Car of the week: Lancia Beta Coupe

Unlike previous weeks the reasoning behind today's car is a little different. I'm not going to advocate buying this car if you want headache free European motoring, instead I'm saying that if you want to be different and don't mind Italain themed problem solving then maybe this is the car for you. This weeks car is the gorgeous Lancia Beta Coupe, a car that I thought I would never see down under.

Who would buy one?

Now choosing to buy a Lancia outside of Italy takes a very special sort of person, someone who really does dare to be different, but the fact that someone in 1975 in Australia woke up one day and thought, yes a Beta Coupe is what I need in my life is quite extraordinary. I don't know the official figures so please correct me if I'm wrong but I doubt there are more than a few dozen Beta Coupes still surviving down under. Yes the wonderful Italian styling might be a reason why some found homes, but why someone would choose such a flawed car to tackle Australia in is quite baffling.

Surprisingly advanced 

Anyway reasoning aside I'm pleased some of Lancia's most popular exports are still out there as despite iffy reliability and chronic rust problems the Beta was quite an advanced car. Beneath the beautiful body a choice of 1.6, 1.8 or later 1.3 and 2.0 litre 4 cylinder engines could be had, these were mounted transversely powering the front wheels, unusual for a coupe of this vintage. The engines themselves were tilted backwards slightly too, this moved the centre of gravity back and improved traction to those front wheels, a very clever way to improve the Beta's handling. On top of this the Beta Coupe featured fully independent suspension with a rear end that utilised MacPherson struts and trick anti roll bars. A fine piece of engineering that assured the Beta Coupe handled like an Italian sports car should, even if it only made do with 88kw of pulling power.

Puff of blue smoke probably accepted with Beta ownershop

The negatives   

Lets face the facts though, cleverly engineered it might have been but well built? Not so much. And now some 40 years later things will have likely deteriorated. There is no point ignoring the fact it will need some work to keep it going, but there are clubs out there who can help with that. The other good news is that most surviving cars will be owned by someone who cherishes it or at least had good intentions for it, which brings me on to the car I've picked this week thanks to carsales.com.au.

Now go get yourself one

An almost completed 1975 Beta Coupe project for a very reasonable $6,500. The advert goes into a lot of detail on the work already carried out and the seller comes across as very honest, so I wouldn't doubt this car in the metal is exactly how it's described in the add. Obviously there is no rego and some more money does need to be spent but this Beta could make a very desirable classic, not to mention a potential investment opportunity. Best act quick though, if the seller has no interest by the 24th April it's going back into the garage!


1975 Lancia Beta Coupe, $6,500

Photo credit: Photopin.com, tony-harrison.co.uk
 

Car of the Week: Alfa Romeo 166

This weeks car is another quickie and one that I hope gets back to the premise of my whole blog; the reality that interesting European cars can be had in Australia for surprisingly little money.  This week is the Alfa Romeo 166 complete with stonking V6 and enough Italian style to out catwalk any big saloon rival.

Totally unique 

So on the theme of catwalks lets examine just how beautiful the 166 is starting with what I've always felt is it's most striking feature, those tiny headlights. Unlike other cars bestowed with massive units the Alfa makes do with 2 little ones pushed right into the front wings that make it look a bit like a hamerhead shark, not traditionally beautiful but certainly striking. Small lights also mean your attention is drawn to other aspects of the car, the crease that runs down the sides for example, connecting said headlights with the rear lights eliminates any worry of the 166 being slab sided. At the risk of using an Alfa cliche, the 166 really does oozes character compared to its contempory rivals.

 A rare beast

This cars other rather characterful feature lurks under the sculpted bonnet, Alfa's venerable 3 litre V6 as featured in a previous car of the week, the 147 GTA. Australia was only ever offered this engine, so it seems it was a case of go hard or go home with no 4 cylinder or diesel available like it's euro rivals. This probably accounts for the 166 remaining a niche choice when new, it's reported that globally less than 100,000 cars were sold. A real shame as reviewers rated the 166 rather highly. The NRMA thought "when driving the 166 the sports nature of the model is immediately apparent" thanks to direct steering and a firm yet still pleasant ride. Unfortunately though the 166 was only offered with an auto box in Australia, that at times was a little bit slow to react. But to offset this it was at least Alfa's top of the range car so it came with a fair amount of standard kit; like heated leather seats, climate control, cruise control and rain sensing wipers to name nut a few.   

