by ajm541s » Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:46 pm
I once had brief ownership of Fulvia 1.6 HF, only too brief as a Lancia dealer, it disappeared off the forecourt very quickly (for money, of course!). But what a fantastic little car; the 1.3 was a joy, but this one.....something else. As a replacement, the Beta Coupe deserves a lot of praise, but it just did not have the character of the Fulvia HF 1600.
Talking, for just a moment, about the Beta Coupe, I was with a group of UK dealers paying a visit to the Lancia factories in Italy during which we paid a visit to the competitions department, at a time when the 4x4 Beta coupe was the business. Gathered in an admiring group in front of one of the factory team cars, we were invited to enjoy the sound of the highly tuned engine 'on song'. Despite several attempts the engine of the car refused to fire up. One of the UK dealers, an Italian by chance, quietly produced a box of matches from his pocket and quietly placed it on the bonnet of he car. Silence followed, and we made a tactful exit.
Tony Marshall
JML 1967-74
Ex owner Jensen-Healey HEA 4K
JOC 7828