General Category > Back in the day

Beta Berlina hatchback - rally support car

(1/3) > >>

GerardJPC:
Spotted on Facebook, this appears to be a Berlina that has a hatchback.  I wonder why not use an HPE - the wheelbase is the same as that of a Berlina and you could remove the rear seats and load up.   Perhaps a higher roofline and longer roof is the explanation.

squiglyzigly:
It’s the Berlina they should of made IMO.
And I wish my Berlina was a hatchback so I wouldn’t keep craving a HPE for my everyday car.
Whilst I sometimes think of converting my car, I can’t come to terms with cutting about a good car (and rare).
Just feels wrong.

peteracs:
Hi

I suspect this was a timing thing. Although the photo is of a later Stratos which means probably after the HPE was launched, there were not that many HPE 1st series and by t hat time the team Lancia would be well established, so the support cars would have been well into there stride and setup backup when the HPE was not available?

The interior size would also be larger which helped.

Interesting to see the hatchback and yes it should have been like that from the start.

Peter

GerardJPC:
Good points re the timing.  The attitude of major manufacturers to hatchbacks in the 70s was odd.  Rover's decision to give the SD1 a hatchback was considered a bit out there at the time.  Meanwhile, the decision not to put a hatchback on the Princess was arguably an error.  Ditto for Gamma and Beta Berlinas?

HPEs meanwhile are fab - really very roomy inside, and great looking outside.

rossocorsa:
They did use HPE once available but these cars were used before it was, remember there was a 3 year gap between berlina and HPE launches

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page