UK Beta Coupe 1366cc imports ?

[Outfox]

Hi everyone (New Forum member)

Back in the day, I had a 'V' reg Beta Coupe 1.3.  Fantastic car, but because of Group 6 insurance (for a 1300 !), fuel economy and a new mortgage, I traded it in (to Colmore Depot, in Erdington, in Birmingham) to get a brand new Uno 60 (aargh !).  I always wondered what happened to the 1.3 / 1.4 Coupe - it seems to have faded from the scene about 1981 and I can find no references at all to the 3 series 1366cc model in the UK.  Was it imported ?

Can anyone shed light on this model ?  If it was imported, (roughly) how many 1.4's did we see in the UK and when was the 1.3 / 1.4 Coupe finally discontinued here ?

[rossocorsa]

The 1366 engine is exclusively on S2FL2 otherwise known as series 4, it was never imported to the UK. There were never any series 1 1300 coupés the first one came in series 2 as the Lancia 1300 coupé (1297cc) which wasn't officially a 'Beta', these had a few unique features. This was replaced by the S2FL (1301cc) which was much more similar to the main range. It's kind of difficult to know when they stopped importing these as they had a lot of over aged stock back then, your old '81 would most likely have been built in 1979! I checked and it appears it was discontinued in the UK January 1980 this is probably the date of last import rather than when they ran out of stock.

[Outfox]

The 1366 engine is exclusively on S2FL2 otherwise known as series 4, it was never imported to the UK. There were never any series 1 1300 coupés the first one came in series 2 as the Lancia 1300 coupé (1297cc) which wasn't officially a 'Beta', these had a few unique features. This was replaced by the S2FL (1301cc) which was much more similar to the main range. It's kind of difficult to know when they stopped importing these as they had a lot of over aged stock back then, your old '81 would most likely have been built in 1979! I checked and it appears it was discontinued in the UK January 1980 this is probably the date of last import rather than when they ran out of stock.

Thanks rossacorsa. Having read your post, I checked my records - which confirmed that my Coupe was registered in 1980. I bought it from Colmore Depot in 1984. No doubt you are right - it could well have been imported in 1979 (possibly one of the last ones ?), but sat in a compound somewhere. Colmore Depot did have a history of sourcing Lancia's direct from the Concessionnaires. We had a neighbour who worked there and who acquired a couple of Lancia's used in Magazine Road Tests. He told me about them getting this 1.3 back in stock, they had originally sold it to regular Beta buyer and he traded it in for a 2 litre Coupe in 1984. It didn't take me long to decide to buy it - such a lovely car - and (in hindsight) a real shame I traded it in for a new Uno, when I did !  

[Neil-yaj396]

Tales of my 1300 Coupes can be found at;

http://www.betaboyz.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2369.200

[Outfox]

The 1366 engine is exclusively on S2FL2 otherwise known as series 4, it was never imported to the UK. There were never any series 1 1300 coupés the first one came in series 2 as the Lancia 1300 coupé (1297cc) which wasn't officially a 'Beta', these had a few unique features. This was replaced by the S2FL (1301cc) which was much more similar to the main range. It's kind of difficult to know when they stopped importing these as they had a lot of over aged stock back then, your old '81 would most likely have been built in 1979! I checked and it appears it was discontinued in the UK January 1980 this is probably the date of last import rather than when they ran out of stock.

Thanks rossacorsa. Having read your post, I checked my records - which confirmed that my Coupe was registered in 1980. I bought it from Colmore Depot in 1984. No doubt you are right - it could well have been imported in 1979 (possibly one of the last ones ?), but sat in a compound somewhere. Colmore Depot did have a history of sourcing Lancia's direct from the Concessionnaires. We had a neighbour who worked there and who acquired a couple of Lancia's used in Magazine Road Tests. He told me about them getting this 1.3 back in stock, they had originally sold it to regular Beta buyer and he traded it in for a 2 litre Coupe in 1984. It didn't take me long to decide to buy it - such a lovely car - and (in hindsight) a real shame I traded it in for a new Uno, when I did !  
[/quote]

I remember our neighbour managed to get hold of the 2 litre Beta Spyder that was used in the 1980 What Car Group Test with a Golf Convertible.  He lent me the car for a while - and boy was it quick, with great roadholding and superb driving manners (gearbox, brakes etc).  The main problem was the (fabric part of the) roof leaking in ANY rain - presumably why he lent it me and kept his Fiat Supermirafiori Estate !  The other problem was the vinyl seating, which was hell in any hot weather.  In other words, a lovely car, except when it rained, or was sunny for any length of time !