Why This Car Was Doomed From the Very Beginning... The Lancia Montecarlo
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- Опубліковано 1 лют 2023
- It Had All The Makings Of a Great Car, So What Made It Such A Flop? It should have been one of the greats: Italian design by Pininfarina, mid engine, great chassis, willing Lampredi Fiat Twin Cam engine and beautiful looks. But the Lancia Montercarlo sold badly and was quietly dropped. It did have some intrinsic flaws and the power did not live up to the looks.. but still deserved to succeed.. yet one thing in particular meant it was doomed from the start. We discuss what happened and see how it drives today as a classic.
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21 - Авто та транспорт
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Always liked the look of the MonteCarlo
I like that car.
That's the definition of a Narcist. For real.
i know right
When US car magazine Road & Track tested the Scorpion (US name for the Montecarlo), the headline of the article read: "So lovely, so agile, so ingenious, so slow"
Propr English pronounciation in tandem with a proper Italian pronounciation, such a rare feat and yet such a plesant surprise. My ears thank you!
I like that your videos are just the right length. Unlike the 30+ min videos of some other UA-camrs
I photographed this car in the week it was launched in the UK when I was a professional car photographer in the 70s and 80s. It was a dream to shoot and, despite not being as fast as it looked (anything like) it handled beautifully and was a lot of fun . . . as was the Fiat X1/9.
I owned a Fiat X19 and it was a blast. The rear lights of this Lancia sure look like the X19's and make the whole read end look very similar actually.
Except for wet road braking!!!
And being in Washington state had lots of that. Really overboosted system.
I think this car is an absolute avant garde stunner. The bold move to bypass pop up headlights is a choice for originality over conformity in mid-engined cars. One that serves this car very well in my opinion. While I'm not over the moon with the rear, it does integrate the theme very well. Imagine that car with the V6 as planned. Great video!
I bought one new - and that colour too! Wonderful car - except it was delivered (and don’t forget it was brand new) rusty. The gear lever came off in my hand and the throttle spring kept snapping. Very disconcerting at full pop whilst going up the A1. No room to get your foot under the throttle to try and slow it down. Oh, and the bolt holding the steering box snapped off just when I needed to do a sharp right somewhere near Peebles. How I survived the death trap was nothing short of a miracle. Drove it back to Edinburgh, straight to Glen Henderson’s (the Porsche dealer) and bought a Porsche. No going back.
Yes, the 924 was the direct competition better still a Le Mans edition or the 944. I loved mine, but yes at only 4 years old, mine also had rust in rear wings. No other faults however….
Wow, after that guess you have never come in Italy... Understand well.
I also owned one from new, and suffered a string of exhaust manifold breakages. These were replaced some 4 times under warranty with Lancia unable to find a permanent fix.
Thank you for covering this beautiful car. It’s certainly something of a unicorn that I yearned for as youngster, people always warned me NOT to buy one. Awesome video Jack!
Thanks chap, really glad you enjoyed it!!
There really is no reason not to buy one, as long as you can find the proper mechanics to work on it. I live in Connecticut and I have a 1981 model, it’s a fantastic car: gorgeous, fun to drive, handles well, has decent cargo room for a mid-engine car. The biggest problem is rust (no surprise there), but that applies to most any Italian car. Living in Connecticut where we have BRUTAL winters (as wet as Scotland, as cold as Finland) it stays in the garage most of the year. My main car is a Toyota 4-Runner, but the Lancia gets daily use in spring and summer. Everywhere I go in the Lancia I get strangers asking questions about it, Lancia left the US in the early 80’s, so most people don’t even know what a Lancia is. They always assume it’s a very expensive car, but it’s not. Parts supply isn’t a problem (aside from maybe having to wait to have something shipped from Europe) and it’s not a difficult car to work on if you know how to work on cars. I’ve driven other more expensive sports cars that weren’t as enjoyable, so if you can find one that doesn’t need a total restoration, buy it.
Me to I wanted one to upgrade from a Fiat 127 sport but everyone said I would be nuts.
Am a massive lancia simp since a kid. Every time my heart told me to buy an old lancia.....I had someone reasonable by my side who talked me out of it. Today its unreasonable to buy even a good one...but for other reasons.
People always say crap like that. Back in the 80's I bought a Fiat X19 and as long as you were mechanically minded it was fine and was a very fun car. It had solid valve lifters which needed shimming once every year or two but that was easy. I think the type of people who are/were scared of cars like that are the types who expect a car to be as hassle-free as most modern cars and they're just not because you have to work on them a bit. I was always sort of annoyed when idiots would yell out Fix It Again Tony (F-I-A-T), because they were just parroting what they'd heard from some other idiot.
It would be nice to see a Lancia thema 8:32. Love your channel mate!
Another great video Jack!
