In this issue:
THE CHAIRMAN
OF LANCIA ANSWERS
TO TWO QUESTIONS
Mr. Carlo Righini has recently suc-
ceeded Dr. Umberto Agnelli as Chair-
man of the Lancia Co. Among other
appointments, he has retained his po-
sition as assistant deputy managing di-
rector with FIAT. The Lancia magazine
has put him the two following questions:
—	What's the meaning of being Chair-
man of Lancia ?
—	What will be the role of the motor-
car in the immediate future ?
Mr. Righini's answers:
Lancia have undoubtedly retrained the
image of being a high quality and pre-
stigious manufacturer.
In recent times, this image has been
strengthened not only in Italy but
abroad too.
Our objective — which is part of the
strategy laid down by our Group of
Companies — is to produce a range of
cars more and more complete and of
prestige to allow exploiting our produc-
tion capabilities at the maximum.
If, as I am sure, we will attain more and
more substantial achievements all over
the world markets, satisfaction and con-
fidence will derive for all of us, heads,
workers and sales agents in Italy and
abroad.
Obviously the engagement, responsi-
bility, enthusiasm and expectations of
the Chairman of the Company too are
devoted to accomplish this picture on
the present and future of Lancia.
In my opinion, while it is true that
the motor-car industry may be subjected
to crises of its own, it is more true that
the difficulties now facing the auto-
motive industry are just an aspect, may-
be the most striking and remarkable
one, of the big economic crisis which
is now challenging the western world.
The situation of the motor-car business
in the next years will reflect therefore
the state of the economy in the various
Countries more and more and it will
be the latter to affect the recovery of
the automotive industry more or less.
The stop in the economic growth, in-
flation process, increase in tax-rating
and credit restrictions have brought
about, in a short time, a notable reduc-
tion of the income devoted to satisfy
the non essential requirements, or any-
how those which can be reduced or
put oflf by any single family, and it is
just this portion of the income which is
the basis of the motor-car demand.
We think to have reached now the
bottom in this reduction of the demand,
but the recovery will be slow, difficult
and gradual, so much that we will have
to wait up to about 1978/79 to restore
the sales levels attained in 1973.
However when the crisis shall come to
an end, no doubt the motor-car industry
will experience a number of changes
involving both, manufacturers and users.
Particularly for what concerns safety on
the road, overcrowded town traffic pro-
blems prevention, etc.
More than once the motor-car had
the blame for this. Yet as we all know
any sphere of activity of mankind in-
volves quite a number of problems;
in particular, here in Italy, alike else-
where, the motorcar has given raise to
a number of social and economic pro-
blems the automobile industry has al-
ways been aware of, but obviously it
could not take the entire responsibility,
nor solve.
Now, considering the facts — and more
specifically the actual needs of human
beings collectively — most certainly,
people's necessity of getting to places
shall possibly increase, definitely it will
never decrease.
This imperative of mobility freedom
will undoubtedly continue to raise pro-
blems that shall have to be faced and
solved without prejudice bearing in mind
that motor-car is and will be, even more
in the future, the basic means for getting
around.
Any policy tending to restrain the use
of motor-cars will face rather com-
plex situations as well as large invest-
ments; to this end new ventures should
be carefully planned and suitably put
into effect, step by step with a skillful
assessment of costs in relation to the
quality of the facilities offered to people.
In conclusion, the automobile shall con-
tinue to play a great and extremely
important role in our society, even
though placed and blended into an
efficient and comprehensive system of
complementary means of transporta-
tion.
I strongly believe that people's dispo-
sition towards motor-cars, so far hasn't
changed: I would dare say that these
days men and their «partner» are get-
ting much closer friends. For sure, as
I mentioned earlier on, anticipations
on future developments can be diffi-
cult and should be made with some
caution, even though after a period of
austerity and restrictions we feel we
should change things and why not, the
motor-cars could represent the starting
point of these changes.
Turin, June 1975
LANCIA BETA
MONTECARLO
Since the beginning of its activity in 1930
Pininfarina has always been co-operating
with Lancia, thanks also to the friend-
ship existing between the founders of the
two Companies. I will never forget that
Vincenzo Lancia encouraged my father to
set up a business of his own. appreciated
his technical and stylistic skills and ap-
pointed him Lancia trusty bodybuilder.
