If you had to pick one of the most misunderstood European automotive brands imported to the United States, chances are Fiat would rise to the top. Though much of their brand name and recognition has improved in North American markets since their introduction of the new Fiat 500 (2007), back in the 1960s and 70s there was little that could be done to convince US buyers to take a chance on a Fiat. All that changed with the introduction of the Fiat X 1/9.
A notable and storied brand in Italy, Fiat built some of the most successful race cars and coachbuilt cars of the 20th century. Exiting the Second World War, Fiat shifted their focus to building volume vehicles for lower-cost markets. Though much of their product in this category was built to venture around quaint Italian hillsides, Fiats proved to be reliable family cars, provided they were not summoned for duty on long stretches of open highways. With the advent of the Lampredi-designed Fiat 128 SOHC engine, Fiat was eager to shape a modern volume production sports car for the US market.
Based on the Autobianchi A112 Runabout concept penned by prolific Marcello Gandini at Bertone, this concept featured clever placement of the 128 engine behind the passengers. Having been developed for front wheel drive configuration, the 128 engine lent itself very well to the mid position with the engine and transverse gearbox positioned to drive the rear wheels. The concept Runabout captured a dune buggy feel with a distinctive Italian wedge design. The emergent folded paper era was in full swing and Gandini took advantage of this theme in the X 1/9 overall form – a pure wedge shape with a V-shaped front end, angular roll bar, and triangular themes. Cleverly housed headlights mounted on the C-posts would nod to popup headlights in the more traditional location for the production version.
Although launched in 1972, the majority of X 1/9 sales were achieved in the US when introduced in 1974 to North America. With over 160,000 produced in the remarkable 17-year run (split between Fiat and later independently marketed by Bertone) the low cost, mid-engine, Italian exotic remains one of the most visually dynamic volume production sports cars ever produced. And while the vast majority of these cars have succumbed to the ravages of time, the Fiat X 1/9 remains today as one of the more striking and memorable designs of the 20th century.
In the mid-1960s both Gandini and Giugiaro departed from the more traditional rounded forms of the 50s and early 60s and began exploring “folded paper” designs as a way to create a fresh form language to advance the coming decade. Gandini took full advantage of these themes with both the Runabout and the X 1/9. The profile view clearly shows his use of vectored profile triangles using the rising wedge shape as the main body theme. Side view also shows how cleverly the wheels were integrated into the body – a challenge given the merging of the round shapes against the angular body. The fender flares derived from the concept car (also used by Gandini on the Lancia Stratos) can be seen as an emergent theme from Bertone in their Dino iterations.
When imported to the US, in addition to choking off the much-needed horsepower from the engine, the handsome front and rear overhangs were unfortunately violated by the addition of enormous front and rear bumpers. Though the front bumper accentuates the wedge theme from the front view, and clever, if not a bit dated, pin striping draws the eye away from the front porch effect, it’s clear why so many X 1/9 owners opt for the thin European front bumpers.
For an even more dramatic effect, period modifications included the radical Dallara kit which removed the bumpers entirely. Dallara, the newly established race car manufacturers that would grow to dominate the field, proposed a captivating version. The Dallara variant featured luridly wide front and rear fenders, an enormous rear wing, and a smooth front fascia. Typical of this period in modified racing body designs, the X 1/9 appeared even more dramatic due to the small scale.
In stock trim, with the correct EU bumpers, the X 1/9 remains one of the most balanced sports cars ever designed. The visual weight of the front and rear overhangs is perfectly proportioned against the diminutive center section, which has a surprisingly tall greenhouse. Here too Gandini cleverly reduces the box volume of the upper by angling both the windshield and the rear Targa bar inward, drawing your eyes upward and away from the center mass. With minimal chrome to detract from the modern wedge themes, delightful geometric black details including the louvered mid-engine lid, side scoops, and delicate C-post trim contribute to the purposeful sporting presence.
In the later years of production, Bertone took over and began producing the X 1/9 as their own specialty offering. While largely the same car, the lower portion of the body was often finished in satin black, giving the already angular design a more pronounced sharpness. The darker lower, often referred to as “Boxer Trim” as used on Ferraris to give the car a more slimmed down visual profile, had the added benefit of reducing the visual dominance of the front and rear bumpers.
Striking in almost any view and still a fraction of the price of similarly conceived Italian cars of this same era, the Fiat X 1/9 remains one of the most captivating and brilliantly conceived sports cars ever developed. Sparse, lightweight, and modestly appointed, a modern variant built today would most certainly be a welcome offering to those seeking a low cost, contemporary sports car – beautifully tailored for a new generation.