Will it break down?

Now as we are talking about an Alfa, that ugly word reliabilty is going to rear its head again. However reports seem to suggest the only major fault is rear suspension arms wearing out, everything else with regular servicing should be just dandy. Of course everything being fine doesnt account for how well the car was put together in the first place so each individual car might have its own unique problem, again though a full service history should protect you somewhat.

Go get yourself one

My hope though is that when you relise just how little this super rare, super sexy sedan could cost you to buy you might forgive some of its flaws. As you will see from the car I've picked below a decent 166 should cost you no more than $8000, not a lot of money for a car that will definately make you stand out in a crowd. The car I have picked is at a dealer, but it is very well priced given its low km's, recent cambelt change and importantly it's service history. It looks immaculate from the pictures and given it was probably a bit of a car enthusiasts who bought it in the first place I reckon it has been well cared for.   

2002 Alfa Romeo 166, $7990

Bruce's Car of the Week: Audi TT Mk1

Hairdressers car, posers car, just a Golf in a fancy frock. It's fair to say that the Mk1 Audi TT has taken a lot of flack over the years. However, have you ever taken the time to look past the preconceived ideas and see the car for what it actually is? Turns out its a bit of a design icon and despite its dynamic flaws I for one absolutely love it. And guess what, you can pick one up in Aus for less than a tenth of its original value.

When the TT was launched in 1999 I was just a kid, not even into double figures yet, but I knew there was something special the moment I saw it. The TT is without doubt a beautiful car, maybe not in a traditional Italian sense but certainly in a modernistic sense. Sharp clean lines meant it was immediately recognisable as an Audi while also pulling of the trick of not looking like anything else in their range at the time. Even now some 16 years after its release the Mk1 TT looks like it just rolled off the drawing board and as a result it's a vehicle likely to appreciate in value given a few more years. And that's just the outside, the interior is a separate masterpiece all by itself. It was minimalist before minimalist became a thing, at the time car interiors were sea's of nasty plastic, dull upholstery and far too many buttons. The TT introduced us to the world of aluminium tirm, soft touch materials and minimal clutter. It showed the public that car interiors could be both beautiful and functional in a mass produced car.

Unfortunately for the TT though the outwardly sports car image wasn't backed up by the cars actual driving experience. The media at the time was right, the Mk1 TT was essentially a Mk4 Volkswagen Golf under the fancy skin, probably VW's least sporting Golf ever. It meant the TT had a MacPherson strut front strut setup and a torsion beam rear end. Blasting down a twisting country road was not the TT's strong suit. Power in the base 1.8 turbo TT wasn't phenomenal either, mustering only 132kw it could get to 100km/h in a little under 8 seconds. A Lotus Elise rival the TT was not. However Audi did address performance concerns with the TT Quattro. Featuring a Haldex AWD system the rear torsion beam was replaced with a multi-link rear end and the 20 valve turbo motor was upped to 165kw a 6 speed gearbox installed and 2 seconds were shaved from the 0-100km/h time. The TT was now definitely sportier but still lacked the poise and precision of its predominantly RWD rivals.

The use of familiar VW parts means however, that despite pricey appearances a Mk1 TT is a relatively easy and cheap car to maintain. And with regular servicing the turbo engines just go on and on.

 
To conclude, the TT managed to be daring and different in a very restrained Audi manner, it wasn't until the R8 that Audi managed to pull this trick off again. It might be a bit of a wet blanket to drive but who cares when you could look so darn cool behind the wheel. There's a reason all the posers bought one in the first place you know! I urge you to consider a TT, have a look at the few I've picked out.

Only a months rego left but a new clutch has been fitted, low km's for its age and it's a quicker Quattro car, this TT appears to come from a very loving owner. I don't know about the red leather making it more sporty, as the seller suggests, but it does certainly make it stand out. A very tempting car in classic Audi silver.

2001 Audi TT Quattro, $12900
   





Another Quattro, this time in blue with black leather. Detailed advert, almost like a review, tells me this owner is very fond of their TT. Should mean it's been well cared for, also has the optional Bose sound system installed. Long rego and low km's make this an equally temping TT!

2000 Audi TT Quattro, $10900






Higher km's and only a FWD car means this TT is an absolute bargain. Just been serviced and re rego'd which is a bonus and comes with a natty set of Porsche twist style 18 inch alloys. All in, not to bad a car for the money.

1999 Audi TT, $8500