Of Frogs and Man-Bags

Was talking to my brother the other day and we got onto the subject of the FiatX1/9 which he had some time ago.This was probably one of the prettiest cars I've seen.I don't mean that in a sneery,wussy way,it genuinely was a well styled,finely carved little two-seater.It looked like you could pick it up,put it under your arm and walk off with it and be proud to be seen with it,either under your arm,like a Gucci man-bag or sitting in it.Even stationary it looked like it was doing 90,which was probably as fast as you'd want to go,sitting that low on the ground.It'd feel more like 180.That reminds me of my mate's Frog-eyed Sprite,that would go under an artic.I know because we very nearly did after a bout of over-enthusiastic braking.Less said...Anyway,the little Fiat came in a fetching lime green,with pop-up lights and tiny alloy wheels.I think some of my model cars had bigger wheels...But there's no getting away from it,the car handled like all cars should,like a dream.And so it should,with a low centre of gravity and the engine sitting just behind your ears,so it seemed,it couldn't help itself but stick to the road like,er,jam to a baby's bib.For a sports car I think it was pretty reliable,the only issue I remember having to sort out was the gear linkage,which was exposed to any slight hump in the road.Catch the linkage on a rock,say, and you lost half the gears.A judicious thump wth a fist on the levers usually sorted it but it was that sensitive to ,um,external influences.