Description Low-mileage one-owner car; last on the road in 1984; engine turns; interesting project; rare model, one of only around 30 in the UK The first new model introduced by Lancia after it was taken over by Fiat in 1969, the Beta was very well received by press and public alike.

Powered by Fiat’s punchy Lampredi-designed twin-cam engine, it was widely regarded as a ‘driver’s car’ with bags of character and oodles of funky Italian style.

Ultimately though, the Beta was undone by a somewhat undeserved reputation for being rust-prone, an accusation that really only applied to the pre-1975 models which had a tendency to corrode where the front subframe was bolted to the underside of the car.

Later cars were certainly no worse than any BL products of the era but mud sticks and the sales figures never really recovered until the Beta was quietly shelved in 1984.

Purchased new by its sole keeper from Puttocks of Guildford in August 1978, this pretty Beta Coupe 1600 was specified with ...