978]

One of my favorite designs! I had a '79, which shared almost no parts with the previous series. I re-jet the carburetor, lowered the front end, and it was a hoot to drive. My co-workers said it sounded like a motorcycle revving through the gears. I once bought a small outboard motor , and it fit in the rear trunk. The Targa top was brilliant. In college, several of us dreamed of getting and modifying one for performance and aesthetics. Mine got too rusty to continue with and I bought an Alfa. There is a brand new untitled one down the street from me at a former dealer.

[@classic1989mini]

You have now done something today, which I tried years ago to aquire. A Fiat X1/9, sat in one but never able to own one. A great car for its time. Just a shame its not around today with a modern engine and a rust free body. Well done Ed

[@ianboard544]

I've owned 2 of them. They were a lot of fun. Never had a problem with rust, but then, I owned the first one in west Texas, the second in southern California. They felt like they were running on rails.

[@DjNikGnashers]

Ah man, I loved these back in the 70's and 80's, wish I had bought one when they were in my budget. On a side note, really enjoying the progress in your presenting skills, the structure of your videos, and the choice of presentation, is really getting to a level where I am surprised if you are not noticed by some big television bods.

[@Mancozeb100]

Exactly what I was thinking. Great to see Ed driving the car too.

[@hugebartlett1884]

Could be better for him to stay well away from TV progs. All the Top Gear presenters ended up turning my guts over with their infantile remarks and ridiculous pranks.

[@Mancozeb100]

@@hugebartlett1884 Aye, aye. Second that !!

[@robertcook2572]

Hmm...needs to rein in the machine-gun utterances of 'incredible' and 'incredibly'. At one point they came faster than the X1-9's crankshaft revolutions...

[@hoforo]

I had the exact same car, metallic light blue with funky stripped seats, back in the 70's in Switzerland where I lived at the time. It was the most fun car to drive I've ever owned and the best looking car as well. It could corner like on rails around the mountain roads and rev like my Z900RS. Wish I still owned it! Great video of a real gem of a little sports car from Fiat Bertoni. Thanks.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks David!

[@Mute_Nostril_Agony]

I wish the TR7 has used such beautiful designs (considering the similar concerns about the possible soft top ban in the USA).

[@easypeezie]

Thank you for this chance to wander down memory lane. I had a 1978 metallic blue one as shown in the video, and then later I had a Gold 1982 1.5 5 speed. The earlier one was by far my favorite. Very fond memories of the car and the era. Well done and I’m so pleased you had the chance to actually drive this car too. Well done

[@cheapclassicsportscars3063]

Ed, it all started for me when my father ran a 1300 in metallic green with ladder stripes. I was hooked on these cars subsequently owning five 1500s, a few of which were debumpered with csc exhausts and Lowered suspension. This then led me into MR2s ; my current car is in metallic green.. Full circle.

[@richardhaywoodh]

Great review. Takes me back to when I had a 1977 Blue 1300cc X19. Enjoyed it

[@granthostheflatulent]

In the early'80's my 3rd car was an identical X1/9 (my first non-knackered wreck) - even the same colour - mine was a '78. That was a lovely blast down memory lane. Later I had a red and black Bertone 1500 5 speed. I don't know whether it was because the blue one was my first decent car or because I had mechanical troubles with the later 1500 but I miss my blue 1300 the most. The 1500 certainly revved too... but my cam belt let go near the red line in the alps on holiday.

[@claudenotyourbusiness8257]

I fully share your enthusiasm. I bought my first X1/9 4 years ago in a package deal and thought "yeah, I'll flip that one quickly". I fell so hard in love with it (a 5-speed), that I quickly swapped it for an original design 1300. It's the slowest and least powerful car in my stable, but it's the one I drive it ALL the time, and with the biggest smile on my face! Thx 4 this great video!!

[@davidhinkson8856]

Always loved this car and it looks so much better with the smaller bumpers. The original prototype reminds me of something you would have seen in a science fiction movie in the late sixties or early seventies.

[@veritasvincit2745]

I ended up with a MK1 MR2 but a workmate had this Fiat. I think I made the better ownership choice but concede that his car was prettier and somehow more special.

[@davidpeters6536]

MR2 came out much later didn't it?

[@mike_ctid_taylor]

@@davidpeters6536 Mk1 MR2 came out in 1984, wasn't as well packaged as the X1/9 but Toyota put in a more powerful engine, if FIAT hadn't lost interest it could have been even better

[@mreuropa88]

@@mike_ctid_taylor MK1 MR2 was a far superior car

[@matthewgallant3622]

I have a Mk 1 MR2 also it’s a phenomenal car. A coworker of mine was a Fiero guy and we would discuss which was better, but the MR2 is definitely superior. I love driving mine and I’m sure you do too. Cheers!

