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.

Faults:

It'd be easier to list things that hadn't gone wrong. Electrics are a nightmare. Turn the engine off after a long run & try to re-start it & it was down to luck whether it would start again. This car is the most unreliable machine I've ever owned.

General Comments:

The Monte Carlo is a fabulous looking car. It oozes class & is obviously styled by a top Italian design house (pininfarina, of course) but that's where the praise ends.

This car rotted infront of my eyes. I swear I could see it dissolving on my drive.

The handling in the wet was lethal. This car is a death trap. I managed to spin it on a greasy roundabout at a ridiculously low speed where other cars would simply stick to the road without drama. No wonder Lancia withdrew it so soon.

If you need new parts for a Monte Carlo, be prepared to sell your granny to raise the cash!