In the course of this long and faithful
co-operation many famous cars were crea-
ted some of which among the most signi-
ficant ones in our production. I wish to
mention only the «Bilux» Aprilia built in
the pre-war period and the B20 and B24
Aurelias. the Flaminia. Appia and Flavia
Coupes produced after the war regularly
for many years and exported all over the
world.
In the racing field this co-operation led to
the birth of some famous motor-cars such
as the D24 Lancia winner of the deman-
ding Carrera Messicana in 1953 and of
other motor-races held during that period.
In the field of rallies may we remember
the success of the B20 Aurelia driven by
Louis Chiron which won the Montecarlo
Rally in 1954.
Today we launch the Lancia Beta «Mon-
tecarlo»; this name was selected by Lancia
to celebrate its victory at the last Monte-
carlo Rally and . emphasize the sporting
approach and high performance of this
new model.
For Pininfarina. the Beta «Montecarlo» has
a special technical significance and repre-
sents a turning point for the engagement
required in designing it.
For the first time we have designed and
built a unitary construction body. That is.
the bodywork has not been designed by
starting from the chassis of a pre-existing
model, but it has been designed and ma-
nufactured in each single part, as a self-
contained unit. This is a very important
car for us, because it will be the back-
bone of our production in the next years.
It is manufactured in the Coupe and Spider
versions and is intended to sell on all
markets, therefore it has been designed to
comply with the safety standards in force
in the various Countries.
The approach to this car is specifically
sporting, in the most modern meaning of
the word, that is two seats and mid rear
engine.
In spite of the extreme compactness of
the car — overall length 3810 mm, overall
width 1690 mm, height unladen 1180 mm.
wheelbase 2300 mm — the room for pas-
sengers. mechanical units, and luggage
accomodation is perfectly distributed.
It is known that whilst the mid rear engine
layout is ideal on one side for the most
modern requirements of the competion
cars — such as lightness, aerodynamic
efficiency, minimum front area, handling
and road holding — on the other hand
some difficult problems for what concerns
the bodywork have sprung up, especially
for the luggage accomodation, accessibi-
lity to the engine and rear visibility.
Such problems, thanks to the correct di-
stribution of the volumes, rationality of the
mechanical units layout and wholly new
design of the bodywork, have been sol-
ved. we think, in a way never attained so
far on cars featuring the same mechanical
units arrangement. That is, we have built a
car which is marked by mechanical characte-
ristics absolutely advanced without brin-
ging about any shortcoming.
It is not up to us to give a technical spe-
cification of the bodywork, I wish only
to draw the reader's attention to some
technical and formal solutions wholly new.
The cooling and ventilation to the engine
compartment are ensured by a centre tun-
nel which starts from the front end of the
car and runs longitudinally through the
whole floor. This arrangement has been
devised through tests carried out in the
wind tunnel to set the location, shape and
dimensions of the air intake and ducts so
as to provide the exact air stream required
to ensure the best thermic conditions to
the engire. The air flow is boosted through
two outlets located at the rear end of the
bodywork and at the centre of the engine
bonnet, which act efficaciously either at
low speed through a stack effect and at
high speed being in a depression area.
The windscreen notably slanted and thin
is stuck flush with the bodywork and
lacks any chromed moulding, a patent
fitting. Also the rear quarter lights and
the rear window are stuck to the body
shell and greatly add to the stiffness of
the bodywork.
The rear section of the pronounced cam-
bered roof blends with the tail of the car
through a pair of slanting wings that,
apart from improving the sleak aesthetics
of the car. increase roadholding and direc-
tional grip at high speed.
For what concerns the tail end. the fast-
back solution was rejected from the very
beginning to choose a tipical Pininfarina
design featuring a more functional upright
window and a low engine compartment
lid flanked by the two link-wings.
So the car resulted much lighter in weight
and improved visibility at rear was achieved
because of better protection of back win-
dow from weather conditions; less engine
noise and improved ventilation to power
unit.
