Eugene Harvey
True Classic
Another thread started to take a turn completely off topic but was intriguing, and posed the question, Is the X1/9 a future classic, now 30 years since ceasing production, already a classic, or will never really be a true classic?
With a total production run of 165,000 over 17 years as both a Fiat and a Bertone, the numbers weren't small, but not large either. As a Bertone from 82-89, there were only around 19,500, so around 2,500 per year worldwide, which is now quite exclusive.
The relative low cost and initial poor quality of the steel used for the body work saw many rot away early in their life and their low inherit value make them uneconomical to rescue. So whilst there were 140,000 as Fiat's, it's anyone's guess as to how many survive today, and based on how many you see on the road, or coming up for sale, my guess is the number of survivors is less than you think.
Obviously as an owner of an X1/9 I have a bias and am of the opinion the X1/9 is already a classic.
I base my opinion on several key criteria, does the car have historical significance, is it unique, is it desirable, is it rare and is it exotic.
When I consider those criteria, for some the answer is yes. The X1/9 was the first mid-engined sports car manufactured for the masses, a layout at the time the domain of exotic super cars. The design was not just unique, but innovative, and made all other sports cars look dated and ordinary. It had pop-up headlights, a mid engine layout and a clever targa top that easily stowed under the front bonnet. The one thing that let the X1/9 down was its lack of power, which detracted from its desirability and at 165,000, wasn't overly rare at the time. But its quirky styling from Bertone made it a mini-exotic.
The styling of the X1/9 is such that a good example still gets inquisitive gazes and questions at the gas station. So for me the X1/9 is a classic, but its Achilles heal has always been the lack of power, for if it had the power its chassis demanded it would be cemented firmly as a classic. Had Bertone adopted the 1300 Uno Turbo during the mid/late 80's, who knows.
With a total production run of 165,000 over 17 years as both a Fiat and a Bertone, the numbers weren't small, but not large either. As a Bertone from 82-89, there were only around 19,500, so around 2,500 per year worldwide, which is now quite exclusive.
The relative low cost and initial poor quality of the steel used for the body work saw many rot away early in their life and their low inherit value make them uneconomical to rescue. So whilst there were 140,000 as Fiat's, it's anyone's guess as to how many survive today, and based on how many you see on the road, or coming up for sale, my guess is the number of survivors is less than you think.
Obviously as an owner of an X1/9 I have a bias and am of the opinion the X1/9 is already a classic.
I base my opinion on several key criteria, does the car have historical significance, is it unique, is it desirable, is it rare and is it exotic.
When I consider those criteria, for some the answer is yes. The X1/9 was the first mid-engined sports car manufactured for the masses, a layout at the time the domain of exotic super cars. The design was not just unique, but innovative, and made all other sports cars look dated and ordinary. It had pop-up headlights, a mid engine layout and a clever targa top that easily stowed under the front bonnet. The one thing that let the X1/9 down was its lack of power, which detracted from its desirability and at 165,000, wasn't overly rare at the time. But its quirky styling from Bertone made it a mini-exotic.
The styling of the X1/9 is such that a good example still gets inquisitive gazes and questions at the gas station. So for me the X1/9 is a classic, but its Achilles heal has always been the lack of power, for if it had the power its chassis demanded it would be cemented firmly as a classic. Had Bertone adopted the 1300 Uno Turbo during the mid/late 80's, who knows.
Last edited: