MEET THE OWNER – DAMIEN BRENNAN AND HIS LANCIA BETA COLLECTON

As most readers know, 2022 marks the 50^th anniversary of one of the most important cars to wear the Lancia shield. When the Beta debuted at the 1972 Turin Motor Show, many visitors were impressed with its 1.4-, 1.6- and 1.8-litre twin-cam engines, the Citroën-developed five-speed transmission and the independent suspension. However, a few grumbled that it could not be a "true Lancia" as it was the first car to result from the 1969 Fiat take-over of the famous concern.

Fortunately, Damien has no time for such automotive snobbery, and his fascination with the marque commenced some 45 years ago when he was just seven years old:

In 1977 I got my first taste for the Lancia Beta when I saw one tow starting a coach. I said from that day on that I would save my communion money and buy a Lancia Beta. I got my first one, a 1600 Mk. 2, in 1988 and the second, a 2-Litre, in 1989. It was amazing to have such beautiful cars at that young age.

Today the Brennan fleet includes six Betas - three Mk 1s and a trio of Mk.2s. One of Damien's first-generation models has a fascinating history. "It is a genuine right-hand-drive Irish car which was parked up for 37 years. Miraculously, Fiat/Lancia Ireland did not repurchase it due to the vast rust problems". At that time, the original owner was working in Australia and was unaware of the recall.

The Beta was parked up in June 1982 and did not move until 2018, when Damien acquired it. By then, he had sourced a 1976 Mk.2 from Italy and established an excellent relationship with a local parts finder:

I had asked him to source an interior of a Mk. 1 when he returned with an October registered Mk. 1. This very early car has numerous pre-productions extras, such as a digital clock, hazard warning lights, two cigarette lighters, and many more. It has a 1.4-litre twin cam engine with of course, the Citroen 5-speed gearbox.

Looking at Damien's collection today is to be reminded of the Beta Berlina's very appealing styling and desirability. In the UK, the medium-sized Lancia saloon was an alternative to the BMW 02-series, the Audi 80 B1, and the Triumph Dolomite. The great motoring journalist John Bolster of Autosport even described the Beta as "the best Lancia yet", and Damien is of a similar view:

I have driven practically everything over the past thirty years - Ferraris, Porsches, Bentleys, and Land-Rovers, to mention just a few - and nothing is on par with the experience a Beta can provide. The free-revving twin-cam engine has won more rally championships to date than any other manufacturer, the driving position, the confidence and certainty of the road holding, the tuned suspension engineering that comes standard in the Beta - which is now common in most German manufactured cars. Not to mention the twin-piston disc brakes front and rear and the tune from the exhaust pipe, and these are just a portion of the things that make driving one so desirable.

And thanks to enthusiasts such as Damien, the Beta is now regarded as an authentic sports saloon. However, for too many years, the public viewed it in terms of the 'Rust Scandal' and little else. The fact that it was Lancia GB's best-selling model is often forgotten, while in Ireland, the Beta was the car of choice for doctors and ambitious young barristers.

Sadly, by the end of Beta production in 1981, countless many potential customers associated the brand with rampant corrosion. As Mr. Brennan notes:

Today, the public's reaction to this make of car is split. Those who don't know anything about the car, or its engineering are limited to such words as 'oh well, they rotted away in a showroom waiting on a customer'. But they seem to forget that Toyota, Datsun, and Mazda rusted on the boat when they left Japan.

Back in 1975, Car magazine informed its readers that "As a luxuriously-appointed, outstanding car, the Beta ES has no peers whatsoever for the price”. 27 years later, Damien observes:

The true motor enthusiasts will be nothing but complementary and acknowledge that the car is twenty years ahead of its time from launch. To this day, it will sit with any hot hatch or family saloon and provide pure driver entertainment.

With Thanks To:

Damien Brennan