LANCIA

Beta

The Lancia Beta, internally the Type 828, was the first all-new Lancia developed after the company was taken over by Fiat, and it marked an ambitious return to form for the storied Turin marque from 1972 onwards. Engineered around Fiat's excellent twin-cam engines mounted transversely and driving the front wheels, the Lancia Beta was sold as a whole family of related cars rather than a single model, giving buyers an unusually broad choice. The range opened with the aerodynamic Beta berlina fastback saloon, but enthusiasts gravitate to the sporting bodies: the elegant Lancia Beta Coupe, the targa-topped Beta Spider often finished by Zagato, and perhaps the most distinctive of all, the Lancia Beta HPE, a sleek three-door shooting brake introduced in March 1975 whose initials stood for High Performance Estate. A four-door notchback Trevi later joined the line, and the name also crowned the mid-engined Lancia Beta Montecarlo sports car. Across the sporting Coupe, HPE and Spider models alone, Lancia built 192,462 cars, with the HPE accounting for 73,626 of them. Lively, refined and rust-prone, the Lancia Beta gained a difficult reputation for corrosion that overshadowed its genuine engineering merits and crisp Italian styling. Survivors are now appreciated by a devoted following, and the supercharged Volumex versions in particular have become sought-after. Affordable, characterful and increasingly rare, the Lancia Beta is one of the most rewarding entry points into classic Italian motoring.