Faults:

Only ever had things need changing as required. Such as brake discs and pads, and general servicing. Clutch went around 200,000km, and it has had two starter motors and a water pump.

Most reliable car I have ever had; the harder you drove it the better it was. Ran rough if you babied it around.

She is off the road at the moment as I am giving her a full restoration.

General Comments:

I think if you saw God's resume he would have Lancia suspension engineer listed as prior employment; the handling is that good. There are cars that achieve higher lateral Gs and faster acceleration etc, but in a Beta Coupe the whole lot just comes together in such a way that you "feel" so much more.

So much personality and character as well; my car is the first car I ever owned, and is the only car I will never part with. I want to find three more for my kids as well.

You could describe a spirited drive as the most fun you could have with your clothes on.

Surprisingly practical too, with a large (for the size of the car) boot and good fuel economy (except when you are really going hard).

One of the most under-rated driver's cars of all time. Most comments against them are from people who have never owned one. And such a gorgeous shape, really timeless and needs to be seen in the metal to be fully appreciated.

Faults:

Rust, rust and still more rust. Body dissolved like cotton candy!

The Italian government forced Lancia to use crappy Russian steel, due to Left-wing sympathies. This means...yes, rust!!

Headlamp self-levellers died, causing wonky beams.

CV-joints wore out after 5000km. Remember, it was six years old.

A few minor annoyances, but I can't remember specific ones.

General Comments:

I went from a LH Torana SL to this car.

It was like travelling through time from the '50's to 2001.

Ride and handling was just magic.

The engine was so refined, most modern engines are just catching-up with it now.

Faults:

Head gasket blew at 180000 km.

Wheel bearings at 150000.

Clutch replaced at 215000.

General Comments:

This car was a great long distance cruiser which was a pleasure to drive.

I always had total confidence in this car.

Faults:

Generally the Beta has been very reliable. It gets thrashed on a daily basis.

The front suspension bushes have only recently required replacement.

The gear linkage setup can cause a bit of hassle for the uninitiated.

Minor problems with a few rust spots around the windscreen and chrome strip surrounds of the rear windows.

General Comments:

I bought this car for my girlfriend, but I just love driving it. She's got a Datsun now!

The Beta drives brilliantly, the motor is a real gem and just loves to rev.

The handling is superb and on the seriously twisty bits I have seriously embarrassed some considerably more exotic marques.

Brakes are great, however it is possible to get considerable weight transfer to the front and the back end can jump out and bite you. This is only evident if one is really going for it though!

Original interior, red velour seats and lime green carpet...yeach...where's the mirror ball.

Surprising amount of space for a long bloke, I'm 6'3" and no problems, but on the odd occasion there is not much space between the upper thighs and the bottom of the wheel. This is usually apparent when one is fighting with the wheel when you've jumped onto the brakes late into a corner and the boot lid is just outside the drivers window.

This is a drivers car, give the little bugger heaps, thrash it, they love it and will reward you with a smile that lasts for hours. Just gotta duck out and buy some smokes, I'll be back in a couple of hours.