[@veritasvincit2745]

@@matthewgallant3622 Sadly I got rid of mine in 1999. Big mistake. I loved it. Bought it in 1994. Retrospect is cheap but I should have kept it. The Fiero wasn't anywhere near as easily sourced here in the UK and not an official import and I can see why it was popular across the Atlantic Ocean but even now I'd still choose the Toyota .

[@sameebah]

I've known several X1/9 owners and they have all loved the little machines. I'd still like to have one myself.

[@garylake1676]

What a delight to discover this video, brilliant. I have two late Bertone ones, took my 'holiday runaround' one-off SORN yesterday and gave her a run-out, took her to the hand carwash this morning, I have to drive her home to Cornwall later in the week, so a two and a half hour trip, after which, I will feel as if I have had my head stuck in a bee hive for the afternoon, but it's not too damaging to my back, she has done less than 30,000 miles from new and is a gunmetal metallic. My other one, a blue Gran Finale, has covered just 1,200 miles from new, 400 of which are mine, and she is a showroom piece. Finding third gear is crunchy around 50% of the time on my sliver one, reverse on both cars is a lottery between reverse, fifth and an unknown gear in between them both which does not engage but sounds like a bag made of sandpaper filled with square marbles,

[@shankarbalan3813]

its a lovely car. There is so much of the Lancia Stratos DNA in it or so it seems!❤ Perhaps as you said, it has left its imprint on the Stratos…And Ed you are truly excelling yourself with each new video. You are indeed a first class presenter. And its great that there is such a thing as You Tube Premium for people like us to get to see these wonderful presentations and learn so much more! Thanks!

[@neutronalchemist3241]

For Gandini, this was a better rally car than the Stratos. In the Stratos he used the Ferrari V6 because he was requested to by Cesare Fiorio, but he considered it too heavy and top heavy for a rally car. The FIAT twincam was better. Infact the Fiat X1/9 Abarth was the car that should have replaced the Stratos on the World Rally Championship. In tests, the pilots valued it favourably, especially for the more predictable behaviour, the car had already been homologated to race in WRC but, at the last moment, FIAT decided to use the 131 Abarth instead.

[@1234mikechris]

Ah so nice to see a FIAT X1 9, My father had a garage bisnnss repairing all Italian cars and my favourite was the x1 9 & Moticalo. I was very lucky to learn from my dad how to work on them. In the 70s and 80s they were very popular. During that period the Italian's where way ahead with ' twin cam, 5 speed box, disc breaks all round timing belt, mcpision srasts all round & webbers twin & many more that cars have today. A lot of manufacturers have taken the idea from the Italian's & used them a long side with the German's.

[@stephenbrookes7268]

My first car. I miss my X19. It wasn't devastatingly quick off the line but not much could keep with me on a winding road. I really want another one.

[@johnmoruzzi7236]

The Lampredi 128 SOHC is a really great engine, a friend of mine had a 1.1 Ritmo / Strada that would rev like you wouldn’t believe, my 1995 1.4 i.e. Tipo has superb flexibility. Its last use was in the Mk1 Punto 1.6 Sporting and Cabrio and Mk2 Uno 1.4 i.e. and Turbo.

[@davedovala2700]

I owned a 1978 X/19 and the 4 speed gearbox worked flawlessly. However, the tiny engine required a full on GP start at every traffic light just to keep up with normal traffic flow.

[@andysimpson8974]

Did I miss something? You seem to be actually razzing around in the car you've just reviewed. I like it! Excellent!

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

I owned a 1974 X1/9 in chocolate brown in the USA. The US models had different bumpers and wheels, and lacked those side stripes. It was a superb car when it ran well. It did not like rain (water got through the engine cover) or excessively hot or cold weather. The vinyl interiors were poor quality, very prone to the stitching coming apart. The Fiat dealers (who were never exclusively Fiat) were incompetent, not really familiar with the car. I got mine worked on at a Lancia/Maserati Italian specialist, which was quite expensive. The last straw was when the clutch went out and the repair required engine removal. I gave up after that and sold it. They are great cars if you can afford the repairs. The one you are showing us is in remarkably good condition. Finding one in that condition would be a hard task.

[@UncleBooBoo]

My neighbour, an architect, had one in yellow. It was beautiful but I never got close to being inside one.

