Lancia Beta Coupe (1973 – 1985) Review

The Lancia Beta Coupe was launched a year after the saloon it was based on, and like the Fulvia before it, was a radically different proposition. It was the second of four Beta variations, and was based on a shortened platform, with a new 93-inch wheelbase. The styling was by Aldo Castagno, with Pietro Castagnero acting as styling consultant, a nice link with the past, as the latter had also styled the Beta's predecessor, the Lancia Fulvia saloon and coupé.

Despite its shortened floorpan, the Coupe still had enough room for two full-sized adults in the rear seats - as long as they were agile, and good friends. That shorter wheelbase combined well with a 90kg drop in kerbweight, compared with the saloon, resulted in a car that was more fun and precise to drive. Engine options were the 1.3- to 2.0-litre twin-cams as the saloon, with Bosch injection from 1981 and the addition of a supercharged version, badged Volumex, for 1983-84. An all-time classic, and a bargain at current values.