Fiat sports cars

The car that launched the creative career of Carrozzeria Frua

Storyteller and Photographer | Richard Lentinello
This article originally appeared in Crankshaft #1

Italy during the 1950s and ‘60s was a hotbed of custom car building. Called carrozzerias, the work that emerged from these body shops was highly creative, immensely distinctive and uniquely Italian. Their creations ran the gamut from rebodied production sedans into one-off sports cars, full-race competition cars as well as custom bodies for all sorts of Italian and European automobiles including Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Triumph.

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By Roberto Motta
Photos by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles press archive and GGRM archive

Read the history of the X1/9 Prototipos
Read X1/9 Prototipos Today

Characterized by taut lines, and equipped with the engine and various mechanical components taken from the 128 sedan, the Fiat X1/9 was, and remains, a dream car.

The “X1/9” was part of a design series designation that began with the Fiat 128, which was the “X1/1”. The X1/9 was the first ‘Targa’ car produced by FIAT and Bertone.

From the 1965 to 1968, with the Bertone’s help, Fiat produced a low-priced sports car, the 850 Spider.

In the past, it was been a normal Fiat practice to realize an highly-tuned Spider versions of its standard sedans; for example the 1100 TV (in the mid 1950s), the 1200 and 1500 Roadster (in the early 1960s) or, from 1969, the 124 Spider. During the 1965, with the Bertone’s help, Fiat produced also a low-priced car, the little 850 Spider. This Spider was a great commercial success, helping cement the relationship between Bertone and Fiat.
[Read more…] about Fiat’s X1/9: The 1300 and 1500 Street Cars