We don’t see many 50-year-old cars on Barn Finds that have had the same owner for 49 years. The seller was sixteen when he bought this 1975 Fiat X1/9 back in our Bicentennial year of 1976. It’s been treated to an engine upgrade and a 5-speed transmission and fuel injection system from a 1986 X1/9 and was the seller’s daily driver for 30 years. It’s spent the last 45 years garaged in California and, according to the seller, hasn’t been on the road much in the last ten years, so the seller says it’s time to let it go.
The X1/9 (the roadster’s internal project code at Fiat) was a small, wedge shaped, mid-engine 2-seat sports car designed by Bertone in Italy. They built the bodies at their Turin facility with the final assembly and drivetrain added at Fiat. Fiat produced the car from 1972 to 1982 with the U.S. being its largest market (about 100,000 of the 160,000 X1/9’s produced were sold here in the States). After Fiat pulled out of the U.S. market and canceled their contract with Bertone in 1982, the “Budget-Ferrari” continued to be built, assembled, and badged as Bertone until 1989. This example, one of 17,360 produced for the 1975 model year, looks solid and is finished in a yellowish-orange color. The seller shares that there is “some rust around windshield and a few other spots, but mostly solid everywhere else. Windshield has some pock marks and the other glass is good.” He also says that the driver’s side has some dents and scrapes.
The interiors of these inexpensive little 2-seaters weren’t of the highest of quality materials, and all that plastic on the instrument panel and dash usually doesn’t hold up this long. It could use a cleaning and the original vinyl bucket seats look okay, but there’s seam splitting on the original driver’s seat which is common on these cars. A lightweight removal targa roof that could be stored in the upfront bonnet also came standard on X1/9’s. In 1975, all X1/9’s came with a 4-speed manual transmission, but this one has been upgraded to a 5-speed.
Based on some online reading and research, it wasn’t uncommon to find these less-than-peppy roadsters with swapped out engines. This X1/9 left the Fiat factory with a standard 1.3-liter four cylinder engine which was good for about 75 horsepower. It sounds like the seller did some autocross racing with his X1/9 back in the early 80’s before the upgrades and managed to take two different drivers to national championship wins. Afterwards, the Fiat was upgraded to a larger, fuel-injected 1.5-liter four cylinder engine from a 1986 X1/9 that produced 85 horsepower. In addition to the upgraded 5-speed manual transmission, the seller says the X1/9 “has a lightened stock flywheel and clutch and is very drivable. Koni shocks with stiffer springs for flatter cornering.” Total mileage for the car is listed as 303,410. The roadster is said to start and run very nicely and shifts good as well. Owners of these mid-engine X1/9’s say the car’s weight distribution made them fun to drive. They weren’t fast, but they had good handling, good gas mileage, and were pretty reliable. This ’75 X1/9 is located in Jackson, California and is for sale here on eBay for an asking price of $2,900 or best offer. Given its known history and upgrades and asking price, this X1/9 will probably be finding a new home soon.
Sold!
Pretty amazing mileage for a Fiat or for any car. The owner must have taken good care of it.
(All of my 128s had well over 300,000 miles.)
My 1980 X1/9 reached almost 500k km before a faulty distributor wire blew the already modified engine. I answered the required overhaul with forged pistons and special treatment valves that could accept non leaded fuel!
I also think that the USA versions had less horsepower. Also my mechanic had found a book that said that you could dial its factory camsaft for up to 130hp.
Drove one back in the day, a little under powered as I remember but mid-engine led to incredibly crisp handling. Poor man’s Ferrari is a great description.
Wow sold and gone quick.. ok.. that said. Back in the late 70s and early 80s I drove a few. Yes they are fun and yes slow. Handling was great so the back roads are fun. This is the first Fiat I have seen here or anywhere make it to over 300,000 miles. It usually rust away and die here in New York. I seen them here with out those bumpers which looks cool and Monza exhaust system sound great. Being its in CA. I if the new owner lives out there this X1/9 will continue to rank up mileage. Good luck to the new owner. 🐻🇺🇸
Bought one recently, not surprised this one sold so quickly, despite the mileage, if they are not rusty, the body structure is very well built. Fun cars, not fast but handling is great.
Bought one recently, not surprised this one sold so quickly, despite the mileage, if they are not rusty, the body structure is very well built. Fun cars, not fast but handling is great.
Take those bumpers off! They unbolt and slide right out. Reduces the weight and doesn’t seem to affect the handling. Did it to the 74 X1/9 I had. Sure improved the looks to get those ladders off the ends. Don’t remember the seats looking like that back then. They most likely came out of the newer model with the 5 spd and bigger engine. Great cars!
This listing sold on Mon, Jul 14
US $2,900.00
I have to agree on the bumpers, really breaks the flow of that Bertone design.
I had a ’76. Rust was truly the enemy. The front shock tower rusted and the shock made a dent in the hood (from the inside). The floorpans rusted so badly that my feet would get wet riding through puddles. The frunk floor was almost completely gone. The demise of my X19 was a broken timing belt that caused the valves to slam into the pistons. I quickly understood what the meaning of the words “interference engine”meant! The engine was “rebuilt” by a “foreign car specialist” with little experience on these cars: the engine never performed as well as it did before the engine tried to self destruct.
I still have one of the bent valves hanging in my workshop.
I swapped someone for a (very used) XJ-12 Jaguar. I guess that I’m a glutton for punishment!
PS: i never liked the offset steering wheel in the X19.I much prefer the steering wheel centered in front of me .
Lack of a good mechanic. You have to re adjust the front wheel alignment, it takes 10 minutes. Also the X1/9 has the ability to adjust the rear wheel alignment deciding between better cornering (more tire wear) or better straight going behavior (less tire wear). Same problem with some 911 at the front but it requires more time to adjust.
my SCCA event car early ‘80s
Abarth’s ur friend just like IPD
for my wolwo. The owner has
the right idea. Hang onto the
gud uns, get to know them
(mods show he DID). Enjoy
Glad to see this on same page as MR2.
Sold one last summer after a low buy. Did
rehab & upgrades, almost kept it. Now a TTi
is in the shop. Peacea junk to me AND. I cant
get in & out of it aahahahaa
The 1975 X/19 was my first new car. I forgot how nasty those bumpers looked ( 1974 looked the best ). It was alot of fun for the first two years, then, started having ‘Fiat’ issues. I sold it to a friend who parked it at low tide in Florida. He made it home to Milwaukee and offered it back to me………ah ….. no thanks ….. a Fiat which sat in salt water ….. lol
The 1975 X/19 was my first new car. I forgot how nasty those bumpers looked ( 1974 looked the best ). It was alot of fun for the first two years, then, started having ‘Fiat’ issues. I sold it to a friend who parked it at low tide in Florida. He made it home to Milwaukee and offered it back to me………ah ….. no thanks ….. a Fiat which sat in salt water ….. lol