Following Fiat’s acquisition of Lancia in 1969, the Agnelli-owned manufacturer felt the rallying success of the Lancia Stratos was not aiding conventional car sales. As a result of this and an aging Fulvia HF Coupé, the Lancia Beta Coupé was launched in June 1973. Looking to create a stir with a consumer-oriented coupé, Lancia Works prepared around a dozen early production 1.8-litre coupés to compete in Group 3, taking place from February to April 1974, when on the 12th of that month, the Beta was homologated for Group 3. Until the Sanremo Rally on 2 October 1974 (where a day earlier the Beta was finally homologated in Group 4), Lancia Beta Coupés prepared by Lancia Works were fielded in multiple Italian rally events across the country. Each result contributed towards the commonly unknown 1974 Lancia Beta Coupé Championship. Following Sanremo, Group 3 Betas were converted to Group 4 specification, in order to increase competitiveness.
First registered on 28 January 1974, this Beta Coupé was equipped with a 1,756 cc engine. The Estratto Cronologico shows that in February, the first owner was Lancia S.p.A., who held onto the car until 12 April, likely when they were modifying the vehicle to Group 3 specifications, and just before official FIA homologation.
Sold to the first owner, a Miss Angela Frumento in Genova, a relative of Mr. Tabaton, the founder and president of Scuderia Grifone. Registered on Torino plates with the number TO K81158, chassis 1050 was liveried in white, with the bonnet sporting two large blue stripes and “H F” letters. In the 1974 season, Bruno Ferraris and Daniele Cianci were paired together as drivers and drove the car on no less than nine occasions. Debuting on 29 June at the Rally Alpi Orientali, with race number 28, the duo finished 34th overall and 6th in class.
For Sanremo, they still ran in Group 3, and the pair maintained a 4th in class position until the 8th stage, when they suffered from differential failure. Due to the nature of these regional rallies and the sheer volume of them, information on the results of each event is scarce. However, in the Lancia Beta Coupé Championship, Bruno Ferraris finished 5th in the Drivers’ Championship.
Scuderia Grifone took the decision to uprate chassis 1050 to Group 4 specifications for the 1975 season, the most distinguishing factor being the wide plastic wheel arch trims, and a Group 4 dashboard (components that the car still sports to this day). Giuseppe "Pippo" De Stefano was Grifone’s driver of choice for 1975, save for Sanremo and the Rally Piacentine, where Ferraris and Cianci returned.
In 1976, Guide del Prete drove chassis 1050 alongside Cianci, in four known events, with the Rally Targa d’Oro their best result, coming in at 14th overall.
Following this season, it marked the end of this Beta’s time with Scuderia Grifone, who sold the car to Garage Centrale, owned by Roberto Beretta. The Estratto notes it entered his name on 3 April 1978, with the registration CO 532967—which the car today still retains. On 21 July that year, Beretta entered and raced at the Rally Piacentine, sporting race number 59, the car bore an interesting livery of blue with red highlights under the Jolly Club banner.
By 31 March 1979 at the Rally Città di Modena, chassis 1050 now had black bodywork, with blue, red, and white sweeping side stripes as well as a lower white band starting at the front diffuser and carrying down along the wheel arches, skirts, and around the rear of the car. Now under the Beretta-Lucco Team, Beretta drove on nearly all occasions with his partner Francesca Pozzi—who at Modena finished 36th overall and 4th in Class. Beretta fielded chassis 1050 in the 1979 and 1980 seasons, before retiring the car and driving a Montecarlo.
A detailed race chart is available to view online, and on file are various photographs of chassis 1050 at rallies from 1974 until 1980.
Beretta retained the car (and later under his co-driver’s name—Laura Julita) until 1994 when it was sold to Mr. Vallauri of Borgo San Dalmazzo. Changing hands again in 1995 and 1997, this Beta Coupé then entered storage as part of a large collection until 2016, when the previous owner acquired this vehicle from RM Sotheby’s Duemila Route sale.
Remaining in Roberto Beretta’s care for 17 years preserved this Group 4 Lancia Beta Coupé. Still wearing Beretta-Lecco livery, the interior takes onlookers back to rallying in the 1970s. The dashboard is of Lancia Works origin and matches what is pictured on the 1974 Group 4 FIA homologation papers. Instructed by a previous owner, the masterful Italian rally preparation expert Facetti rebuilt the engine, while another workshop restored the suspension and running gear of this car; masterfully blending preservation with the ability to compete in historic rallying events.
The car was acquired by the current owner in 2024 at RM Sotheby’s Monaco auction with the intention of returning it to its competitive roots. As such, Claudio Orlandini’s Autoelite in Maranello was commissioned to perform a full engine rebuild and restoration of the car’s electrical system in advance of the car’s participation in the 2024 Modena Centro Ore. This also included ordering three new sets of Pirelli Classic tyres, including two sets of slicks and one set of wet weather tyres and a handful of spares for the event. Autoeliete also sent a team of mechanics to accompany the owner on the event, ensuring that the car performed faultlessly. After the event, the car was refurbished by Autoelete and remains ready for the next event. Finally, not only is the car fitted today with modern seats and seat belts up to date with current FIA standards, but it also retains the original, period-correct alternatives, making the car perfect for either show or event use.
Further to the Modena Centro Ore, the Beta remains eligible for a number of other events, including the FIA Historic Rally Championship and Tour Auto.
As a time-warp example, this Group 4 Lancia Beta Coupé is one of the earliest examples prepared by Lancia Works and has a fascinating competition history. Having now proven itself both in period and at vintage rallying events, this is an exciting opportunity for rallying enthusiasts to acquire a true gem from 1970s Group 4 rallying heritage.
