Minneapoils Street Sighting: Fiat X1/9

It's been awhile since I've featured an Italian sports cars on this blog; I reckon I should rectify that right now. Normally, my Italian sightings consist of various Alfa Romeos, and maybe a Fiat 2000 spider or two. The X1/9 is not very common at all, much less in the rust belt. The occasion that I find one street parked is extremely rare, much less an immaculate one such as this.
This is only the second one I've blogged in my whole "career", and this one is quite nice-- not a spec of rust, not a ding or dent, this Italian beauty is obviously cherished by its owner. Interestingly enough, this is not the one that attends Wheels of Italy, but a different one-- and I'm quite shocked. Somehow there is more than one rust-free X1/9 alive in Minnesota. And that alone a miracle in itself.
As the picture quality suggests, this is an archive picking; I have seen this car within the last year or so since I got my DSLR, but I have not bothered to reshoot it because I thought these pictures were decent enough; the setting is fine, the lighting is pretty nice for a Minnesota fall, and there are no visual obstructions to ruin the car.
So why do I like the X/19 if it isn't fast? It's cool. When one thinks of sports cars from Italy, the mind immediately draws conclusions such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and maybe if you know your cars.. Alfa Romeo. But fitted under those prestige brands is another car that embodies the spirit of open-top Italia; Fiat's line of targa-soft-top cars. While a 2000 Spider the X/19 isn't, there is definitely a case to be made here as far as its sporting nature goes; it's not extremely fast out of the box, but that can easily be remedied with various engine swaps, including some of the smaller Ferrari V8s; it doesn't handle, you say? Easy-peasy suspension mods (traction bars) can be fabricated, but once minor suspension work is done, they'll handle like nobody's business. And what's more.. the price. Forget chucking $10,000 at one to make it yours; browsing craiglists yielded a few in the sub $4000 range. Not bad, especially if you want an Italian car, but don't want an Alfa like so many enthusiasts have gravitated to over the years. I say go for it if you want it!