FIAT X1/9: EXPERIENCING AN R&T TIME MACHINE PART 2

THIS ALL STARTED IN PART 1 celebrating a bargain mid-engine sports car, the Fiat X1/9. Here in Part 2, we pick up with 1980.

Fuel Injection, 1980. Replacement of Weber carburetion with fuel injection proved something of an enigma: Output jumped to 75 hp versus the 1979 X1/9’s 67, but both 0-60 and 1/4-mile results were off a tick. R&T sent the car back to Fiat, but it was deemed spot-on. 

Image from R&T, November 1980.

No doubt fuel injection improved emissions characteristics, and R&T noted improved cold starts and better driveability overall. “Our conclusion,” R&T wrote, “is that either the 1979 car we were issued for the road test was a freak with exceptional power, or Fiat’s measurement of horsepower had undergone some revision.”

Such anomalies were not unknown in the early days of clean air.

In any case, R&T concluded its Update with “The Fiat X1/9 is a sports car of the Eighties: thrifty of fuel [they recorded 27.0 mpg in enthusiastic motoring], modern of styling and design [albeit with a bumpercar nose and rear], and capable of returning a high level of driving pleasure to the enthusiast. In total, a sports car that is sure to bring out the Mario Andretti in the most milquetoast of drivers.”  

One of Ten Best Cars for the Eighties, 1981. In August 1981, R&T observed, “… we feel that by now automotive engineering and automotive thinking are at least on an established course that will last to the end of the decade.

With this in mind, R&T wrote, “The Fiat X1/9 took first place in the category for Open Sports Car with praise for its small size, efficiency, maneuverability and the feeling that it’s a car for today and for the future.”

Image from R&T, August 1981.

Not without dissent, however. The Fiat Spider Turbo, Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider, and Triumph TR8 each received one vote in the category. 

My Personal X1/9 Vote. I was around by then. And as no Morgan vote was recorded, it’s likely I was among the X1/9 contingent. I would have appreciated the car’s superb behavior in my 60.7-mph slalom and 0.779g skidpad. Even more important was the X1/9’s sweet behavior in less-than-limit driving, the kind most of us do most of the time. (A trait that enhances my love of the Miata still residing in my garage.)

Interior of the original X1/9. Image from R&T, May 1974.

I was also impressed with the X1/9’s comfort when its targa lid was stowed. Don’t ask about clambering in with the top in place. 

Used Car Classic, 1988. By 1988, the X1/9 had earned R&T Used Car Classic status. “Now,” Peter Bohr wrote, “you expect the story to turn ugly, right? Fix-It-Again-Tony. Fix-It-Again-Tomorrow. Feeble-Italian-Attempt-at-Technology…. I’ve heard the nasty acronyms.” 

Peter continued, “Here’s the truth: Given some regular attention, an X1/9 will enjoy a long life. Indeed, it’s not uncommon for X1/9s to rack up 130,000 or 150,000 miles before a major engine overhaul. But if neglected, the cars can disintegrate before your eyes—sometimes spectacularly.”

“For instance,” he notes, “they’ve been known to catch fire. Placement of the X1/9’s engine was chosen for every reason except optimal cooling. The engine compartment, stuck there in the middle of the car, can get pretty warm.” 

Prevention includes replacing a few inches of fuel lines every year or two. Ditto the rubber belt driving the overhead camshaft: The 1.5-liter is a “free runner” when the belt breaks; the earlier 1.3 self-destructs. And, “The belt won’t snap if the X1/9 owner replaces it every 25,000 miles,” Peter advised. 

The Used Car Classic article closed with an owner quote: “The sorority girls love it,” which prompted Peter to write, “To a 21-year-old college guy, what else really matters?” 

I’d say the X1/9 traveled through my time machine pretty well. ds

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2024