This is the latest acquisition. Jeff has an affinity for orphaned cars. This one has sat unused for the better part of a decade. It was originally a Pennsylvania car, and it shows – the car has some typical body rust.
For those that don’t know, FIAT stopped importing cars to the United States in 1982. It also stopped producing the X1/9 under its own brand name. Bertone (pronounced “Bur-Tone-E”) is a small style house that also does some of its own body construction. It had originally designed a concept car that was a barchetta (pronounced bar-ketta , and meaning little boat in Italian). It truly was inspired by classic lake boats of the era. It is that lake boat (ski boat) design that lead to the classic wedge shape of the X 1/9. That concept wowed the public when shown in the late 1960s, using FIAT mechanicals from its 128 series sedan. FIAT decided to put it into production (with some changes, like a full windscreen and roof). During the entire run of production under FIAT from 1972 to 1982, Bertone was building the bodies and then providing them to FIAT to install the mechanicals.
When FIAT decided to end production, Bertone took over and continued to make the X until 1989. From late 1980 on all of the X1/9s (or at least all sold in the US) were fuel injected and had 75 hp. Not, much, to be sure, but the X only weighed about 2200 lbs even in its heaviest form.
How did they get to the US? Malcolm Bricklin, who was a dealer and importer of cars, continued to import the X, which was sold in the US under the Bertone name from 1982 to 1989. Some of you may have heard of or seen an odd-duck car called the Bricklin. That was Malcolm’s attempt to be his own manufacturer. The plastic bodied car was heavy and slow, despite a V8 engine, and never sold terribly well. After the end of the Bertone production, he went on to import the YUGO, which also had FIAT 128 mechanicals and was built under license in the former Yugoslavia.
Anyway, we haven’t made a decision as to the final plan for this newest X. Being a Bertone, it has some more modern features, like electric windows. Bertone interiors tended to be a bit nicer, too, though this car’s interior is in need of a full rehab. For now, the plan is to get it back in drivable condition and then decide from there whether this becomes another resto project or a Dallara-look hot rod.
If you want your own little hot rod runabout, let us know. We’d be happy to build this car out however you would like.
