Is the X1/9 Emerging from the Shadows?

I'm shocked

I am really shocked. This is coming from 'he who shall not be named', an individual notorious with regular negative postings of the X1/9, and other Fiat models. Could it be...maybe...yes...he's seen the light? :hmm:
 
The author...

The author, JeffZ, is free lance writer for multiple publications,
including Sports Car Market.
I don't recall hearing or reading a disparaging word from JeffZ.

Some SCM writers do have pointed opinions on various marques,
but overall, I think they recognize attributes of most cars.
I suspect the pointed opinions are more crafty than disparaging.
Crafty...in that drama gets people talking and sells magazines.
 
Subscription required to read the body of this article..

Why now..

When the exxe was in production, it was liked and appreciated by many in the motoring world. In the pages of Road & Track, it has been praised many, many times. Raced at the 24 Hours of Nelson Ledges to victory in SSC by R&T and voted as one of the best sports cars for a changing world.

This kind of praise by R&T was not alone, CAR magazine gave it a good and named it a minor master piece, Autoweek made a project car out of it that resulted in a better chassis than a 911.. Even Colin Chapman purchased on for his daughter Sarah... and this list goes on..

Turn a few pages of automotive media, the exxe became the poster child for abuse. More than a few motor journalist from that later generation deemed it a total POS, under powered, rusty, un-reliable and a BIG why bother..

Having watched the history and evolution of the exxe for over thirty years, had more than a few very ugly confrontations with noted motor journalist over what they wrote about the exxe challenging them on each and every one of their assumptions and prejudices about the exxe..

Why now.

Are FCA ad dollars having an effect on motor journalist or ????

It is really a mixed thing if the "classic" or collector car market takes note of the exxe. While it might drive up the market value of the exxe and motivate car folks to preserve and enjoy them and motivate the aftermarket to make proper reproduction parts for the exxe.. it is difficult to really know if Bertone's swan song will be appreciated for the great design it has been since day one.



Bernice
 
Edit: I see, this was just a teaser. How disappointing.
 
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No, I'm not talking about the author, but rather the magazine, historically. One little snip I remember was to the effect 'yes, it's a great car for your teenager, as she or he will never get out of the neighborhood do to its reliability'. I hold a grudge.
 
No surprise here...

Perpetuation of the Fix It Again Toni myth by those who have never owned one or any length of time.


-This is already happening to the Alfa Romeo 4C. Many folks have never seen one in real life, driven one or owned one, yet the poor build quality, un-reliable, cheap heap, why bother and numerous negative comments are already under full steam by the self-proclaimed auto experts on the web.


Bernice


Coupefan said:
No, I'm not talking about the author, but rather the magazine, historically. One little snip I remember was to the effect 'yes, it's a great car for your teenager, as she or he will never get out of the neighborhood do to its reliability'. I hold a grudge.
Click to expand...
 
I wonder what perceptions the younger members of our cult brought to the X. I, though 46, don't remember the X as a contemporary car. I saw my first in '84. Somewhere along the road I picked up the baggage that it was hard to work on due it's mid engine design. I think the whole "fix it again tony" thing didn't really sink in as Fiat was largely done when I got on the radar, just cool old spiders around, that's all I knew. Not a ton of misconceptions were held by me at the time and I learned to dismiss them and now I know they were baseless. Great car all around. Wonder how the slights started in the first place? Vehicular racism? I remember the fact it used a timing belt, not a chain, thus needed replacement was "new" to us Americans, we didn't swap the belt, it broke, trashed the 1300 and "we" blamed Fiat. That's one story I read.
 
It not what happens, it what people THINK happened...

My first illustration of this was the Spanish-American War (NO, I didn't serve aboard the "Maine") and with all the political battles and actual battles for control... when the "Maine" was mysteriously sunk... people THOUGHT it had to be the Spanish.

I had the same "thought" when with the Oklahoma bombing... I never suspected it was one of our "own".

But when it comes to autos... I think our prime example was the Corvair and our illustrious arsehole of an attorney, Ralph Nader. I was around and indeed driving at that time and the accusations made at that time escaped me... especially when VW had virtually the same swing axle set-up. Someone once said if you wanna get BIG, then knock the BIG... and there was no one bigger than GM at the time.

Later it was PROVEN that the films and documentation were maliciously CONTRIVED and Nader was a LIAR... but the damage had been done years before... and that arsehole still goes on today with his crap.

Another outspoken person (Charlie Wilson) was heavily rebuked when he said "What's good for GM is good for the country..." He was proven right as well.
 
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