low profile tires and wheels were enclosed under nearly flat wheel arches. There were no doors on the passenger or driver sides. The only items above the sill line were a low clear curved wind deflector and a foil-shaped forward-swept rollbar similar in appearance to the radar arches on some boats. The rollbar gave the car the appearance of a targa top. The headlamps were not mounted in the nose of the car. Instead they were in prominent nacelles incorporated into the lower legs of the rollbar/arch, behind the occupants' seats. On the interior, the only instrumentation was a speedometer, in the style of a nautical compass, mounted in the centre of the top of the dashboard. Although named for the Autobianchi A112 Supermini and retaining that car's transverse engine configuration, the Runabout did not use the A112's Tipo 100 overhead valve engine. Instead, it received the new-for-1969 Fiat 128 SOHC engine that had been developed for the Fiat 128 by former Ferrari engine designer Aurelio Lampredi. This engine featured a cast-iron block, aluminum cylinder head and a belt-driven single overhead camshaft. The engine in the Runabout displaced . It was mated to a transverse four speed manual transmission. Influence Some point to the G31 as leading to the X1/9. Others suggest that the 1971 De Tomaso 1600 Spider, which was startlingly similar to the later X1/9, was the predecessor. In the De Tomaso's case it has been suggested that this was either imitation as a form of flattery, or an elaborate joke at Fiat's expense. Regardless, the Runabout is generally considered to have been the inspiration for the X1/9, which is how it was described on Bertone's own website. Elements of the Runabout's design have also been noted in the subsequent Lancia Stratos. Gallery References Further reading External links Autobianchi vehicles Bertone concept vehicles Roadsters Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles Cars introduced in 1969