Fiat X1/9 - Mdina Grand Prix, Malta - Classic Targa Sports Car

A red Fiat X1/9 with its distinctive black targa roof, wedge-shaped body and mid-engine layout photographed during the Mdina Grand Prix in Malta.

This photograph shows a red Fiat X1/9 at the Mdina Grand Prix in Malta, viewed from above as it passes the barriers surrounding the event course. Its sharply angled wedge-shaped body, contrasting black removable targa roof and louvred engine cover immediately distinguish this compact Italian sports car. Introduced in 1972, the X1/9 was designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone and offered an unusually sophisticated layout for an affordable sports car of its era. Its four-cylinder engine was mounted transversely behind the passenger compartment, driving the rear wheels and giving the small two-seater a balanced mid-engine configuration more commonly associated with considerably more expensive performance cars. The removable roof panel could be stored in the front luggage compartment, combining open-air motoring with the structural security of a substantial roll-over section behind the seats. Fiat marketed the X1/9 until 1982, after which Bertone continued production under its own name until 1989. Today its unmistakable 1970s styling makes the X1/9 a distinctive presence at classic motoring events.