Long recognized for being great to drive, the Fiat X1/9 has not quite started getting its due among all but the Fiat cult of enthusiasts. Early models are especially attractive designs, and the 1975-1978 cars had ladder-style bumpers that, while clunky, obstructed the overall design much less than what some of the competition did. When you get the car in silver or white, it helps hide the bumpers even more, and that’s what we have here in this 1975 Fiat X1/9 for sale for $2950 in Portland, OR.
img src=”https://rustybuttrusty.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/1975-fiat-x19-left-front.jpg” alt=”1975 Fiat X19 left front” width=”450″ height=”253″ class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-6835″ />
The progressively darker seventies door graphics are cool – were they meant to make the car look like it was getting away from you, even though it had a slow-for-sportscars 0-60 time of over ten seconds? No matter, because with steel wheels wearing skinny tires, a delicate rear view mirror, and clean white paint, you can imagine the car looks as it would have back in 1975. This iteration of the X1/9 was equipped with a 1290cc engine good for 61hp – not incredible, but not bad if you consider the 2000 lb. curb weight.
Pretty good looking from the back too. Some enthusiasts have figured out a way to reduce the bulk of the bumpers by removing the upper or lower rail on the bumpers. Oddly enough, this car with its removable roof panel has been fitted with a pop-out glass moonroof – open-top-squared? That’s the only awkward step, though, as everything else looks to match the original specification or to actually be original. Per the seller, a charitable donation dealer, the car runs well and has no rust underneath.
The seats look good, but given the color and modern-looking pattern, they’re probably wearing seat covers. The excrement brown shade of the carpet has not yet returned to coolness, but you’ll be ready when it does. And a pretty complete dashboard with no cracks is a thing to behold in any cars its age.
Here’s the little 1300 – a fuel injected 1500 from a Yugo combined worth that car’s 5-speed is a popular upgrade. Yesterday and today’s feature cars are both on the market at the same price, but their prices, target markets and more were vastly different from each other in the mid-1970s. Which would you choose?
Tags: Feature, Fiat, italian, sports car, x1/9
Rusty But Trusty 
February 21, 2016 at 9:07 pm |
Nice little Fiat. I had a girlfriend years ago who lost her storage for a Porsche 914 project she had and traded for an X/19 that was a good running and fun driver. I’ve liked these since then and this looks like a pretty decent example of one. Based on the pics this car has been loved and therefore likely well cared for and maintained. The CL post states that the seller has mechanics on hand that go through the cars they sell so the car should be ready to drive and enjoy. The ask of $2950 seems just a little on the optimistic end of what it’s worth but maybe the rescue mission has the ability to negotiate with potential buyers and an interested party could strike a deal and get into this Fiat for $2200? It’s for sure cleaner than most other X/19’s I’ve seen recently.
February 22, 2016 at 6:22 pm |
I was tempted to check this out myself, but with a to-do list as long as the Alfetta’s shift rod for the fleet it’ll be a while before I’m a buyer again…