Featured reader rides ??

Steve, I agree with you, the Jags SHOULD have more votes. So give 'em your vote! I've given them mine.

It's simple, really... if you think great cars are overlooked, vote for 'em. If you don't like a car, don't vote for it.

Your votes (and comments, and updates) determine which ones turn up as Featured. You have to vote to make a difference.

And don't forget, you can give yourself a vote, too

Hey Steve, I sense that you are irritated by all of this. It really is nothing more than a friendly forum that had a run on Fiats a while back. I am sure that the X1/9s near the bottom of the list did nothing to "piss" anyone off, they may simply be new additions. there were indeed some emails exchanged but that was all part of the fun. This was not a car show or anything. British car snobery will not get you anywhere. I have never blasted a British car and can appreciate many marques. Chill out and don't take it so personal.

Now, I need to see what we can do about those stray X1/9s at the bottom.

Peace.

I admit, I have bashed a british car or two, but my first car was a new to me 1976 TR-7 back in 1984. And I autocrossed a few midgets / spridgets / mgb's etc....

But the amping up the x's all in good fun during the t-shirt contest (and, yes, I do wear mine frequently. Thanks Tim)

I did my part and voted up the newly added x-1/9's and a few other interesting cars today as well.

Best regards, Kevin

In reply to bluevr6:

Me too. I have voted a few more up the list.

I was looking for some nice Saab 99's or 900's as well, but AWOL....

In reply to Sownman: I am a current Jaguar XJS V twelve owner. Previously I have owned two other Jaguars, an XJ6 and an E-Type roadster. I also have owned a Triumph Spitfire. My favorite cars have been the seven X 1/9s that I have owned. The Jags are pretty cars to look at, but that is about as far as I have positive to say about them. The XJS is overweight, a gas pig and extremely difficult to work on - and they make the F(ix) I(t) A(gain) T(ony) moniker a poor joke.The X 1/9 is actually a very reliable, affordable and extremely great handling ride. It will even get 30+ mpg after the performance gear has been added. Parts are very reasonably priced, there are excellent parts sources (Midwest X and others) and did I mention they handle like nothing else? The E -Type was certainly one of the most beautiful cars I have owned, but not very comfortable, reliable or economical to own and drive on a consistent basis. My XJ6 was a 1995. Door handle failures, poor trim quality and expensive maintenance requirements drove me get rid of that one. Sure was a looker, though. Bottom line: If anyone has a nice clean X 1/9 that they would like to trade me for my 1986 Jaguar XJS, please contact me. Your loss would be my gain!

In reply to Dpvog:

Hi Dpvog! Who's Rudy? I don't know him, but I'd guess he as good taste in cars!

Hey,wasn't it a Sunbeam that "Get Smart" drove ? That proves Sunbeams are cooler than Fiats. As seen on TV.

In reply to chazjeffries: Yeah....But "The Saint" drove a white XJS. So it doesn't prove anything, even though Maxwell Smart was really cool....he just wasn't ready for an X, because they hadn't quite started building them yet. Someone has a Sunbeam basketcase for sale on C-List in my area. If anyone is interested, I can forward them the link. Looks like toast in the pics, but there might be some decent parts on her. Bottom line is that we are all car enthusiasts here. As we each have different preferences in cars, the same probably goes for our tastes of different colors, as well. Passion is passion and we are fortunate that there are still some interesting cars out there.

In reply to vtwelve: I thought the Saint drove a Volvo P1800 ?

In reply to Coupefan: Hey, for whatever its worth, your car is gorgeous, and it's been ages since I've seen one like it. Years ago, before R&T betrayed is carnut readership, they did a feature on painting cars. A Fiat 124 Coupe just like yours got painted a nice red color, again, just like yours. Your car reminded me of that car and that article. VERY nice! -Doug

In reply to chazjeffries: First of all, Don Adams played an loveable but hopeless dolt in Get Smart, not a suave secret agent. Second, he did drive a 65 Tiger in the first three years of GS, but in 68 he drove a VW Karmann Ghia, and in the final 1969 season, he drove an Opel GT.

In reply to bmw327: Sorry, but thought you were Rudy. He just recently created a minor buzz in the Fiat X community when he sold his restored X and announced that he would be picking up a used 3 series Bimmer. The way you were talking about the X, I figured you had to be him. -Doug

I used to work for a Rolls, Jaguar, Rover (not Land), Alfa and Fiat dealership in SoCal. I lived 45 miles from the dealership and due to the distance I never got the same car/demo every day. It was fun taking the RR and Jaguars home. Drove the old guy across the street nuts.

My 2 favorites though, were the Alfa 2.5 GTV Balocco (hope I spelled that right) and the X1/9. Never took the freeway home with those two. Pasadena to Valencia. Good times. The X1/9 was like driving an gocart and the Alfa was just wonderful. Once or twice on slow weeknights, we challenged the Porsche guys next door to time trial around the Rose Bowl. Pasadena PD put the end to that.

I got the Italian cars out of my system. Now I drive V6 Alpines. Great neighborhood where I live now. A guy around the corner owns 2 X1/9's and 124 and 128 Fiats.

In reply to Sownman:

I drove a Sunbeam Tiger years ago and remember what a handful it was around corners... unless one placed approximately 200 lbs of cement mix bags in the trunk. Poor man's Cobra.

In reply to justjon:

What the heck... did Sownman drop the "Cone of Silence"?

In reply to chazjeffries:

Drove a P1800 early on, but in the TV series Simon Templar drove a white XJS with cinnamon interior. I probably would have rather driven the P1800!

Some great experiences, thanks for sharing.

Original Get Smart car was a Sunbeam Alpine (may have been a Tiger later in the series) and I remember both the P1800 and the XJS from The Saint....

It looks like you're saying that people prefer to own the kind've cars that naturally fetch high prices at auctions. I suppose Camrys and Accords would be selling for seven figures if I follow your reasoning.

X1/9's, and older cars in general, are easy to work on, interesting, unique, and intrinsically preferable quite apart from what they fetch at auction.

Perhaps your 'imagination' needs to be jostled by a drive in an X1/9, highly recommended.

I know everyone's piling over here from the Fiat forums, but you've got to admit, Steve's got a point... the Fiat numbers are artificially inflated. You all got together and voted as a block (and are still doing so), pushing the numbers of your favorites up.

So that's why Fiats are well represented in Readers' Rides--they obviously have a very rabid following.

Think they're over-represented, or other worthy cars are being pushed down? So do I. I LOVE Fiats, but they're pushing some REALLY cool stuff out right now. The answer, of course, is to vote for those other cars.

If the MG, Triumph or Jag folks ever decide to vote for THEIR favorites en masse, it will all be moot, anyway.

In reply to Duane_Estill:

Here, the next best thing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzJab-BG6Y8

Man, I need to go for a drive.

Frankly, it is more fun to be on the fringe. Let's not make our Fiats too popular or I will have get an old Lancia.

Cheers Ron

Quite right Ron. The underdog and fringe status is part of the appeal.

And now one of my cars is the featured!!!!!!!!

Very nice X, Coupefan. I quite liked the screaming yellow Trip-S Bluebird that was featured a few days ago. I love the old school JDM stuff. Cheers, Scott