The X1/9 is a two-seater mid-engined sports car designed by Bertone under Marcello Gandini. Fiat built it from 1972 to 1982; from 1982 to 1989 the car was built by Gruppo Bertone itself in Turin, which is why the later cars are known as the Bertone X1/9.
Bertone X1/9 at a glance
| Designer | Bertone, chief designer Marcello Gandini |
|---|---|
| Built by | Fiat, 1972–1982 |
| Then by | Gruppo Bertone, 1982–1989 |
| Layout | mid-mounted transverse engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Body produced at | Bertone, Grugliasco |
| Engine | 1,290 cm³ SOHC four, from the Fiat 128 |
| Power | 75 PS at 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 97 N·m at 3,400 rpm |
| Gearbox | four-speed; five-speed from 1979 |
| Roof | removable targa panel, stowed in the front boot |
| Suspension | fully independent, MacPherson struts |
| Brakes | 227 mm solid discs, split circuit |
| Top speed | over 170 km/h |
The X1/9 is described in the English Wikipedia article on the Fiat X1/9; this page concentrates on the Bertone design and the years in which Bertone built the car.
History of the Bertone X1/9
From the Runabout
The X1/9 grew out of the Autobianchi A112 Runabout, a show car of 1969 styled by Bertone under Marcello Gandini. The Runabout took cues from power-boat design, and several of them survived into the production car: the long flat bonnet with a central indentation, the large front overhang, the wedge with a prominent C-pillar roll-over hoop and a waterline indented along the whole flank. The extreme ideas, such as C-pillar mounted headlights and a tiny wind-deflector screen, were dropped.
Engine in the middle
Fiat took the drivetrain of the front-wheel-drive 128 and moved it behind the passenger cabin, which gave the X1/9 its mid-engine layout. The 1,290 cm³ single-overhead-camshaft four came from the 128 Coupé 1300 and used a twin-choke Weber carburettor and an 8.9:1 compression ratio for 75 PS at 6,000 rpm and 97 N·m at 3,400 rpm. The four-speed gearbox was carried over with a taller fourth, and the car reached more than 170 km/h. The fuel tank and spare wheel sat ahead of the engine, behind the seats, which kept the weight inside the wheelbase and gave a luggage compartment at each end.
A Bertone body
The monocoque body was built at Bertone’s factory in Grugliasco and then taken to Fiat’s Lingotto works for final assembly. Standard wheels were 4.5J by 13 inches with 145 HR 13 tyres, with alloy wheels as an option. Suspension was fully independent with MacPherson struts at both ends, brakes were 227 mm solid discs all round in a split circuit, and steering was rack and pinion. The sharp-edged styling, retractable headlamps, integrated front spoiler and removable hardtop made the X1/9 the first Fiat designed from the start to meet US safety regulations.
The Bertone years
Fiat built the car from 1972 to 1982. A right-hand-drive version followed in 1976, before which Radbourne Racing had converted left-hand-drive cars for the British market. The only major revision came for 1979, usually called Series II, when the 1.3-litre four and four-speed gearbox gave way to the 1.5-litre, five-speed drivetrain of the Fiat Ritmo, together with changes to the exterior. After 1982 the car passed to Gruppo Bertone, which continued to build it in Turin until 1989, the last years of a design that began as a show car in 1969.
Design and features
- Mid-engined balance: the 128 drivetrain moved behind the cabin, with the fuel tank and spare wheel inside the wheelbase.
- Two boots: a front compartment that also takes the removable roof panel, and a rear one under a conventional lid.
- Wedge by Gandini: flat bonnet with central indentation, prominent C-pillar hoop and a waterline running the length of the car.
- Targa roof: a removable hardtop that stows in the front luggage compartment.
- Everyday engineering: MacPherson struts, disc brakes all round, rack-and-pinion steering and a 75 PS 1.3.
Bertone X1/9 versions
- X1/9 1300 (1972–1978): 1,290 cm³ engine, four-speed gearbox.
- Series II (1979): 1.5-litre Ritmo engine and five-speed gearbox, with exterior changes.
- Right-hand drive (from 1976): factory version for the British market.
- Bertone X1/9 (1982–1989): the car built by Gruppo Bertone after Fiat ended its own production.
The X1/9 is the production counterpart of Bertone’s show cars such as the Carabo and the Genesis. More cars are in the Bertone collection.
Video: DSK Nordschleife 05.06.2013 Bertone X1/9 von 1985
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Fiat X1/9, English Wikipedia: design, engines, production by Fiat and Bertone, Series II
