Highlights

Highly preserved, very original low mileage Volumex
Extremely rare car and even harder to find in this condition
Recently serviced and with full MOT with no advisories
One of Lancia’s greatest and prettiest cars

The Appeal

Describing any Lancia as one of the firm’s best or prettiest immediately puts the model up against an illustrious lineage of technologically innovative, beautifully designed models. And yet the Beta Coupe, particularly the supercharged Volumex, surely deserves such accolades.

Awash with Fiat funding, Lancia went to town on its new sports car. Designed by the man who penned the lovely Fulvia and engineered with just enough Lancia cleverness to make it both reliable and interesting, the Coupe shared its name with the Beta Berlina but very little else. It was shorter, narrower and with a tighter wheelbase. None of the panels were the same.

The Coupe was highly rated by reviewers but struggled to find buyers thanks to Lancia’s woeful reputation for rust. Yet the firm kept on developing it, in 1983, 11 years into its life, announcing the supercharged Volumex that took the tyre-scrabbling coupe fight right to the door of Ford’s 2.8 litre Capri.

Just 1,272 Volumex Coupes were built. This is one of the few right hand drive examples. It is a very rare survivor in highly original condition with exceptionally low mileage. Freshly serviced and MOT’d, opportunities like this do not come along very often.

The History and Paperwork

We understand from the vendor that this is a 1984 car
DVLA records state first registered 1st April 2001
We do not know the reason why the DVLA records show this date
Kept in an air controlled dry storage for 20 years
Acquired by the vendor on 12th May 2021
MOT to 27th July 2024 with no advisories
Has covered less than 2,100 miles since 2007
Vendor states that it is a ‘genuine condition and mileage’ car
Last serviced on 28th July 2022 at 32,037 miles

Since acquiring the car the vendor has:

Fitted new front discs and pads
Replaced the cambelt
Serviced the car
Replaced the fuel pump

The Interior

Very original cloth interior that remains in highly presentable condition
Some minor deterioration visible but not unsightly
The signs of use are small and likely easily remedied if required
Small tear in the base of the passenger seat
Wear on the driver’s seat bolster
Carpets appear original and presentable
Dashboard is complete with no visible cracks or marks
Small scuff on the driver’s door card
Electric windows fitted (with plugs replacing the winders on the door cards)
Two spoke Lancia leather rimmed steering wheel with light sheen of use
Stylish Veglia dials with clear plastic protective fascia cover
Boot area is very clean with good carpeting
Aftermarket JVC stereo

The Exterior

We understand that the bodywork is original
Presents very well, its originality scoring over the very minor imperfections
Appears to be finished in Grigio Scuro metallic (code 679)
Factory correct Volumex front and rear spoilers and side trims
Lancia 14in Cromodora alloy wheels in good original condition
Wheels show very light kerbing on the edges and some deterioration of the centre cap badges
Yokohama tyres fitted, likely older
The bodywork is exceptionally straight with only very minor signs of deterioration:
- Small crack in the paintwork on the driver’s side B-post
- Small corrosion bubble at the bottom corner of the driver’s door
Screen surround and wheel arches appear solid with no visible deterioration
Trim work in good condition just marks on the front spoiler to note
Lancia mudguards
Some wear on the black paintwork of the door handles
Marks on the black painted trim around the windows
Underside reflects the bodywork condition and there were no structural advisories on the last MOT

The Mechanics

1,995cc Fiat-derived twin-cam engine with carburettors
Lancia fitted its own hemispherical combustion head to the Fiat engine
Sophisticated Lancia suspension set up provided superb handling and balance
Supercharged to 130bhp
5spd manual gearbox
Described as running without issue and in excellent condition by the vendor
New front discs and pads recently fitted
Cambelt and servicing work completed July 2022
New fuel pump fitted
Appears to be fitted with a later aftermarket exhaust tail pipe
At the time of writing we did not have access to the car’s older history file

Summary

By the time Lancia got around to fitting a supercharger to its pretty Beta Coupe, the coupe boat had sailed and buyers all wanted hot hatches. It was only available for a year and few were sold. That is a real shame because this car really was something quite special. Pretty, nimble and cleverly engineered, it fits comfortably into the remarkable Lancia lineage.

This Coupe VX is virtually a unicorn. Already a rare survivor, it is an exceptionally low mileage car in highly original condition. Freshly serviced and MOT’d - including the cambelt - it is a fantastic opportunity for any 80s collector or enthusiast.

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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