Before getting one, i bought some books that i found on the historyof Lancia. In 1989 i almost got a Scorpion, with the intent ofgetting a better engine, having it tuned etc... but i felt it would betoo expensive.
I knew that it was not a Montecarlo Turbo (Lancia in battledress!in the adds) or an Abarth Rally 037 but considering the number ofthose made, the asking prices, the usability in the city, the constantfear i would have crashing one, the insurances etc... it seemedlike a good alternative.
I was and still am a rally and F1 freak so it's mostly through the 037and Martini Racing that I got introduced to the marque (i knew aboutthe Aurelia GT, Fulvia HF, Appia GTE, Abarth bubble cars etc...but these seemed museum cars to me) and then through the Delta.I was following this as Lancia was competing, beating the Audi Quattrosand other memorable moments like that. Of course i am too young to haveseen Fulvias competing.
However, having much interest in the marque, I also read about the past,the Lancia Stratos (who wouldn't want one!), the Fulvia and the teamsthat drove them, the Daytona and all those one offs (the FM Fulvia!),the LC1 and LC2 and of course the fabulous D50s (and the aero prototype).
And i also read about the Beta. In rallying. This seems to go unnoticed,cause they didn't win much, the Stratos being the spotlight (we aretalking 70s here). But it was what Lancia wanted. Yet, in several events,the Beta rally coupe were faster and had to wait for the Stratos to getback in front... One such occasion was one of the very rare presence ofLancia in canadian rallying, at Rideau Lakes where a Beta stopped morethan 2 minutes almost at the finish line to let the Stratos go by...
After that i read more on the Beta. Magazines, Reports, car guides,etc... Initially people were a bit disapointed by the beta coupein north america, mostly because it was underpowered and the seatingwas not to everybody liking. It seemed that each year was improving,and the reviewers really liked the later cars, so i tought aboutgetting one of the later Lancia Beta, which meant a Zagato in Canada.I had given up finding one not too far from me, and then i found twoin a very short time.
And one of them was an 82, and (i didn't know before seeing it) it hadthe same front grill as a 037 (and the delta too)! So i bought it, and the rest is history :)
Francois