I’m lucky enough to own the 9th production Montecarlo ever built, probably the first one imported into the UK, well before Lancia officially imported them.
I’m not sure how many earlier cars survive?
It’s an ex-Lancia press car with solid buttresses that featured in Rally Sport magazine in late 1976.
The Montecarlo is very much underrated.
Thankfully the brakes can be re-engineered and the engine can be rebuilt to give out a lot more power.
Moar powahz!
ive got #0050 of the scorpion here in the states. its in decent shape
Another Montecarlo... Monte Carlo how do you like Riverthames ?
We used that engine in 1.6 form, full race spec rallycross engine and it produced 200ish bhp on a chassis dyno after the twin 45 dcoe and ignition were set up. Gearbox was an Abarth Punto Turbo item with straight cut dog gears and LSD (Imported direct from Abarth it cost more than the engine). In our configuration the engine was canted over as it is in the Montecarlo and we used Montecarlo sump with dry sump oil system and cam driven distributor to achieve that. We made an adaptor plate twixt engine and box, reduced diameter of flywheel for Punto bell housing and fit Punto ring gear to it.
What got me into the Lampredi 4 was owning one in a Delta HF Turbo and loving it. That engine with 148 bhp and a lot of torque would have been great in the Montecarlo. The Delta HF Turbo was the most powerful 1.6 production car in it's day and it's cam timings were "softer" than an 850 BL Mini.
There were 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 versions of the Lampredi engine. All shared same bore size and cylinder head so the small ones had big valves and ports and were oversquare with with long con rods and had great tuning potential.
I dismantled the head of a rusty Beta in a scrapyard once (out of interest). I found it had hemisphrical combustion chambers, enormous valves, which after removal enabled me to look down inlet port across combustion chamber and have a good view out of the exhaust port so it had super gas flow.
The Lampredi four was a wonderful engine of its time. Was there ever a four valve version, and did it flow better than the two valve as the hemi combustion chamber would have to be sacrificed to avoid a very complex valve train?
@@jannowak2352
It was designated ’Montecarlo’ by Lancia.
I am 60 now but when in my 20's lusted after one of these or a Volumex. I ended up with a very rusty Delta and loved it!
Need to do something on the Volumex!!
@@Number27 yes that would be interesting.
So glad you featured this, Jack! The Fiat X 1/9 seems to be stealing all the limelight lately for classic Italian budget sportscars.
It's amazing how much a colour can completely change the looks of these! There's an absolutely concours one in red with the front end colour coded that has been on the show scene that looks amazing! Kind of like a mini Ferrari... At one point these were well under 5k for a decent one, but like most modern classic Italians they've rocketed in price.
Modern classic still?
But yeah, agree otherwise!
Is that the one with Alpha V6 in?
I've been waiting a long time for a review of this car! It's beautiful. I remember the first time I saw a Mk2, aged 13 in the early 90s. I fell in love there and then, harder than Herbie did. Paolo Martín is one of my favourite designers. I much prefer the Mk2's glass butresses and newer wheels, but if I had one of these I'd swap the grille for one out of the Mk1. Then I'd restomod it with modern brakes and power to match the looks...
Hi, first time watching your channel. Writing you from Malden, MA, just outside of Boston. Always liked these cars, almost never see them here. You are a delight to watch and listen to. Your passion and appreciation for cars is palpable. I've subscribed. Best, Johnny K.
Jack. Brilliant video in every sense. Great production, filming and commentary. That was the car I nearly bought as a 18 year old that I told you about 2 years ago when you were asking about forgotten classics. Keep doing what you do so well.
secret interior doorhandles, wicked on tight hillside slots, fits fines at 6'... good memories of one that traded amongst college mates.
Thanks for reviewing this car Jack! I am restomodding one that I found in a field and paid $200 for it. Such lovely proportions and getting the power, brakes, and suspension it deserves. Best regards!
Hello Riven Motors. I imagine you are planning some power, maybe significant engine upgrades? Any other plans?
(I like the Monte Carlo but at 6'7" can only admire them from a distance.)
@@Snarge22 Hi Snarge22, you're very welcome to watch my video progress. The last episode I made was a while ago so you have to wade past the more recent motorcycle videos. I think it was episode 10 when I put the engine in. Best regards and I could only wish I was as tall as you! (5'9" on a good day)
In the US we say "bay-ta" as well. Loved the "Scorpion" when it came out. I really wanted one even though it was underpowered. The battering ram bumpers weren't that bad, especially when compared to the MGB monstrosity. I hope all the people who came up with our safety and emission regulations are proud of all the companies they killed and people they put out of work. OTOH even the most basic cars of today are insanely fast and efficient (in comparison) albeit at infinitely higher cost. But is it really better now? I don't know...
Yes. Why would anyone care about breathable air?
