1979 Fiat X1/9 in Rowlett, Texas

Vehicle Description

Impulso, that's an Italian word for momentum. The Fiat X1/9 is the embodiment of the momentum car. At 2000 pounds and barely 70 horsepower, it relies heavily on its go-kart like handling to keep more powerful pursuers at bay; on the gas and off the brakes, best to find the earliest line to enter the corner to keep the revs up on exit. This little Italian car will teach you things you never knew about driving fast.

Designed by the master of the wedge design, Marcelo Gandini of the Bertone Design Studio; the same man who penned most of the early Lamborghini supercars including the other worldly Miura and iconic Countach. The X1/9 inspired others to develop low cost mid-engine wedges such as the Toyota MR2 and Pontiac Fiero.

Up for sale is this 1979 edition of the Fiat X1/9, mid-engine sports car. This car is a true survivor; original and unrestored. Remarkably rust free, it hailed from Oklahoma where I purchased it from an X1/9 enthusiast. It came to me in good running condition. What little sorting I have done includes rewinding of a tired alternator, drive belts, spark plugs, CV Boots, some bushings, filters and a tie rod. As is common, the car's mechanical fuel pump has been bypassed with an aftermarket electric fuel pump relocated in the rear trunk. A fresh battery was installed in April 2017. I replaced some tired weather stripping and a few broken trim pieces. That's it!

Tires and shocks are good. Motor mounts look fresh. The car starts right up, idles and revs smoothly with no strange sounds or vibrations. The clutch has good modulation and takes up well. It shifts through all forward gears as is it should. Reverse gear is notoriously weak on these cars, but there is no issue with this one although by reputation I treat it with tenderness. The car steers precisely and tracks straight down the road. Unassisted disk brakes are more than adequate. It cruises easy on the highway at 70mph in fifth and runs about 180' Fahrenheit all day long in the Texas heat, no sweat.

Unlike many other Italian sports cars the '79 X features a single overhead cam engine. Its 1.5 liters rev freely up to its near 7000rpm red line. With a healthy compression ratio of about 9:1 you might think it temperamental but in fact with its non-interference valve train you are actually looking at a thoroughly thrashable low maintenance engine.

All of the lights and signals are in working order as is the instrumentation and controls. The AC components are installed but have not been charged or inspected. The removable top is in excellent condition and stows easily in the front trunk on the correct mounting tabs. The glass is all good and the windows roll up and down smoothly. The upholstery and carpet are original with a few threadbare areas but nothing major. The seats are very comfortable with good supportive foam. The dash is in great shape with only minor imperfections. The car has an aftermarket head unit with Bluetooth and sounds good, even with the top off and windows down.

The unrestored body and original paint show their age with some thin spots and a few dings here and there. I have freshened up a few of the exterior plastic trim pieces and adorned it with a nice new set of Fiat enamel emblems. The patina of this car has grown on me, but someone so inclined to restore it will be delighted with the starting point condition of this car.

This little car is a joy to drive and even though they built a lot of them it draws a lot of questions as to "what is it?" Of the 160,000 produced between 1972 and 1989, almost 92,000 were sold in the USA. They were designed to be inexpensive cars and as used cars got really cheap. As such many were neglected and were either reclaimed by the earth or sent to the crusher man. What is certain is that those that remain on the road today still look sharp, even exotic; the same wedge design elements graced many of the most coveted supercars ever made. I like to think of the X1/9 as a baby Ferrari.

Living in a world where 300hp is what you get in a base model Mustang and everyday performance models are pushing towards 500hp it begs the question where and when can one explore the limits of a 435hp Mustang GT without getting killed or going to jail? There is some old school wisdom and ear to ear grins in the adage that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow; impulso bella!

This Fiat X1/9 is located in Rowlett TX 75088 and is offered as is where is. Texas residents may be subject to sales tax and fees. I can assist with shipping worldwide. Low ballers and sales assistants need not apply. If the ad is posted the car is available. Call, text or reply.