Part 1: How it all began

"The first time I saw an X1/9 was on the cover of Car & Driver magazine in 1973. I read every word of the article several times and every other subsequent magazine the car was featured in. The X 1/9 was and is a unique vehicle so it actually appeared in quite a few publications and especially in the early days. I almost immediately went to see the local Fiat dealer in Milwaukee and ended-up number three on the waiting list to purchase one.

Daum Motor Cars was typical of the Fiat dealer network in that it was a former Packard and Studebaker store that no longer had a new car franchise. They usually picked up Fiat, Renault or some other tentative marketing effort by European manufacturers in America. The people didn't know a lot about the cars and usually less about servicing these cars since they were out of the element for US roads.

The X1/9 was an unusual venture in many respects. The car was actually designed to sell in the US market with no plans to push the car in Europe. The target was to capture sales from popular British sports cars by offering something no one else had - a mid engined, overhead camed, four wheel independent suspended, four wheel disc braked, targa toped, Bertone designed car built to American safety standards.

There were only three areas where Fiat miscalculated. First, Bertone expended great energy and innovation in fitting everything into as small a package as possible. Small size was not a sought after feature to the vast majority of Americans.

Second, Fiat lived in the land of taxation by engine displacement and historically high fuel prices. The engine was sized to give entertaining performance within these restrictions by using high RPMs and constantly rowing the gearbox. A displacement of 89 cubic inches was considered dangerous by a public that felt any type of four cylinder vehicle didn't belong on interstate highways. Fuel prices were lower than any European could even dream of paying.

Thirdly, Fiat commissioned Bertone to have the new design meet the anticipated rollover standard for the USA. The standard was never enforced because only Fiat and Volvo could meet the 85 MPH rollover standard. This made the X1/9 heavy for its size but incredible stiff considering all of the openings in this targa topped car.

In early 1974 me and my wife Nancy took a trip to San Francisco with a stop planned in Las Vegas on the return to Milwaukee. While in San Francisco, we purchased a brown X1/9 from European Motor Cars that was still on the boat. The car was transported to Chicago, the trip to Las Vegas was canceled and we had the beginning of Chocolate Chip Racing.

The first time I drove an X1/9 was when my car arrived at a Chicago freight terminal. My wife and I took turns driving it to Milwaukee. The car was dirty in and out, the weather was terrible and still the X 1/9 did not disappoint. I have never found another car with a comparable fun factor. Soon after this trip we had begun a relationship with Art and Sue Bayless in Memphis, an SCCA membership. We were off to the races!"