1980s Bertone X1/9: East Coaster Today
Today’s East Coaster is a Bertone X1/9, in red of course. We believe it to from the mid-1980s.
Known in the motoring world as the ‘baby Ferrari’, the rear-wheel drive, two-seater was designed by Italian automaker Bertone and built by Fiat from 1972 until 1982, when Bertone took over the manufacture until 1989.
The tiny sports car was a darling of the automotive press for its balanced handling and for being the first truly affordable mid-engined roadster. As one Hemmings reviewer put it, “Once in the driver’s seat, you realize that this is a car you wear, fitted through the waist though not too tight in the inseam.”
Bertone X1/9, designed by Italian automobile design company, Bertone, and built by Fiat from 1972 until 1982 when Bertone took over the manufacture
The wedge-shaped roadster, owned by Ross McNeil of Duggers Menswear, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is powered by a 1,498-cc inline four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission.
With storage compartments in both the front and the rear and a lightweight removable hardtop, the funky little Italian two-seater is the perfect sporty companion for a summer weekend drive-about. Andiamo!