The spider version features a canvas hood
that, once unhooked, folds away to disap-
pear in its seat located in the roll-bar
box-like structure. All trims and appoin-
tments have been designed specifically for
this car. We have also designed the stee-
ring wheel and road wheels patterns.
It's not for me to judge the style of this car.
however I must say that it's most original
and has that touch of personality which
makes this motor-car entirely different from
those so far developed.
May I wish to express my sincere gratitude
to the manufacturer for the opportunity I've
had in presenting the new «Montecarlo»
to the «Lancia Magazine» readers.
I feel confident of the future success of
this car on the world's markets to crown
the achievements so far gathered by the
Lancia-Pininfarina signet.
LANCIA BETA HPE
The new Lancia Beta High Performance
Estate has been introduced last March at
the Geneva Motor Show, where it has
recorded a very positive welcome. The
International Press has echoed this suc-
cess and has devoted long and enthu-
siastic comments to the new model, un-
derlining those characteristics, mostly new,
that identify the HPE.
In fact this new Beta version materializes
the concept of producing a motor-car
intended for various uses, by summing up
the different features and the intended
purposes of the Saloon, Coupe and Sta-
tion Wagon models.
It is therefore an extraordinary versatile
model in which one feels always at ease
under any circumstance and use. such as
work and tourism, social occasions, shop-
ping, practising the most different sports
and even camping. In short the HPE is
able to meet all the requirements usually
expected from two or three motor-cars
having different features. This is the basic
idea which has inspired Lancia to devise
such an original formula well before the
energy crisis would turn up. This new
model is launched on the market at the
right moment to confirm the soundness of
this approach and proposing itself as a
well made choice, also for what refers
to the economic terms when selecting the
most «rational» car, in the full meaning
of the word.
We wish to recall here how the new
Lancia Beta HPE is made of and what
it offers in practical value. The punt is that
of the Beta Saloon," having 2.54 m whee-
base; the mechanical units are those of the
Coupe featuring a 1600, or 1800 c.c.
displacement engine and relative outputs
100 and 110 CV DIN at 6000 r.p.m. af-
fording max. speeds of more than 170
and 175 k.p.h. respectively. Aesthetically
the three-door bodywork features the front
section, up to the door opening, identical
to the Coupe, whilst at the rear it extends
into a slender outline which, just after a
slight course as a spoiler, blends with
the inclined rear gate.
In short, also from the point of view of
style, this new car offers something new.
Anyhow the practical innovations refer to
the inside appointments. Five very com-
fortable seats, of which the two front
bucket ones are fitted with head restraints,
whilst the rear bench seat is divided in
two sections (owing to a well specific
reason, as we will see later on); the rear
seats' back-rest runs along the body sides,
this to improve the riding comfort. It should
be stressed that easy access to rear seats
is achieved by tipping-up the front seats
back-restes with simultaneous, automatic
9 cm fore-shift of cushion base. Also the
rear seats' back-rests can be dropped for-
ward to make room for a wide and deep
loading platform; or individually in order
to achieve a space of equal depth but
half the size of former width. On the Beta
HPE this arrangement, except when tra-
velling with five people aboard (even
though the boot space available is almost
the size of the luggage compartment of a
saloon car) gives plenty of room for two
people and maximum utilization of space
for suit-cases, large parcels and a marine
outboard motor with relevant accessories.
Ample luggage space is also available
when riding the car with three people
aboard.
Finally extra front length of loading plat-
form can be achieved by further collapsing
the front seats' back-rests to make room
for a camping size twin foam -rubber mat-
tress.
Other trims and accessories are similar to
those fitted to the Beta Saloon and Coupe
versions featuring that finishing touch ty-
pical of Lancia's production. The rear win-
dow is fitted with wiper, a louver type
sun shade easily removed to clean the
glass. Just below the rear window there
is a reel-type blind fitted that can be
pulled and fastened to the rear seats'
back-rests to cover the luggage or stret-
ched over the back window and fastened
to the glass top frame. All these rather
sophisticated gadgets have been fitted to
make more practical the utilization features
of this car as well as to extend the HPE
versatility peculiarities to comply with the
multipurpose characteristics we ought to
believe no one, so far, managed to achieve.
This is our new Beta HPE; a new motor-
car with new features of its own. ready