Hi, i'm trying to restore a 1980 1500cc 1/9 to original condition. Should the engine cover (bonnet/hood) be the same colour as the rest of the car or should it be black? Looking on google images of x1/9's it could be either.

I thought the later Bertone cars were colour coded. My 85 vs has a black engine cover but had a colour coded roof.

Grand finale cars definetly had colour coded engine covers

'82 here. Black roof, black engine cover. Rest of car mediterranean blue.


In my Fiat Gold Portfolio book, it looks like I found 1 car that was white that had a white engine cover, and all the rest had black. So, could be either.

My 81 car has a black engine cover. I dont think they were colour coded until Bertone took over the builds, but not until the VS runs were finished. My 88 car was black but the engine cover was body colour matched.

Yes X19 pilot is right - post VS cars got the body coloured engine cover - so for the UK it was circa 87-88 cars. It was when we got the brake/disc - pepper-pot Alloys. Euro cars were slightly earlier around '86 which was also when the factory changed bumpers/trim to black.