X1/9. I've driven both, bought the X1/9. The versatility of the targa top is hard to beat if you like the wind in your hair but also like to drive to work in the rain sometimes. Also, the engineering really is far superior. I think the guys here who defend the TR7's "engineering" are a bit confused; the Fiat's engineering is far superior and was actually WAY ahead of its time, particularly in terms of structural rigidity. They're both put together like crap though!
One of the reasons I was a Triumph (rather than MG) fan as a teen was because I could see that Triumph was actually trying to design a "modern" car in the late 1970s, where most of the other stuff from BL was the same old stuff. Would have taken a TR7 over a late MGB any day. Compared to the Fiat though? The X was a better car. Would have taken a TR8 over either of them, but..
Truth be told, If I could have bought a new-ish car in 1980, I would have bought a used Datsun Z (not ZX) over all three of them.
My first car was a Sprite Mk IV. When I was looking at buying a replacement car, I test drove a Europa S1 and the fuel pump failed. At that point, British cars and even roadsters were dead to me.
Instead, I was drawn to the dark side and went with a Fiat, FWD of all things. At the time, all the Brit products were on an obvious downward trajectory and the TR7/TR8 only confirmed it.
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