1978 Lancia Beta Montecarlo – Auction Car of the Week

Let’s face it, the ’70s was a beautiful period as far as car design goes, at least in our humble opinion anyway. Everything was pointy and angry and we love it. Designers at the time were really channelling their inner child with this epoch of automotive architecture. You just have to look at cars like the De Tomaso Pantera, Lamborghini Countach and Lotus Esprit to understand what we’re talking about. With all of their wedge-shaped appeal they’re the kind of cars we would scribble with crayons as kids and we’re still very much drawn to that particular aesthetic, which is why we’re featuring this 1978 Lancia Beta Montecarlo as our Auction Car of the Week today.

Penned by Pininfarina the Beta Montecarlo is a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car that was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in ’75 but it was never intended for Lancia. Initially contracted by Fiat as a replacement for its ageing 124 Sport Coupé. Pininfarina was subsequently usurped by rivals Bertone, however, who provided Fiat with a cheaper option – a design that would develop into the X1/9. Tenaciously Pininfarina didn’t just shelve its design, instead opting to carry on and develop the project independently, a move that would pay dividends as the car ended up as the Lancia Beta Montecarlo. Power came from the famous Aurelio Lampredi 1995cc, twin cam four-cylinder engine that developed around 120bhp. This was coupled with well-balanced handling thanks to its mid-engine layout and along with its sharp styling the Montecarlo remains a sought-after classic, especially since its so rare to boot; less than 8,000 were ever made.

Available as either a coupé or a spider with a fancy roll-back canvas roof our ’78 model is the latter. Coupled with the ability to open the interior up to the elements this particular Montecarlo also features an unusual, but striking, metallic green paint job that contrasts wonderfully with the car’s black trim. It’s in fantastic condition too having been resprayed in 2021 and despite a few scuffs here and there it appears to be a rust-free example, which, if you know these cars is a rarity indeed. Many a Beta Montecarlo has succumbed to rot but thankfully this one has escaped its clutches. The original wheels are in fine fettle too and it remains a pretty package indeed. It even comes with a BOGOF mini version!

Mechanically the car starts on the button and drives impeccably, as evidenced in the short video that accompanies the listing. First registered in France before spending time in Switzerland it was re-imported back to France last year whereby it was treated to a full service, including an oil change on the manual five-speed gearbox. As such the car is in rude health and is just begging to be out on the open road with that roof rolled back and its sonorous Lampredi motor singing away.

Likewise the inside of the car is also well-presented with the full tan leather being in superb shape throughout. The Montecarlo’s cabin was always a nice place to be and this particular interior is no exception. The only niggles are a broken driver’s seat control and a somewhat capricious wiper motor, both of which are likely easy fixes.

Perhaps due to it’s somewhat meagre power output the Lancia Beta Montecarlo remains an underrated Italian sports car and any perceived performance shortcomings are more than balanced out by handsome looks and inherent drive-ability. These cars are getting incredibly thin on the ground now and as such prices are rising so grab a good’un like this one before the cost becomes prohibitively expensive. Either that or they all turn to rust.