[@kellybrickey4300]

Great review, Ed! Loved seeing you driving it , with the commentary, and the engine note. Good audio, not so easy without roof. And now, I want an X1/9

[@manodfergus]

I drive my 86 X1/9 every day. Some serious undersealing by a prudent previous owner has preserved it all these year. What a joy it is to own and drive.

[@guyemmott4009]

At last, you're driving the car being reviewed Ed.... 😀

[@grahamfielding]

I owned a '77 R reg UK 1300 in blue. Absolutely loved the car, but not without rust and gearbox issues. Roof stowed away for most journeys, day or night, whatever the weather. In the end I couldn't afford to keep it, but always regret not being able to have another one whilst they were still around. Rarely seen these days. Excellent video, brought back memories to an older man.

[@jonathanpeden9930]

I have always loved this car ever since my yoof! Beautifully proportioned. Added at end of video - what an excellent video, great to see you driving as well as reviewing this awesome little rocket.

[@Bullwinkle056]

Fell in love with the looks and the concept. Bought one in 1981 and even drove it through the Black Hills, bison and all. Then the engineering faiilures appeared as I daly drove it in MN. The carburetor iced up in about 15 minutes in freezing weather. Salt from the roads made the brakes all freeze up and chatter constantly. The first warm and humid summer day the nylon window cranks stripped out and replacements were non-existant. My 1971 Vega didn't even have these problems!

[@lucythemoggy1970]

love those seats! Also ed you really need to get into becoming a motoring journalist doing reviews as a living, your personality shines thru and how you put the story across is amazing, and it's great to see you driving a review car! it makes your videos even better as it gives it a more personal view of a particular car. How did you get to drive this one? thought the insurance was an issue for you?

[@williamrae9954]

Only the Italians could get away with a brown dash, with blue door cards/centre console with violet and rainbow seats...like a crash into a paint factory :)

[@grimson]

My first car was a '76 X1/9. It gave me three years of great service, including the kind of driving it really wasn't designed for (12-hour American highway trips). Today I have a '93 MR2 which I love, but I still have dreams about my X1/9 and would love to restore one some day.

[@johnmarsh2078]

It was 12 years ahead of its time. It also took 12 years to perfect but it was well worth waiting for. The Mk1 MR2 was an absolutely corking car. It also rusted three times as slowly as the Fiat which could be heard dissolving in the English rain and mist.

[@Jones-xx2gc]

My mates dad had one of these in the late 70's. Was a cool looking car then and now.

[@lcalvom]

Always loved the Fiat X1/9, super tiny, cute and Bertone styled. And great video coverage. Keep up the good work!

[@yorkhawk]

Ed drives a car he's reviewing! More please.

[@jorehir]

OMFG, i love this car. I didn't know it existed (and i'm Italian!). Also, nice channel, nice style.

[@broo0ose]

My dad had 3 of these in succession, he loved them. His first was a frog green 1300 model, it came with a set of sports bags sized to fit in the rear boot and a beautifully styled radio. I'm guessing most of those got dumped for radio cassettes in the 80s. The example you show here had the same seats, but I remember the door cards to be a lot more interesting.

[@pimianimavdo1523]

As a young teen I took photography classes and I decided to take some shots at the used dealer's lot behind my home... and There it was... a Brown X1/9 with Gold mags and trimmings. It was love at first sight for I was about 11 years old and, as much as Lambos and Ferraries were uber nice, this looked like the perfect fit for my taste... small, beautiful, fast looking (even when parked) and a perfect car for two wanting to enjoy life on the back roads of some countryside with wind and sun. Ah, the dream. I never got one and being 6'2" by the time I could drive, well... this was never to be for me. In my crazy fantasies, perhaps somesday I could replicate this at 1.2 to 1 size ratio just for the sheer pleasure of fitting in and driving this someday. Then relality hits me and I have to come back to earth. Oh well... thanks for the great video. Its always nice to see that one of your first crushes still can steer on something inside you and put a smile on your face just a the thought of what could have been. Cheers! M :)

[@mike_ctid_taylor]

What a marvellously well prepared and presented review. On behalf of X1/9 owners everywhere, thank you. I've owned my 1500 since 1989 and my 3rd and 4th gear synchro is also rubbish.

[@paulscountrygarage9180]

Ed, brilliant, superb, fantastic and any other word I can think of! 50 years, damn I’m old, I still think of the 1970’s as “only a few years ago”. I had the 128 4 door saloon in the late 1970’s so can attest to the engine and handling. The X19, was beautiful, but a tad small for me and too expensive at the time. Great to see you out driving and enjoying the car you are testing. ❤

[@paulcruse]

I had one in 1987-89. NPH 359 P a left hand drive 1976 import,. You describe it exactly how if felt about it at the time, I even had synchro troubles too! Mine wouldn’t rev because of a mysterious carb/fuel problem that I never resolved. I wanted to fit a 2.0 litre twin cam fiat/lancia engine on a cradle, and bigger discs and 14” wheels, but never did. Mine was a light green when I bought it, and rusty, but I was a sprayer at the time and sprayed it dark green metallic (Verde Schroeder) on my 22nd Birthday 😀 Happy days! Loved that car.

