On Monday, April 7, 2003, at 01:24 PM, Max Heim wrote:
> Hmmm, I don't think so... that would be like selling a Jaguar as an MG
> -- a
> serious case of down-marketing. Perhaps you are thinking of when the
> FIAT
> 124 Spyder was marketed under the Bertone brand, and I may have a vague
> recollection of the Alfa being marketed as a Pininfarina... Certainly
> they
> could have been sold at the same dealer, and I won't deny there were
> some
> desperate measures undertaken by the US importers.
Solely as a FWIW
I've owned a Fiat 124 Spider (no y in the name, Lancia used a y) and a
Bertone X1/9. Sometime in the eighties (my X1/9 was an '85), Bertone
took over the X1/9 and Pininfarina took over the Spider.
The Spider was mostly eye candy. Wood front dash, bulgy hood, useless
back seat. The 5-speed was nice, but it had synchro problems ALOT. I
changed out a tranny without 2nd gear for a "good used one" that I
unfortunately found lacked 3rd gear. Really not that quick either.
The X1/9 was zippy. I used to always get traffic light noise from the
Fiero clowns; they had nothing! Top end though, like the Spider,
wasn't the greatest and the TR7 wedge look gets old quickly.
Both handled like dreams with stronger nods going to the X1/9. Simply
amazing to drive on Arkansas winding roads.
All that said, I eventually landed in a MGB and there must be some
reason why I'm restoring a British car instead of a "Fix It Again Tony"
Fiat. :)
Kevin Smith
'68 MGB Roadster (under restoration)
'72 MGB Roadster (rust growth experiment)
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