Update 9/3/13 – This Saab/Fiat collection is still on the market and the seller has added more photos to their listing. Thanks goes to David for the tip.
From 7/6/13 – The Fiat X1/9 and the Saab Sonett have to be the most unlikely of stablemates. The X1/9 features a mid-mount rwd layout while the Sonett has its engine and drive wheels up front. The Fiat is Italian and prone to rust while the Saab is a swede with a fiberglass body. Yet, somehow someone appreciated both enough to stash a few away. There are 9 cars total and they supposed all came from the estate of a collector. They are located in Pomona, California and are to be sold as a package deal for $20k. The photos provided on craigslist are too small to really determine if this is a bargain or not, but it might be worth a look. Thanks goes to Brian O. for the submission.
Here’s a breakdown:
1. Blue 1976 Fiat X19 – see photo
2. Yellow 1974 Fiat X19
3. Gray 1979 Fiat X19 – Twin Cam engine
4. Gray 1980 Fiat X19
5. Brown 1985 Fiat X19 Bertone – see photo
6. Red 1984 Fiat X19
7. Brown 1973 Saab Sonett III – turbo charged engine
8. Green 1971 Saab Sonett III
9. Blue 1974 Saab Sonett III
Here are the updated photos:
I’d pass on the Sonnets, but a twin cam X19. Interesting……..I’d love a 2 litre version with a 5 speed.
A mate had one, a 1300, 4 speed. Amazing handling, all on 145 x13″ rubber !
Yeah for a $20k package they could have tried a little harder on photos. I had a ’74 X19 and that thing was a blast, but yeah, she rusted. Pop that targa top off and zoom you go. Then the timing belt broke and it was buh bye. But if you like the idea of a car like that you are better off with a first generation Toyota MR2.
From what you can make out from the photos this doesn’t look promising. I can’t imagine there’s a second ‘collector’ out there with this kind of odd focus who would want the whole lot together, especially when there are so many other interesting cars in So Cal available for way less then the $20K ask.
Most likely scenario for some of these cars to sell would be for X1/9 OR Sonnet fans (those would be different people) to come with cash in their back pocket, pick the best one of their respective loves, and make an offer.
If the collector still insists on dealing them as a lot, walk.
In their day neither of these cars were common & finding someone who would have an interest in both of these 30 / 40 years out is a stretch but ok . I did like the X19 they handled like a go cart I never owned one but had a few other Fiats an 850 & 124 spyders so I am familiar with them.
for someone close to that location it might be worth doing a PI. add states parts also. maybe be able to resell/part out all but one or two. might have all your money back plus the cars you keep.
Thats what I raced back in the 80s & 90s The X1/9 in the 4 cly stock class and the Sonett lll In the 4 cly Mod. class and later they put the sonnet with the V/8 and The worst I did with the V/8 was 2nd. I won most of them. The are fast little cars on a 1/4 mile dirt track.
Got to drive an X-19 when I was a kid,the guy who traded it bought a new Ford from the dealership where I helped out.We delivered the Ford to his hotel (he owned the hotel,here in the Lake District in Northern England).I was allowed to drive the Fiat home (about 45 ish miles) on my own using some great roads!.Still remember the car,it had green metallic paint and seemed very exotic to me at the time.It had the smaller Euro-spec bumpers not the big US type and handled fantastically.
Always been a Fiat guy, but the X1/9 appeals to my head and not my heart. I remember the Sonnet from the Matchbox toys days. Bizarre collection; is the vendor doing themselves a service by keep these together? As Dolphin put it, chances of finding a collector this far into both these models is nonexistent. At the very least, split it into two lots.
If any of you need any parts for old saabs or Fiats. I got close to 25 sonetts and about 10 X1/9 pluse lots of other Saabs and Fiats for parts at my place and I just retired. but MY son will keep the shop opened for a few more years
Wow, Tim. I stand corrected. What is it that connects these two models? Is it as Mark says below with regards dealerships?
Tine Nine lives! I have not heard from you in years! I still want that trike you have.
Witch one? the one I made from the Saab sonnet?. That one still runs great and Is not for sale LOL but I will build you one like it
Well, Tim shows that the combination isn’t ALL that odd, plus back in the ’70s in my hometown, the Saab dealer and Fiat dealer were one and the same so you saw X19s and Sonnets together all the time! Since the cars are in fair to project car condition maybe the logistics of moving everything is hampering the sale??
They were both fun cars to drive. and they were not hard to work on. True they drive def. with one frt. wheel drive and the other a big go-cart for the road. Loved them both!!!
Did you ever see or drive an Icsunonove wide bodied version?
seen them with the twin cam but never drove one. they were both totaled out in a salvage yard years ago.But I think they had a def name on them. but looked like a wide X1/9 and had the fiat 1800cc twin cam motors like the lancer had in the frt wheel drive but like the X1/9 the motor was in the middle.
Nelson Ledges back in the 70’s had a 24 hour production stock sports car race. So stock you even had to have mufflers. For their class, the Fiat X1/9s did very well, but kept eating wheel bearings. At the end of the race there were a few spectator X1/9s up on blocks. They are a blast to drive and roomy inside. Too bad they were made out of cheap unoated steel. The Saab Sonnets with the two stroke engines and FWD deserved better in the market. Another fun car to drive but tight inside. Saab enthusiast Tom Donney and his crew worked his hot two stroke Sonnet up to 116 at Bonneville. Imagine the sound of that two stroke at 7K plus.
Not too surprising that these haven’t sold as a lot. If a lot of 9 unusual cars isn’t selling, it would make sense to sell the Saabs as a lot and the Fiats as another lot, or split the Fiats into 2 or 3 lots. That way they might appeal to Fiat fans who have room for 2 or 3 small cars, but not 6 of them.