When Lancia is taken over by Fiat at the end of 1969, Ing. Sergio Camuffo is asked to develop a new model. He puts together a team to have a car ready before the end of 1972 and he succeeds: the Beta is born. The compact Coupé follows a year later and the Spider appears a year after that. Where Pinifarina is responsible for the design, Zagato is responsible for the production. And ‘the typical Italian’ way of working does not end there: the bare bodies of the coupé go from Lancia to Zagato to be converted into a Spider. Then they go back to Lancia for the rust prevention to, yes, then go back to Zagato for the paintwork, the interior and related things like bumpers and the like. Then the car goes back to Lancia itself, for mounting the engine and the last things. You can undoubtedly imagine Lancia losing money on every Spider built. In the end, less than 10,000 are produced. One of those 9,390 Spiders built is now for sale with us, in Brummen. A fairly late car from 1981. Where the Beta Spider was available in the first production years with a 1600 and 1800 cc four-cylinder, this later Lancia is equipped with the beloved 2-liter carburetor. This makes the Beta downright sporty, because 120 hp is enough today, but in the early 1980s it was simply very quick. Although the Coupé has a beautiful line just like the Spider, the Spider has a clear extra ‘unique selling point’: a targa roof for when you want to feel the wind through your hair (whether or not present) and for the real open feeling, you can also remove the rear part of the roof. That leaves a convertible with a roll bar. This Beta Spider is executed in the most Italian color you can imagine: Rosso Racing! The car was completely overhauled in 2020 and 2021 and then the entire technique was overhauled, the body was restored and the interior was also brought back to top condition, with great sitting seats as the only concession to the original design. There is a big pack of invoices from the restoration available. Naturally, the bodywork is in optimum condition with flawless paintwork and neat panel fittings of doors and other parts. Chrome and plastic parts are also in top condition and the car stands on the original wheels. The targa roof and the convertible top at the back are also very beautiful. Because of all these things, the Beta Spider makes a very fresh impression. The interior is very neat, everything functions as it should and there are no annoying damages. The top of the dashboard is covered with attractive Alcantara. The Recaro seats are great and match the 80s interior of the car very well. The fabric upholstery is in perfect condition, as are the original door trim and rear seat. Is it just as neat under the hood? You can see that in the photos, we suspect. The technology has been completely overhauled and the 1,995 cc four-cylinder engine runs and performs well. In addition, the optical condition is very fresh and the engine block is so clean that you could eat from it, although we would personally prefer to drive to an Italian restaurant with this Beta. The torque-rich double cam feels very powerful and makes the Lancia a very pleasant driver’s car. No car manufacturer has produced such fine front-wheel drivers as Lancia and this Beta is a great example of that. With the original instruction booklet, a pile of brochures and the already mentioned pack of invoices, this is a very good example of a ‘complete package’ with the bright red Beta Spider as the centrepiece. Gallery Aaldering is Europe’s leading Classic Cars specialist since 1975! Always 400 Classic and Sportscars in stock, please visit www.gallery-aaldering.com for the current stock list (all offered cars are available in our showroom) and further information. We are located near the German border, 95 km from Düsseldorf and 90 km from Amsterdam. So easy traveling by plane, train, taxi and car. Transport and worldwide shipping can be arranged. No duties/import costs within Europe. We buy, sell and provide consignment sales (selling on behalf of the owner). We can arrange/provide registration/papers for our German (H-Kennzeichen, TÜV, Fahrzeugbrief, Wertgutachten usw.) and Benelux customers. Gallery Aaldering, Arnhemsestraat 47, 6971 AP Brummen, The Netherlands. Tel: 0031-575-564055. Quality, experience and transparency is what sets us apart. We look forward to welcoming you in our showroom