Good to See

A new record ? $25,760 including buyer's fee !

I looked at it yesterday at the Bonham's preview and it was super clean. It was parked next to a row of Ferrari's.

Congratulations to the new owner ! A truly beautiful X !






8BpvG2R78YNMJSvJ8
 

Attachments

  • 20190815_181306.jpg
    20190815_181306.jpg
    325.7 KB · Views: 49
  • 20190815_180458.jpg
    20190815_180458.jpg
    379 KB · Views: 47
  • 20190815_165039.jpg
    20190815_165039.jpg
    267.8 KB · Views: 42
  • 20190815_160425.jpg
    20190815_160425.jpg
    456.1 KB · Views: 42
  • 20190815_155647.jpg
    20190815_155647.jpg
    569.2 KB · Views: 44
Last edited:
I think that modifying a car is reasonable. What guys are doing to fit K20s into the tiny engine bay is not IMO "ruining" a car. It could reasonably be returned to stock but does carry the stock appearance. Now the guy that put a motorcycle front end on an X, that is no good. IMO the guy who just kept cutting to fit an MC engine and air box in hurts. Well planed and carefully executed surgery is reasonable to me. Way back in 1975 people were begging for more HP in this chassis, so I think that is reasonable in keeping with the "spirit" of the car.

I do hate seeing the cars chopped up for stupidity. Seeing the one trashed on Mythbusters (and I liked the show) that hurt. If the cars were worth a bit more that may help. If they were more popular, that would help. Those two go hand in hand however. The only way to increase their value is to increase their popularity, and those low dollar savable carcasses will be bought up and hopefully repaired. I for one would love a nice stock X, but I'd want 2 so I can have a molested one.
 
I'm old enough to remember E-Types and Midyear Vettes getting swapped to used Chevy 350 motors for more power and less maintenance. That was such a great idea everyone converted them back a few years later (with non numbers matching motors unfortunately). I also remember Panteras having the hoods cut open for cooling fins, engine covers cut open for superchargers, and the metal roofs cut out and replaced with fiberglass "bubble" inserts so that "big men" wouldn't mess up their hair. All great ideas. A 1990 Civic will outperform a stock Mercedes 300SL Gullwing in acceleration. Why aren't people dropping Honda Civic engines in million dollar Gullwings to improve performance? It would make more power, be less maintenance and save a fortune in parts!

I hope these high profile auction numbers will convince more owners they have a fast-appreciating classic so they will have a little more respect for their X1/9's. Just because "everybody's doin' it" doesn't mean it's that good an idea. If a change must be made ('79 carb and air pump for example) at least try to make it reversible and keep the original parts with the car so a future owner can convert it back if he wants.
 
Last edited:
Cratecruncher said:
I'm old enough to remember E-Types and Midyear Vettes getting swapped to used Chevy 350 motors for more power and less maintenance. That was such a great idea everyone converted them back a few years later (with non numbers matching motors unfortunately). I also remember Panteras having the hoods cut open for cooling fins, engine covers cut open for superchargers, and the metal roofs cut out and replaced with fiberglass "bubble" inserts so that "big men" wouldn't mess up their hair. All great ideas. A 1990 Civic will outperform a stock Mercedes 300SL Gullwing in acceleration. Why aren't people dropping Honda Civic engines in million dollar Gullwings to improve performance? It would make more power, be less maintenance and save a fortune in parts!

I hope these high profile auction numbers will convince more owners they have a fast-appreciating classic so they will have a little more respect for their X1/9's. Just because "everybody's doin' it" doesn't mean it's that good an idea.
Click to expand...

I agree, Cratecruncher.

I say it all the time, but it bears saying again because it is the truth, as I see it: clean, unmolested/lightly-modded X 1/9s are getting harder and harder to find.

Prices like this are a reflection.

Will any X 1/9, even a real, Dallara Prototipo, ever compete on the auction block with a 250 GTO or McLaren F1? Even an XKE Series 1? Never in my guess.

That still doesn't mean they are not now being reassessed for the advanced and stylish cars they were for their day, and still are to a select few.

Clean X 1/9s aren't like clean MGBs. You can't just pull up eBay or your local Craigslist and find 10-15 of them within 500 miles of where you happen to be living.

X 1/9s really are special sports cars.
 
Last edited:
"100bhp at 5,900rpm??? are they sure?" Wow I can't wait to get my high performance built 1300 on a dyno!!! I thought the 1300 was in the 70's bhp?
 
