LANCIA Beta 1975-1982 Photos, engines & full specs

After being purchased by Fiat, Lancia had to get some profit, and the sports cars didn't make that kind of money, so it had to offer some regular vehicles for families.

Fiat decided that Lancia had to build cars for everyone, and the Beta was designed to be that vehicle. While the sporty coupes were still kept on the production lines, the Italian carmaker managed to offer a five-door version that could fight better against French cars. But they didn't want to go with the flow and offered just another three-box sedan.

The Beta showed a distinct front fascia with modern headlights. While most of the carmakers used round headlights, the new Berlina featured twin headlamps covered under a glass panel. Its chromed front fascia and some other trims on the bodywork showed a different styling than most of the other cars on the market. Thanks to its shape, the Beta sat between a three-box and a hatchback vehicle.

Inside, the carmaker made a roomy interior thanks to the tall greenhouse, but the materials used were not the best on the market. Starting with the 1978 model, the Beta received wool-based upholstered seats, which were far better than the regular cloth ones. Its instrument cluster featured an interesting design with two large dials on the center, the speedometer, and the tachometer, flanked on the sides by four gauges for fuel, temperature, oil pressure, and voltage. On the center stack, the carmaker installed the radio and the ventilation controls.

Under the hood, Fiat installed its twin-cam engines that were notorious for their power and torque. It provided good performances, especially since it was mated to a five-speed manual gearbox while most of the other carmakers were still stuck in the fourth gear.