I still remember my first drive in an X1/9, a brand-new 1500 model to which the salesman handed me the keys after pointing me in the direction of some entertaining roads. He said he didn't need to come with me, not that he could have fitted in, of course, as my wife had staked her claim to the passenger seat! That was some drive, and very quickly dispelled any lurking suspicions I might have had that the X1/9 was all about looks and not enough about go and handling. Still, the hairdresser's car image still lingers; bad reputations are always hard to shake off. The point is, though, that the X1/9 never deserved that sort of reputation in the first place. All right, so it isn't very practical (you'll curse the spare wheel position if you get a puncture on a dark and wet night), it isn't very quiet (but you do get used to that revvy little engine behind your head), and it does rust (well, it's Italian!). But it's a great deal of fun to drive, not too expensive to run, and still turns heads in the street. What more could you ask of a small sports car? I am sure that enthusiasts and owners everywhere will welcome this latest Brooklands title, which includes not only interesting reminders of how the car was seen when it was new, but also some valuable and more recent material which offers advice on buying an X1/9 today and on keeping it in the best of health. Models covered: 1300, 1500, VS & Bertone.

Publisher: Brooklands Books

Status: Out of Print (No Stock)

Number of pages: 172

Black & white images: 350

Binding: SBD

Language: English

Origin: HKG