Highlights

Targa Oro ASI Certified
Less than 8,000 miles from new!
One of fewer than 8000 made
Extremely solid bodywork
Starts easily and runs very nicely

The Appeal

The 1970s was the age of the wedge, and Pininfarina employed this styling trend to extremely good effect with the Lancia Beta Montecarlo, which looked incredibly modern when it was launched in 1975. With its sharp nose and dramatically abrupt tail, it was yet another demonstration of the Turin styling house’s supreme aesthetic sensibilities. It was something of a landmark, too, being the first car developed by Pininfarina entirely in-house, rather than around an existing production car.

The Beta Montecarlo arose from Fiat’s need for a replacement for its 124 Coupé, but Bertone stole Pininfarina’s thunder by designing the cheaper Fiat X1/9. However, Pininfarina pressed on with its designs for a larger three-litre, mid-engined coupé, which were sufficiently impressive that they became a production reality through Fiat-owned Lancia.

The finished car didn’t actually use a V6 as Pininfarina had intended, but an uprated version of the twin-cam straight-four, designed by ex-Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi, from the outgoing 124 Coupé, which was still more than fit for purpose. Increased to 1995cc, it was a true high-performance touring coupé which would hit 120mph and make any drive through the Italian Alps as heavenly as it could possibly be.

Being a distinctly exotic sports-car, it was always destined to be rare, and a total of 7798 Montecarlos were built between 1975 and 1978 and a second run from 1980 to 1981. Built as a spider as well as a coupé, this very late example is one of just 452 coupés built in 1981.

This superb example in classic rosso corsa spent most of its life in Italy before being registered in Britain in 2016. Having spent much of its recent life in professional storage since then, it still presents superbly and, being so rare, you’re unlikely to find a better one for sale in this country.

The History and Paperwork

Formerly owned by an enthusiast in Italy, as grille badges testify
Imported into Britain by the vendor and first registered with the DVLA in February 2016
Lately kept in professional storage as part of a small private collection
Paperwork includes the current V5 and MoT certificates from 2019 and 2020

The Interior

Outstanding condition all-round
All original interior
Luxuriously appointed for a sports-car

One doesn’t always expect sports-cars to be the most comfortable of environments, but the Montecarlo may be pleasantly surprising. It’s uncommonly well-appointed for 1975, with a sophisticated Autovox radio-cassette player, Vegliaflash digital clock, air-conditioning and power windows, and one sits in roomy comfort on seats upholstered with a lovely, soft fabric. It is, essentially, a two-seater gran turismo.

The interior is all original and spectacularly well-preserved. We could not find anything to fault in the upholstery, with the seats looking like they have barely ever been sat on. The headlining and the carpets, which are protected by modern rubber mats, are just as good again.

The dash, centre console, steering wheel, door trim and so on and in superb condition, such that it really is very hard to find fault. If you do look extremely close, you may find the odd mark on some of the plastic components, which would be in keeping with the car’s age, but even such tiny blemishes are very hard to identify. We are most impressed to see that it retains all its original fittings right down to the radio-cassette player. All in all, the interior really is a time-warp.

Compared to some rear- and mid-engined cars, the Montecarlo even has a fairly generous load area under the bonnet which is, again, in very good condition.

The Exterior

Finished in the original Rosso
Exceptionally good, solid bodywork
Superb paint and trim

Obviously not every Italian car should be red, but it’s no bad thing when they are. With it being Italy’s national racing colour, it’s almost as if designers were working to the brief that, whatever they did, the end result had to look good in red. Well, the Montecarlo’s designers certainly achieved that, and since this example left the factory in Rosso, it would be a shame if it were painted anything else.

The paintwork is outstanding, and that’s all there is to it – it certainly doesn’t look 41 years old. We must concede that it is not quite perfect – there are some tiny chips on some of the wheel arches and a little bit of discolouration affecting the engine lid, but such faults really are minute.

As far as the rest of the trim goes, it presents in much the same way, i.e. superbly. The plastic bumpers and trim, which we so often see looking a bit faded and sad on 1980s cars, are as rich and proud as ever they were, and all the glass around the car is excellent. You will find, on very close inspection, a one or two tiny marks or scratches in the bumpers, but they are so small as to be almost negligible. There is not much brightwork, but what there is does exhibit some slight patination, as around the rear light lenses and on the door handles. There is also some slight damage to the enamel of the rear Lancia badge.

The alloy wheels are exceptionally good. While some of them do have some mild surface marks, we did not see any signs that they had ever been scuffed.

The Mechanics

A fantastic engine with a lusty exhaust note
Started well after a period in storage
Last MoTed in 2020

Any enthusiast for Italian cars will sing the praises of Aurelio Lampredi’s Fiat/Lancia twin-cam engine, which pioneered the use of belt-driven camshafts and aluminium alloy cylinder heads. Well-known as the most successful engine in the history of the World Rally Championship, it had almost reached the peak of its development by the time it was used in the Montecarlo.

One doesn’t always expect a car to fire up so readily after a year or two in storage, but this Lancia was most obliging, and pulled away very happily. While we were confined to first gear for our photoshoot, it certainly seemed keen to get some exercise, and the brakes seemed strong and efficient. As for its exhaust note, it’s positively to die for.

There may be a few small jobs to play with, as identified by the MoT tester in 2020, viz.:

Both front brakes slightly binding when turned by hand
Both front track rod end ball gaiters slightly perished
Both rear brakes slightly binding

Aside from that, the car may want just a basic service to revive it after its period of storage but, from our experience of it, we don’t think it is in need of any serious recommissioning. We do, of course, advise that you inspect the car to your own satisfaction, but we would take it home in a heartbeat.

The Summary

This rare, sporty and near-immaculate Italian coupé is surely one of the sharpest designs of the 1970s. Very much a GT for two, this example is a superb survivor which appears very original and, cosmetically, structurally and mechanically, is in wonderful order.

Any existing faults are minute and should be easily remedied, but we don’t see any barriers to simply enjoying the car as is. We’re sure it will be a delight from behind the wheel, and attract lots of interest wherever it goes. You want it, you know you do…

Notice to bidders

This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*

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