Used Fiat X19

The X19, a mid-engined two-seat sports car was produced by Fiat from 1972 to 1982 and Bertone from 1982 to 1989, The first right-hand drive variant of the mass market mid-engined sports car appeared in 1976. The X19 used Fiat’s transverse 128 Front Wheel Drive and gearbox in a rear wheel drive position, a revolutionary concept other automakers copied to solve problems in the production of their mid-engine sports cars models. The X19 was well-known for its superb handling and was the first among cars that met the now abandoned US 60’s safety regulations. The initial X19 production car had a definite wedge shape, having taken a lot of styling hints from the contemporary design of a power boat. Other features retained from the prototype model include the flat and long hood with indentation at the center, huge front overhang, a distinctive C roll-over pillar, and the plimsoll-line indented through the entire of the car’s body. The result is a sharp-edged design, which when combined with a removable hard top and pop-up headlights, gave the X19 a highly distinguished look. The first X19 models sported a 1290cc 75 horsepower engine with single overhead cam equipped with an aluminum head. Performance was less than inspiring, somewhat limited with an unexpectedly heavy body shell. The weight stemmed from the sturdy materials of the body shell, which in crash tests equaled that of a sedan. This allowed the fitting of much more powerful engines without significant modifications of the body. Consequently, a 1498 cc capable of 85 bhp was fitted, which partially addressed performance problems brought about by the 1,020 kg body, a weight much too heavy for a such a small car with sporty intentions. The Gran Finale, the last production X19 models, was sold from 1989 to 1990 period. These were dealer modified variants of the Special Edition produced in 1988 and 1989 that added Gran Finale badges and a rear spoiler. Abarth, a Fiat subsdiary developed the Abarth X19 in 1973 as replacement to the 124 Abarth Spider, FIAT\\\'s main rally car. Ultimately, Fiat settled on the less technically refined and slower 131 Abarth, as the latter had a wider and bigger market base. Although dogged by some performance problems throughout its life, the fact that the Fiat X19 lasted more fifteen years is confirmation enough that there were many positives in the car. Its handling was not all bad and today, a used X19 parked in the garage is something to be pleased about.