CARS –
136-page hardcover focuses on the classic 1300 and 1500 Bertone-designed, mid-engined GT sports car.
The Fiat X1/9 is an iconic, wedge-shaped, mid-engine two-seater sports car designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone and produced from 1972 to 1989.
- Design & Layout: Features a removable targa top, pop-up headlights, and dual boots (front storage for the roof, rear for luggage). [1, 2, 3]
- Production: Built by Fiat until 1982, then manufactured entirely under the Bertone badge through 1989, with roughly 160,000 total units made. [1, 2, 3]
- Engine & Performance: Early models (1972–1978) used a 1.3-liter SOHC inline-4 engine (approx. 75 hp) with a 4-speed manual gearbox. Later models upgraded to a 1.5-liter engine (approx. 85 hp) and a 5-speed manual transmission. [1, 2]
- Driving Dynamics: Praised for exceptional handling and balanced weight distribution due to its mid-engine layout, though widely noted as underpowered in straight-line acceleration.
- pp. 135 illusts #230926
