The affordable mid-engine sports car. Gandini designed a Fiat 128-based targa that brought mid-engine handling to the masses 25 years before the Toyota MR2. Removable targa roof stored in the front trunk. 180,000 built.
History
Marcello Gandini, fresh from designing the Lamborghini Countach, applied mid-engine layout thinking to a humble Fiat 128 platform. The result was the first affordable mid-engine production car.
The X1/9 used the Fiat 128's transverse four-cylinder engine, mounted behind the cockpit. The targa roof panel could be stored in the front trunk. Front and rear trunks gave more luggage space than most sports cars.
With only 85 PS from 1.5 liters, the X1/9 was not fast. But at 960 kg, it handled with a precision and balance that embarrassed more powerful cars. The mid-engine layout gave it neutral handling characteristics that made it the ideal driving school car for aspiring racers.
180,000 were built across 17 years, first as a Fiat and later as a Bertone when Fiat withdrew from the US market. The X1/9 proved that mid-engine handling didn't require a mid-engine budget.
Clean examples command EUR 10,000 to EUR 25,000.
Production & Heritage
Value estimates are editorial assessments based on recent auction results and market trends.
Technical Specifications
Engine Details
Performance
Tags
Designed by Marcello Gandini (Bertone)