[@befuddled2010]

A really impressive mass market road car. In the late 1970's my sister owned one which I drove most enthusiastically whenever she'd let me. Based on this exposure my best friend bought a 5-speed version that we ripped around the rural hillside roads in our area near San Francisco. The center of gravity was so low they could hug the road as if they were on a track. Fun times indeed. Thanks for the insightful review on the history of this terrific little gem.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

What a beauty! I was very nearly tempted to buy one, but unfortunately needed something with 4 seats and a boot! Lovely car though! It’s nice to see you driving it as well!!

[@TrashLefties]

Lancia Zagato or in europe, the Spider. It was my growing family X1/9.

[@jeffwolfe4058]

Woulda coulda shoulda you could of bought it and got like a 2000.00 old camry for your daily that's what I did got a 88 camry for 1000 10 years reliable driving and my 87 x 1/9 few other cars too but just an example I hear that a lot and the solution you get a daily beater then your classic sport car for when weather's nice and weekends

[@alessandrolok5450]

Is does have a front an back boot

[@markallen2984]

@@alessandrolok5450 The X1/9 had a trunk in back (behind the engine under it's own separate cover) and a much larger trunk in the front which could hold a large ice chest and a beach chair. The targa top stored under the front hood/bonnet

[@alessandrolok5450]

@@markallen2984 i know, i have Bought one last year.

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

Great car. Also rare today is the Fiat 128 Coupe. I hired one of these from Hertz in the late 1970s and that was also a fabulous auto with the benefit of having four seats. The Coupe has the same 1300 engine and four-speed gearbox which, with the exception of first gear, was slick. As you say that 1300 engine was so smooth and atmospheric ... only bettered by the flat-flour in the Alfasud.

[@stitchergary]

I bought a '74 X1/9 while a senior in high school (March 1974)... Had a lot of fun including sticking my downhill skis through the open top while I drove to the ski resort.... had a few electrical gremlins, but not too bad.... one quirk that took a while getting used to is the back window is very close to the driver and it's angles almost perfectly vertical... as you drove down the road the oncoming headlights would reflect back in your review mirror appearing llike a car was speeding up behind at about 120 MPH...mine was blue like the one in the review....wish I still had it for summertime rides.....thanks for the video

[@SimonHealey-v4i]

RIP Mr Gandini. Thank you for creating some amazing machines.

[@russellhammond4373]

What a stunner. One of my favourites of this era. Now I can't afford one - or even find one for sale.

[@mimitrubadourix7954]

At 23:10 Ed sums up the X1/9 pretty perfectly. I have owned and driven many (vintage) cars over the years, including Delta Integrale, Lancia Montecarlo, etc. I like my cars to be fast. The X1/9 is the least powerful car I have ever owned, and still own, and will never sell: I still can't quite grasp how this "underpowered", tiny, brilliantly designed car can give me more pleasure than any of the other cars I had (and for some, still have) - but it does. It's absolutely brilliant, and once you have driven one for a couple of hours, you will understand, and you will want to own one. Hec: My Integrale is up for sale, since I don't drive it any way near as much as the X1/9.

[@MrJoeltrain]

Neighbor had one. Sat for my entire childhood. Never saw it run. It was perfect looking. Still had air in all four tires 10 years on.

[@neilbeetham5035]

Great review- the best one I have seen by far. These are hugely underappreciated cars- absolutely stunning design and head and shoulders above its contemporaries when released in 1972 with disc brakes all round and fully independent suspension. Handling is sublime, even by todays standards and the ride is comparable to a modern car. Not particularly quick in standard form but more than adequate and easily modified to make much more power to exploit the chassis. Much more fun and involving to drive than my old Capri 2.8i, Saab 900 T16s, Scimitar GTE and at the end of the day, that's what its all about for me.

[@alairlibreinsfreie5785]

you are a lucky man to drive one of those... and obviously you are a happy man in doing so. always loved those .

[@RodneyMunch8767]

I have never driven an X1/9 (or even sat in one), but this car was so distinctive in my childhood. Great video, Ed! Your passion and production of the vid were terrific. I was grinning the whole way through it. Cheers.