Good X1/9 article in the latest issue of...

Jim W

Jim W

Luckless Pedestrian
...Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car. Its not even March yet and the April issue was in my mailbox tonight when I got home. The article, written by one of their monthly columnists, Karl Ludvigsen, focuses on the X's development. Four pages, and he got most everything right. Good to see the X getting a little recognition...
 
Have not seen this Hemmings Issue yet, something to look forward to. More on this once I get a chance to read what they wrote.

This article might have happened due to a email I sent to Hemmings editor Craig Fitzgerald regarding the previous mention in Hemmings. It was full or factual errors and I was not going to let them get away with publishing factual errors about the X1/9 and it's history.

Craig and I had a bit of a discussion over the amount of coverage Hemmings was putting into British Roadsters, various other Brit cars and rather obscure vehicles. While these vehicles are interesting to read about, I felt the magazine need more balanced coverage of more significant yet "affordable and common" cars of historical significance.

I also needled Craig about how Hemmings was becomming Classic Motorsports Magazine the second. Tim Stoddard's (CMM, editor/publisher)keen interest and focus with Triumphs and other Brit cars of that era. The "Classis Automotive Media" does not need another magazine focused on Brit cars since there is already one who is doing this to a large degree.

So, I'll patneintly wait for our issue of Hemmings to arrive and if there are problems with the X1/9 article they will hear about it, if it is a good article, then I will let them know Hemmings has done well. Good, honest work in journalisim should be reconized by it's readership.

Jim W said:
...Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car. Its not even March yet and the April issue was in my mailbox tonight when I got home. The article, written by one of their monthly columnists, Karl Ludvigsen, focuses on the X's development. Four pages, and he got most everything right. Good to see the X getting a little recognition...
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Look forward to seeing it..

Karl Ludvigsen is one one the oldtime heavyweights in car journalism and has written some of the best books on racing and exotic engines. I highly recommend his big book "Racing Engines" if you want to see the evolution of limited capacity,high output motors-starting with the Peugeot and Mercedes Grand Prix engines of 1913 and ending with Mercedes push rod Indy Ilmor engine in the nineties, he gives a very good tour of the technology and people involved. It is a fascinating and chastening book to read. The level of sophisticated thinking exhibited very early on by racing engineers is really impressive. See particularly the Auto Union grand prix cars from the thirties.:)
 
Bernice,

I don't want to set your expectations too high... Its a good article, but at only 4 pages in length (with many illustrations and pictures) its a bit light in weight. The tone of the piece is what I liked... the author conveyed well the significance of what the X1/9 was and is.
 
Karl Ludvigsen was vice president...

Karl Ludvigsen was Corporate Relations Vice President for Fiat Motors of North America back in the late 70's. I've always liked him. He seems to get what a Fiat is and was one of the "good guys" at Fiat back then.

Best regards, Chris
 
I subscribe(2yrs) to the magazine......

and its refreshing to finally see something written about our cars.I high-ly recommend this publication to all of you guys.Its different and i can`t wait to get it every month!!!!......................:)
 
We got the issue yesterday. My sense of what they wrote, the intent was well natured and intentions, but Karl still got a number of the facts wrong. Generally positive and does give the X some positive media exposure.

Got to wonder why this continues to happen with automotive journalist who write about the X1/9.

Regardless, I'll write Craig (editor) about this to give them some feed back after some more thought on this.

I think it's time we write a FAQ or similar article about the X1/9 once and for all to put an end to the mis-information and etc..

budgetzagato said:
But it was good natured.:)
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I think it's par for the course...

...When writing about old cars. Unless you're getting your info spoon fed to you by a manufacturer about a new car, you have to rely on documentation (not all of which is correct), historical articles (likewise), and memory (ditto). It would be great if every article could be checked and re-checked for accuracy but, that's not feasible in today's need-it-yesterday world. :)

No mention of Xweb, huh.:(
 
journalists

Rupunzell said:
Got to wonder why this continues to happen with automotive journalist who write about the X1/9.
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It's not just about the X, I cannot tell you how many Fiat stories got the information incorrect. I had a few magazines sending me all of their Fiat based stories for fact checking for a few years, but with new staff & time constraints they have all stopped.

I hate to brag, but when Genny was writing the editor knew they would not get letters pointing out everything wrong. Very few authors spend the time to properly fact check. And the biggest reason is $$$. Automotive journalists get the lowest per story payment of most of the magazines you will read.
 
...and its not just FIATs...

Virtually every time I've read an article in one of the general interest enthusiast mags written about a car I'm intimately familiar with, I always find an error or two. In the case of H, S&E most of the time they're minor and of little consequence... and only a fellow geek would know or care.

I'll say it again, H, S&E is one of the better publicatons out there today for those that are in to the "classic" sports cars. I hope they keep it up...
 
Ok, I got mine today in the mail (my mail man must-a went and picked it up at the printer and walked here) and have read the article.

I believe it displays the x-1/9 in a positive light. Not 100% correct, but still, positive.
 
Finally got the issue...

Pretty good potted history of the car and written by one of the most fluent auto journalists around. Gave the car the credit it deserves for being an unmatched piece of packaging.
I have never read the magazine before but am enjoying it thoroughly-a much better publication than Classic Motorsport has become. I think with some positive feedback Hemmings could be in our corner.:excited:
 
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