X1/9, interview with Marcello Gandini

Marcello Gandini, famous for creating some of the most iconic cars of all time, including the X1/9 for Bertone, is recognized as one of the greatest designers of all time. Below is an excerpt from an interview conducted in 2017 with master Gandini by Daniele Accornero, representative and co-founder of Club X1/9 Italia, regarding the Fiat Bertone X1/9 model.

- The X1/9 was presented to the press in November 1972, but the project originated several years earlier.
GANDINI: «Already at the end of 1968, Bertone assigned me to create a study for a new convertible car with the aim of replacing the Fiat 850 spider, which would later become the X1/9. I remember well the day of the first drawing because it was the same day when the Apollo 8 spacecraft circled around the Moon and returned (December 21). From the first drawing, the car was characterized by softer lines and shapes compared to the final model, which I subsequently and progressively made more taut and aggressive; the engine placement was already in the mid-position.»
- In 1969, Bertone presented a prototype at the Salone Automobile of Torino, the Runabout, considered the predecessor of the X1/9.
GANDINI: «The Runabout was a small boat-like car that foreshadowed the lines and technical concepts of the X1/9, representing a bold preliminary step towards this model's future. Although it featured exaggerated and eccentric aesthetic solutions, also to avoid public references to what was intended to be Fiat's new spider, the car demonstrated that certain stylistic and technical choices could be integrated into a production vehicle.»
- At Fiat's behest, the X1/9 was supposed to replicate the technical layout (front engine) of the 128 model, but thanks to Bertone's determination, stubbornness, and tenacity, combined with his pencil and creativity, a model was created that was quite far from the traditional technical standards of the Turin-based company.
GANDINI: «For many years I had been advocating, for various reasons, the mid-engine layout. This solution was fully supported and carried forward by Nuccio Bertone: among his qualities stood out an exceptional intuition linked to the company's industrial policy; the creation of a completely new model that exhibited the characteristics of the X1/9 and not the standard ones of the 128 would ensure that a substantial part of the production needed to fulfill the order was carried out at his plant in Grugliasco, which indeed happened.»
- The X1/9 immediately surprises positively, not only for the kind of technical solutions adopted and its level of styling but also for the pleasure and driving emotions.
GANDINI: «Nuccio Bertone used to scold me for not driving our cars. He was probably right because it's also important to combine design with practice, but I preferred the pencil and calculations rather than the steering wheel.
Among the cars I designed and engineered, the X1/9 is certainly one I drove the most. In a period between '73 and '75, on some weekends it was common for me to take a few hours of leisure, to reach the sea or lakes where I enjoyed and had fun sailing; I went in the X1/9. I remember that the pleasure of driving sometimes led me to drive beyond the limit, taking some risks.»
- The X1/9 received some criticism about the engine displacement, which some considered small given the car's characteristics.
GANDINI: «During the development phase of the X1/9, at Bertone we considered slightly larger dimensions and a higher displacement to make the model more suited to its characteristics, but unfortunately, Fiat's opinion and decision were entirely negative. However, at the time, the performance of the X1/9 was very respectable and had nothing to envy in many larger displacement cars, demonstrating that features such as the central engine position and a very low center of gravity play a fundamental role in overcoming the limitations imposed by the engine specifications.»

Articolo in lingua italiana: clicca qui.

More information

• The X1/9 Club: click here
• The History of the X1/9: click here
• Models and Versions: click here
• Technical datasheets: click here
• Books: click here
• Homepage of the site: click here