Good afternoon everyone,
I'm hoping that somebody within the Lancia community might be able to help me with a rather personal search.
I'm trying to establish what became of a particular Lancia Beta 1600 Coupé that was part of my childhood, and which I haven't seen for over forty years.
My parents managed a boarding kennels and cattery in the South Mimms area, Hertfordshire, and this was our "company/personal use" car, and lived in property close to the site.
Around 1983/84, the car was purchased; a second-hand Lancia Beta 1600 Coupé for my parents' use. As a young lad, I absolutely adored that car. In fact, it was almost entirely responsible for igniting what has become a lifelong passion for Italian cars.
Sadly, when we moved away to Kent in March 1986, the Lancia stayed behind. I never saw her again, and despite all the years that have passed, I've often wondered what became of her.
I remember the car surprisingly well, although frustratingly not its registration number!
From memory, her specification was as follows:
- **Model:** Lancia Beta 1600 Coupé, facelift model
- **Registration:** V suffix, 1979/80
- **Colour:** Very dark solid green, non-metallic
- **Coachlines:** Two parallel gold pinstripes running along both sides, approximately 12–13 mm overall height
- **Wheels:** Light silver Lancia alloy wheels with small black centre caps bearing the Lancia 'L'
- **Interior:** Grey patterned/tweed cloth upholstery
- **Headlining:** Light-coloured textured cloth
- **Roof:** No sunroof, as far as I remember
- **Steering wheel:** Later two-spoke inverted-V design with Lancia shield
- **Dashboard:** Later eight-instrument arrangement
- **Other details:** Separate rear fog lamp mounted below the rear bumper; possibly matt-black lower valances
In addition to this, the car suffered an electrical fire which was repaired by a garage at Barnet in North London circa 85'. According to the garage, they had found that the throttle cabling was rubbing though the loom underneath the dash starting the fire.
The registered keeper was my parents bosses, and more detail can be provided if this generates any interest.
I have already contacted the DVLA in Swansea, who have supplied me with a V888 form, although they weren't particularly optimistic about being able to help without the registration number.
I've also searched through our old family photographs and managed to find one picture of the actual car. Unfortunately, my mother and a much younger version of myself are standing directly in front of the number plate! I'll attach the photograph here.
I appreciate this is an enormous long shot, particularly given the Beta's reputation for corrosion and the number that disappeared from our roads during the 1980s and 1990s.
Nevertheless, I'd dearly love to discover what happened to this particular car. If she somehow survives, I would love nothing more than the opportunity to see her again. I'm not looking for anyone's private information, simply hoping to identify the car and perhaps trace its history.
If anyone remembers a dark-green V-reg 1600 Coupé with twin gold coachlines, has access to old Lancia registers, or can suggest another avenue worth exploring, I would be enormously grateful. I am trying to investigate London Lancia dealers, but its a slow process. For me even if the car has indeed been scrapped, then its closure to the 40 year long wonderment that constantly haunts me.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this rather lengthy introduction. Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Kindest regards,
Gordi.