Just got an auction review from a major transporter. They are reporting:

Buyers from around the world bid on over $380 million worth of cars. This time around, buyers ruled the market with 76% of cars sold under their estimated values.

Most impressive sales:

 
Chris Obert said:
Just got an auction review from a major transporter. They are reporting:

Buyers from around the world bid on over $380 million worth of cars. This time around, buyers ruled the market with 76% of cars sold under their estimated values.

Most impressive sales:

Click to expand...

Hagerty is also showing "affordable classics" are gaining in valuation, while most of the "blue chip cars" (vintage Ferraris, Porsches, etc.) are beginning to dip...

https://www.hagerty.com/apps/valuationtools/market-trends
 
Keep in mind the sold price on the Bonhams X1/9 includes a 12% buyer's premium. Also, consider that the seller paid a 12% premium on the high bid to the auction house (excluding the buyer's premium) plus fees to transport, prep and list the car at Bonhams. The seller probably walked away with closer to $21k all said and done. That's still a lot of money, but this was a very low mileage '74. If you'd put the $6k in the stock market instead of buying the X in '74, you'd have been bidding on the Ferrari 308 GT4 (another Bertone design with X door handles!) that was next to the X1/9 in the Bonhams venue.
 
RJ80 said:
Keep in mind the sold price on the Bonhams X1/9 includes a 12% buyer's premium. Also, consider that the seller paid a 12% premium on the high bid to the auction house (excluding the buyer's premium) plus fees to transport, prep and list the car at Bonhams. The seller probably walked away with closer to $21k all said and done. That's still a lot of money, but this was a very low mileage '74. If you'd put the $6k in the stock market instead of buying the X in '74, you'd have been bidding on the Ferrari 308 GT4 (another Bertone design with X door handles!) that was next to the X1/9 in the Bonhams venue.
Click to expand...

Yes...the '74 was Concours-quality, and because it was so exceptional, we should not expect all nice X 1/9s to so easily fetch that money.

I saw two pristine X 1/9s (at least in photos, anyway), on eBay not even get 1 bid at a starting of around $9k for either...so...a car is only worth what a buyer is willing (and able) to pay...On BAT, historically, most "nice" X 1/9s go for the low teens, with none so far breaking $15k, though this can change...I see the vast majority of nice, un-modded X 1/9s go for $9k-$12k. No small money, but I don't see X 1/9s ever bringing 308 GT4 money...Ratty ones hardly break $4k from what I have seen so far...Locally, I've seen junkers (real broken, dented, rusty cars needing everything---I call these "parts cars") beg for $1500-$3500, and they fail to get it...the owners? They just keep reposting them, month after month.

https://bringatrailer.com/fiat/x19/
 
Last edited:
Ha, I even replied in that thread and forgot it was the same as here. Man I must be getting senile. :oops:
But to be fair, the article I read took a completely different approach and it sounded like a complete other situation from the one "WantAnX1/9" posted. So I had to look twice to realize they were about the same incident. Sorry for the redundancy.
 
WantAnX1/9 said:
Yes...the '74 was Concours-quality, and because it was so exceptional, we should not expect all nice X 1/9s to so easily fetch that money.

I saw two pristine X 1/9s (at least in photos, anyway), on eBay not even get 1 bid at a starting of around $9k for either...so...a car is only worth what a buyer is willing (and able) to pay...On BAT, historically, most "nice" X 1/9s go for the low teens, with none so far breaking $15k, though this can change...I see the vast majority of nice, un-modded X 1/9s go for $9k-$12k. No small money, but I don't see X 1/9s ever bringing 308 GT4 money...Ratty ones hardly break $4k from what I have seen so far...Locally, I've seen junkers (real broken, dented, rusty cars needing everything---I call these "parts cars") beg for $1500-$3500, and they fail to get it...the owners? They just keep reposting them, month after month.

https://bringatrailer.com/fiat/x19/
Click to expand...

It took me 3 trys and 6 months to GIVE AWAY a complete but non running '85.
 
Crazy money for that car. Close inspection of the pics shows a torn r/front seat. Anyhow, anyone of several of us X freaks can build that car WITH a K20/24 for that money and actually have realistic power numbers. I'm just glad the prices are finally climbing. I was at a collectors place today, lementing over holding of the sale of my own car. He looked at me like I was from mars. Said the collectors around the world are buying like mad (he just sold two vehicles for a tidy profit). He said guys with money are shuffling their collections, lots of horse trading and deals going on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top