1978 LANCIA MONTECARLO SPIDER Registration Number: XLP 670S...

Estimate

£19,000 - £23,000

1978 LANCIA MONTECARLO SPIDER

Registration Number: XLP 670S
Chassis Number: TBA
Recorded Mileage: 99,000 miles

- In previous ownership for over 15 years
- Extensive history file dating to the 1980s
- Recently restored in 2021/22

The Beta Montecarlo was originally designated the X 20 and was to be the "big brother" of the Fiat X 19, but whilst deciding what engine to fit, ranging from Abarth derived units, Abarth had carried out a lot of development work on the car, to the 3.2 V6 from the 130, the 2.0 litre Lancia Beta engine was used as it had a good blend of performance and economy. The name Montecarlo came from Munari's recent win of the Montecarlo rally in a Stratos and in February 1975 it became the Lancia Beta Montecarlo and was first shown at Geneva in March.

Prior to current ownership this beautiful early RHD Series I Montecarlo had received regular maintenance over the years indeed there is a impressive history file going back to the 80s however it was clear that a partial restoration was in order. The vehicle was professionally stripped and any remaining rust removed, requiring some fabrication work and many hours of preparation. Once ready for paint all glass was removed and the Montecarlo refinished in its original shade of Lancia Silver Metallic, followed by the application of the correct side stripes and badging. The original wheels were refurbished and refitted with new tyres .

The vehicle has in the last 3 months had a trip to a specialist called Darren Cooksey who runs Monte servicing and repairs in Kingsclere. Darren well regarded, and is thought of as a guru when it comes to all things Montecarlo. His  remit was to go through the car and bring it up to scratch. After a further investment of c. £2,000 Darren was happy with the vehicle.

In Darren's own words:

"It was my pleasure to have this Montecarlo in with me earlier this summer. I run MSMR and have been involved with and owned Montecarlos for over 20 years. The owner wanted me to go through the car and identify any issues that needed attending to, in order to make it a very good usable example. This I did concentrating on engine, cooling, braking and electrics. I can confirm there was no rust of any significance underneath indeed it was very good. It was a good usable example that drove very well. A good example to be loved and enjoyed now - these cars are best driven and not kept in a garage. And if desired improved on over time."

An estimated £10,000 has been spent in current ownership to bring the Lancia to the standard the owner is happy with. The Montecarlo has just been MoT tested and granted a fresh certificate (interested parties should note the MoT tester mistakenly identified a factory drain hole as being corrosion, but this has been pointed out by the vendor and a new MoT issued as such). 

More modern classics from the late 1970s are now finding their feet in the classic car world, Now restored back to original specification, and complete with a good history file dating back to the 1980s, this rare early “baby Ferrari” is ready to be cherished and enjoyed once more.