Forgotten movie cars - Lancia Beta Montecarlo
06/12/2017
Everyone knows "Herbie", the intelligent and sensitive VW Beetle that scored its first Hollywood triumph back in 1968. A sequel was filmed in 1974 and in 1977 it went to Europe to win the Monte Carlo Rally (German dubbed version) and the "Trans-France Race" (English version). "Herbei goes to Monte Carlo" or "The great Beetle in the Monte Carlo Rally" was the name of the entertaining flick, in which realism was less important than colorful cars.
One of the Beetle's rivals is a Lancia Beta Montecarlo from the first series (known as the Lancia Scorpion in the USA), driven by a somewhat brittle but certainly attractive American driver. Herbie falls head over heels in love with the beautiful Lancia, which then leads to some difficulties.
In the end, of course, the mid-engined Lancia doesn't win the race and Herbie almost misses out on victory because he would rather save his girlfriend (and friends), but of course it all works out in the end.
