Hi, new user trying to track down his childhood Beta Coupe last seen 1986

[gordi74]

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.

[Ferrit]

That is a long shot.  Why not just find the right donor vehicle and do a bare metal respray and live your dream again 

[gordi74]

Hi Mark, I know it seems like a long shot, but the car has always been in my memory.

It was something that engaged with my mum and dad, practically turning my mum into a female version of Markku Alén on the school runs. It was the only car I've ever had the company of that would actively make you want to wash and wax it constantly. It drew us closer together as a family and started our love of following the group B rallying, becoming avid devotee followers of the 037 and S4 Delta's.

That alone if anything is why id like to discover what became of her.

[SanRemo78]

Unfortunately without a registration number to chase down there's little chance of finding it even if it still exists! Nearly 40 years since it was last seen mean it's very unlikely to have survived. Hope you manage to find some paperwork or another photograph somewhere.

[A Ross]

Ah Gordi,

I can appreciate the anguish here as I spent years trying to track down my parents original Beta Saloon which had alledgly been sold to a "Lancia Enthusiast" in June 1989 so I felt it was in with a sporting chance of survival - but it soldiered on for another 3 years before going untaxed from 1992 onwards. Your story has touched me as it really does mirror my own Beta story. The Beta left such an impression on me at such a young age it is quite simply the reason I became a car enthusiast and why I waited so long before buying my Betas and jumped at the chance to buy another Beta Saloon from the exact model year specification!

To help, I can offer the following points:

* Looks to be a Series II FL Coupe made from 1979 onwards judging by the frontal appearance and your mention of the later dashboard.
* The colour is almost certainly going to be Verde Ascot (Ascot Dark Green) 109 which would have been paired with the grey woolcloth interior  - I know of two surviving Beta Coupes in this colour specification and both are registered later than this which rules them out - but this doesn't mean to say that further examples aren't surviving out there.
* Judging by the last letter of the first part of the reg is almost certainly a "K" so you have that to go with and the "V" Suffix.

London Lancia Dealers in 1979 / 1980 were:

NW2 Broadway Autos 50-56 Cricklewood Broadway Cricklewood
NW7 Maurice Fraser, Hartley Avenue Mill Hill
W1 Portman Garages, George Street, Baker Street.
W4 The Chequered Flag High Road Chiswick & Colville Road Acton W3
SE1 Waterloo Carriage Company - The Cut - Waterloo
SW1 Peter Wolfenden - Horseferry Road - Westminster
SW10 Len Street - 67-69 Drayton Gardens Chelsea
SW19 Ivor Hill Dursford Road Wimbledon Park

Service Agents were:

Chipstead of Kensington - 6 Stamford Brook Road W6
DB Autos - Tinworth Street SE11
Belvedere Carriage Company - 11-15 Plumstead High Street  SE18
Talon Engineering - 21/3 Basing Street W11
BWB Motor Services Heddingham House 53 Clapham South Side - SW4
Robert Patrick & Partners 10 Manson Mews Queens Gate.

I'd also add Broadfields at Cockfosters (more famous for selling Land Rovers and Jaguars) and Formula Autos Tottenham and HR Owen to this as they all had Lancia franchises around that time - maybe a little later.

Might be worth including the Hertfordshire dealers here too due to the proximity of South Mimms

C - Way Autos Beaconsfield Road Hatfield


As you say, probably a long shot that she is still out there 40 years later, but you never know - I find it is always surprising what comes out of the woodwork.

If thise leads you to finding it or not finding it as the case may be I can thoroughly recommend rekindling your love of the Beta with owning one 


Alex

[Nigel]

Hi Gordi,
I can echo my friend Alex's comments in that I had
a 1976 1600 Coupe back in around 1981 that had no reason to die, in that
the car was essentially solid when I sold it. I had wax-oiled it extensively,
and fitted new wings, bonnet and front facia. Sadly, it seems to have disappeared,
despite knowing the reg number.
So, I acquired years later, my ideal Beta, and went on to becoming an owner
of another.
As he said, rekindle by getting one.

Nigel