is this one in the background here? This is from an all Italian car meet in LA yesterday called Macchinissima. There was another one on the other side of the event but I didn’t get photos of everything.

 

is this one in the background here? This is from an all Italian car meet in LA yesterday called Macchinissima. There was another one on the other side of the event but I didn’t get photos of everything.
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Yep.

 

My wife had an X1/9 as one of her first cars. Not ideal for Ontario winters.
she told me that the guys in the factory where she worked (as admin) used to pick it up and turn it sideways in a parking space!

 

My wife had an X1/9 as one of her first cars. Not ideal for Ontario winters.
she told me that the guys in the factory where she worked (as admin) used to pick it up and turn it sideways in a parking space!

IBunch of us did that to one of our favoriteteachers cars in grammar school. We were the class hellions and she was proud that we did it TOGETHER! 🥰

 

Yes it is. That car is a Bertone X1/9 to be clear. Would likely be a 1983 car, but could be an early 1984. The two tone X1/9s with build dates from late 1982 and sold as 1983s badged as Bertones, and 1983 build dates that bled into 1984 had low belt lines with a red/silver/dark gray stripe separating top (in this case blanco white) from bottom (in this case Grigio). I have this exact car, (her name is Mia) modified with a hot camshaft, a short shifter and factory magnesium wheels, and she is an amazing car. Again, I think this car is the ancestral successor to the 4C. The reason I bought a white 4C spider is because I wanted two cars that represent the first and the last of the genre that are twins, down to the red leather seats. I love these cars! My avatar shows my other X1/9, Louis, who is as pristine as can be. She was lovingly disassembled and restored by Matt Brannon of Midwest Bayless fame. She was the best in show X1/9 from the 2011 Fiat Freakout in Nashville, TN. The X1/9 is a magnificent car, and the 4C spider is what Nucio Bertone always envisioned it to become.

 

A lovely X 1/9 wearing Cromodoras (CD-30)

 

The X1.9 is a very popular car for hill climbs in Europe. They are light and with an engine transplant with around 300 hp can be a formidable weapon. Of course a lot of suspension and chassis tweaking are necessary so the end result is far from stock. Thel photo of the car at the top of this post stream is very nice. Would love to know more info about it.

 

I had five X1/9s. They were truly great cars and I consider the 4C a true spiritual successor to it (as was mentioned). The X1/9 was not just a Bertone design, but specifically Marcello Gandini of Miura/Countach/Stratos/308GT4 fame, and there is serious design commonality among the X1/9, GT4, and Stratos (as well as serious parts bin raiding)

One of my X1/9s was also the reason I ended up being given an F40 for a track day. I had been an in-car coach for the F40 owner at a Ferrari National meet. I'd been working with him to try to correct some habits and improve his corner exits to better suit its power delivery, and also working on balancing the car during the entry phase.

I took him out in the X1/9 which, making only modestly extra power, was much slower than the F40. Yet, he saw and felt the concepts that I was trying to convey in his car, and after being driven around consistently very much on the limits of little X, he enthusiastically handed over the F40 to me for the next session while riding and learning as passenger. In the next session we swapped, and his improvements were dramatic. Experiencing is Understanding. I then also had a little time in it myself as a reward.

The 4C, to me, feels very much like an F40, with its raw "turbo-forward" experience, unassisted steering with minimal self-centering and caster (The F40 actually has a bit more stock caster), and direct braking feel (4Cs brakes are way better than F40).

Good times.