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40 years of the Lancia Beta - young at heart and still a classic

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Created on September 4, 2012

Reading time 6min

Written by:

Patrik Hellmüller

Photos:

Patrik Hellmüller

10

Archiv

41

Patrik Hellmüller

10

Archiv

41

Lancia Beta (1976) - fünf verschiedene Karosserien, zwei verschiedene Antriebslayouts

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Lancia Beta (1976) - die ganze Familie auf einem Bild vereint

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Lancia Beta (1976) - ein Strauss von Varianten je nach Bedürfnissen

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1981) - Coupé, Spider und Limousine vereint

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Lancia Beta Limousine (1976) - die Schräghecklimousine

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1981) - das elegante und kompakte Coupé

Bild von Partner Planai Classic 2025 Inline 1

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Lancia Beta Spider (1978) - das Ausstellungsfahrzeug von Genf - mit festem Überrollbügel

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Lancia HPE (1983) - ein Modell der dritten Serie

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Lancia Beta Montecarlo (1983) - die rasante Mittelmotor-Variante

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Lancia Beta Limousine (1976) - praktisch, aber nicht ganz so hübsch wie das Coupé

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - gefällige aber unkonventionelle Schräghecklimousine

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - eine richtige Heckklappe bot der Lancia allerdings nicht

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - Abbildung aus dem damaligen Verkaufsprospekt

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Lancia Beta (1974) - Werbung aus dem Jahre 1974 -

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - Durchsichtszeichnung

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - der Reihenvierzylindermotor mit obenliegenden Nockenwellen

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - Interieur und Armaturenbrett

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - Interieur

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - Interieur der Limousine

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - praktische und elegante Limousine mit Schrägheck

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - praktisches Schrägheck

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - traf nicht den Geschmack der Massen

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1973) - charmant präsentiert

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1974) - Lenkrad und Armaturenbrett

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1974) - Seitenansicht, rechts-vorne

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Lancia-Beta Coupé (1973) - eigenwilliges Lenkrad und weisse Zifferblätter - Internationale Automobilausstellung (IAA) in Frankfurt 1973

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Lancia Beta Berlina (1982) - auch die Limousine erhielt einen neuen Kühlergrill

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1973) - im Profil

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1973) - knackiges Heck

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1973) - kompakte Silhouette

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1973) - zeitgenössische Farbaufnahme

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1974) - gefiel besonders auch den Frauen

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1974) - hübsches Coupé

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1974) - Interieur

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1974) - wunderschön präsentiert

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1977) - elegante Coupé-Silhouette - Abbildung aus einem Verkaufsprospekt

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1978) - wusste doch attraktive Proportionen zu gefallen

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1982) - Interieur der 2000 IE Version

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1982) - mehr Kunststoff, weniger Chrom, ein Heckspoiler nach dem Facelift

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1982) - neuer Kühlergrill nach dem Facelift

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Lancia Beta Coupé (1982) - Seitenansicht des modellgepflegten Coupés 2000 IE

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Lancia Beta Montecarlo (1981) - das Facelift bekam dem Mittelmotor gut

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Lancia Beta Montecarlo (1981) - das modellgepflegte Mittelmotorcoupé hatte eine zusätzliche Scheibe hinten

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Lancia Beta Montecarlo (1982) - aus einem zeitgenössischen Werbeprospekt

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Lancia Beta Spider (1974) - Pininfarina war der Schöpfer des Targa-Coupés

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Lancia Beta Spider (1974) - die Targa-Version übernahm die Propotionen des Coupés

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Lancia HPE (1982) - auch das Kombicoupé wurde modellgepflegt

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Lancia HPE (1982) - der HP Executive 2000 IE bot eine praktische Hecklappe

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Lancia HPE (1982) - elegantes und gelungenes Sportcoupé HP Executive 2000 IE

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Lancia HPE (1982) - Interieur des Kombi-Coupés auf Beta-Basis

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Lancia Trevi (1982) - klassische Dreivolumen-Stufenheck-Limousine

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Summary

Forty years old, the Lancia Beta series has matured into a classic. This applies to the now rare saloon as well as the pretty coupé, the open Spider variant, the practical HPE and the sporty Montecarlo. This report briefly introduces the reader to the model series and shows the different variants in old and new pictures, supplemented by sales brochures from the time.

This article contains the following chapters

The only alternative for individualists
With the most successful rally engine of all time
A difficult legacy
The Berlina - eccentric and misunderstood
The Coupé - superior and sporty
The Spider - versatile and delicate
The HPE - hip and practical
The Montecarlo - fast and low
Unit numbers of the Beta series (1972-1984)

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

40 years ago, Lancia presented the Beta Berlina at the Turin Motor Show, which laid the foundation for a diverse range of models. To celebrate the Beta's fortieth birthday in style, all the models came together for a photo shoot for Pronto, the club magazine of the Lancia Club Switzerland. We noticed that they have all stayed pretty young, our Beta! Regardless of the body variant, they greet us with a throaty twin-cam voice and are bursting with joie de vivre. In the 1970s, individualists with a penchant for sportiness loved the Lancia Beta, the first model from the traditional Turin-based brand to be developed entirely under Fiat's direction. Long before resourceful car manufacturers created a vehicle segment for every market niche, however small, Lancia had five different models within the Beta family alone in the 1970s and 1980s, which appealed to completely different groups of buyers.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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