1981 Lancia Beta Targa Coupe

Description

The first new model to be introduced by Lancia after it was taken over by the giant Fiat conglomerate in 1969, the Beta – type 828 in Lancia speak – was introduced by the innovative Italian car manufacturer in 1972. It was manufactured for a dozen years in several body styles, the most familiar of which to Australians were the stylish two-door coupe and HPE three-door sports hatch/wagon. A handful of Beta Berlina four-door sedans also came here and even fewer Zagato-built Targa-topped Spiders. Much more conventional than earlier Lancias, which was no doubt Fiat’s influence, the Beta was also the basis of a mid-engined sports car, the Lancia Beta Montecarlo. The 2+2 Spider, known as the Zagato in America, was a two-door convertible built on the coupe's shorter wheelbase and featured a removable Targa top roof panel, a roll-over bar and folding rear soft top roof. Early models did not have a cross-member supporting the roof between the A and B pillars though this was amended to fixed cross-members in later cars. Production of the Spider started in 1975, initially powered by either the 1600 or 1800 twin-cam engine, these later being replaced by new 1.6 and 2.0 units. Confusingly, the Spider was actually designed by Pininfarina but built by Zagato (hence the name), the Italian coachbuilder doing the roofless conversion on a Beta Coupe body. The Spiders then went back and forward between Lancia and Zagato several times for various manufacturing process to be completed. In total it is thought 9390 were built.