Collectible autos: the Fiat X1/9

The Subaru XT. The 1^st generation Toyota MR2. The Triumph TR7. The Pontiac Fiero. The Fiat X1/9. They're all little cars shaped like little door stops.

I'm focusing on the last of these today: the Fiat X1/9. Now, Fiat has a reputation for making small and durable cars: the 500 was early in a line of cars that included the basis for the Yugo GV, which has a terrible reputation here in the US but is actually a terribly reliable little car. Even the Fiat Panda, which is one of the slowest vehicles available in Europe today, was given mountains of praise for being a great little car by the nutters over at Top Gear.

Now, Fiat hasn't traditionally spent much energy on sports cars. Since Fiat S.p.A. is an industrial conglomerate first and an automotive brand second, the Fiat models are almost always arranged so they don't compete with vehicles under other marques of the Fiat empire. Both Alfa Romeo and Ferrari are owned by Fiat, and it's accordingly quite rare to see anything with both a large engine and a Fiat badge.

The X1/9 (which wasn't ever really named at all—it simply kept its internal model designation) was a sporty car built to Fiat's market position: it was small and simple and cheap. Taking design notes from Fiat S.p.A. stablemates Lancia Stratos and Dino (by Ferrari), Fiat built the X1/9 as a mid-engined car—although it got a 1.3L or 1.5L four-cylinder instead of the larger V6s put in the Dino and Stratos. Fiat sold the X1/9 from 1974 through 1988 and all models in the US came with the 1.5L engine and a 5-speed transmission. The X1/9 is very similar in design to the 1^st generation Toyota MR2 and shares its overall design with such notables as the Porsche 914 and Boxster and the Lotus Elise.

Because it's small and light and well-balanced and quirky and European, I absolutely love the X1/9. That's too bad, really.

Collectability: Poor. If you want a cheap X1/9-style thrill, buy a go-kart.

(+) It's got handling pedigree. The mid-engined, rear-drive platform is one that's been tested over and over again in racing and nearly always comes out on top. Mid-engined cars handle so well because they generally have near-perfect 50/50 weight balance between the front and rear axles, but more importantly because their moment of inertia is terribly low. My BMW has nearly 50/50 weight balance, too, but it will never turn as well as an X1/9 or an MR2 because all the heavy bits sit at the front and rear of the car, not at the center.

(+) It's simple and cheap to fix. Certainly, almost none of the cars in the light mid-engined category (except maybe the Elise) will break the bank, but you can pick up a secondhand Fiat X1/9 or 128 engine for less than a grand—and that ain't bad. Only air-cooled VW parts are likely cheaper than Fiat engine parts.

(-) It's the ultimate non-prestige sporty car. The X1/9 is a capable car, but Fiat isn't exactly an upscale marque. That puts the X1/9 in the same category as cars like the Suzuki Samurai, the Mitsubishi Eclipse, and even the Ford Taurus SHO—not the best camaraderie for a collectible car.

(-) It's shaped like a door stop. The X1/9's styling is controversial, at best. It's also a known fact that nobody has ever looked cool driving an X1/9—it simply doesn't happen. Now, I think it's cool, but I'll also have a difficult time convincing anyone else that it's cool.

Hey, at least it's better than the Subaru XT.

(-) It's unsafe. Now, this isn't a 914 or a Thing, but it's still a small Italian car from the 1970s. I wouldn't feel safe carrying anyone in this car at anything more than 40mph...but that's OK, because nobody would want to be seen in the car in the first place.

(-) The Japanese beat the Italians. The 1^st generation MR2 is a better car than the X1/9, and the 2^nd generation MR2 is a vastly better car. Sure, they're a decade newer, but the early MR2 is about as cheap as a good X1/9 and will mop it up and down an autocross track without any real difficulty.

Expect to pay: $1,000 for a drivable X1/9, or closer to $3,000 for one you could feel proud driving—that is, if you could feel proud driving it in the first place.

What to look for:

• A straight body is key. These cars are light and under heavy abuse, they can get bent fairly easily. As always, look for rust in the wheel wells and under the chassis.
  
• Watch out for modifications done with poor workmanship. Lots of garage mechanics work on these cars since they're so cheap. Odds are good that any X1/9 you'll find will have poorly installed stereo equipment.
  
• Do look for recently replaced brakes, suspension, and tires. If you're spending a grand on a car, it's worth making sure that you won't have to spend another grand getting it to be really driveable.