@@oldanslo I'm sorry, did you miss the part where I said today's cars are much better now than there were then? Did you think I wasn't including better emissions? I think it's perfectly reasonable to appreciate the fact that regulations may have eventually led to better cars and also bemoan the loss of so many smaller yet interesting marques to the US market because they didn't have the capital to absorb the costs of the changing standards. Why are you even watching this channel, anyway?
I guess they were in fact proud they made deathtraps disappear. Some brands really didn't deserve to survive looking at the garbage they build.
I ALWAYS GET COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS CONFUSED. Is it Millions of Dollars & Thousands of Lives; OR, Thousands of Dollars & Millions of Lives ??
Great video, Jack. Glad you've featured the Montecarlo. I remember trying to get my father to buy one. Of course he came back from the dealer with a pastel green Beta saloon. 😭
Great video again, Jack. You're on a roll! I love the stories and little history lessons you're adding. Thank you and on to 100k subscribers soon....
Glad you like them! And thanks you so much chap!!
I liked that you went through the interior, trunk, etc. helps give a good overall picture of the vehicle.
I'm lucky enough to own a Scorpion and it is an absolute joy! I'd dabbled with the idea of buying one, but it didn't quite happen until mine practically fell out of the sky and into my garage via a dealer auction. It was less than 24 hours between "hey, look what's running at the auction tomorrow" and I was driving home after writing a shockingly small check. The journey has been fixing lots of bits and bobs, but someone did a pretty decent restoration in the mid-90s and as a long-time garage kept desert car, she has remarkably little rust. It truly feels like an honor to get to be a Lancia owner
Lovely restoration job. In the late 80's my wife and I were looking for a sporty 'Sunday car'. The final short list was between a late 1980 Montecarlo S2 and a 1976 Jenson Healey, (I can still hear that Lotus engine now)! Of course after careful consideration we bought a 1981 Triumph TR8 drophead! A car we adored and used regularly for almost 9 years. With regular servicing and maintenance it was 9 years of trouble free motoring.
Great video Jack , keep doing these great Italian classics , love it
Thanks Jack. I almost bought one of those years ago basically because I loved how it looked. But everyone I looked at had terminal rust and that was cars barely 5-6 years old. I also liked the Lancia HF but same problem, terminal rust.
Hi jack great video i did own one of these many years ago and loved it. Mine was a Mk 1 and had the glass buttress I think the solid buttress was for the US market only. keep up the good work
Love it! Been doing a lot of research into the MC and 037 for my conversion - it absolutely was a Pininfarina car as you say - gonna really pain me to cut it up, it has oodles of character :(
Great review as always, I also heard they were good handling cars, so yeah really is gonna hurt taking the angle grinder to it...
I had a 1976 lancia scorpion with a turbo 4 cylinder and “big” 14 inch bwa mag wheels. I put over a couple,of hundred thousand miles on it 😊😊
Closing in on 100k subs. jack - great work!
Just sold my Scorpion project...now I need to find another one...good job with this video...saludos from México...
It's gorgeous , reminiscent of a Maserati BiTurbo at the front ...great content of late , it's nice to see cars like this driven and reviewed.
Great video Jack, i still have one in Blue metalic and its always a joy to drive
I always wanted one of these in the 80s, but it was rare, and I settled for a Fiat X1/9 instead, which was great, but not the Lancia I wanted most. I also made the mistake of not buying an Integrale for £12k 20 years ago due my 100 mile motorway commute, which would seem like sacrilege. The saving grace is I've owned a Lotus Elise for the last 14 years which I feel is a spiritual successor. Lancia and Lotus, you buy with the ❤️ You can't walk away from these cars without looking back at them 😆
Hi Jack, Thank you for another great video. I hope someone lets you test an 8.32 Thema as this is a car that I want to get my hands on here in Australia but becoming ever so difficult, as it was never sold and all the privately imported ones have been snapped up, since people are realising its a special car to own with its Ferrari supplied engine. I'll leave the rest up to you to reveal and explain. Cheers from a Lancia Prisma owner (ex UK import) 👍🇬🇸
Yes! I remember! Ferrari motor and an electric spoiler. The ultimate gangster car if you ask me.
A while ago I started getting interested in the Fulvia, when I saw you did just post a video about it; now I was researching the Montecarlo and you just posted a video about it again. You are reading my mind😂
In terms looks I feel the Monte Carlo is truly awesome! But these like some of the HF, we're plagued with very lethal rust!
Thank you for another great video Sir Jack and showcasing a special specimen of a car. 😎✌
I've always liked the Montecarlo ever since owning one (by Majorette!) in the 80s. Still have the model! Great to see one on your channel, and excellent review 👍
my friends and i bought one of these for a potential Rotary engine swap, and i have to say even the US spec one at ~80hp is a really great drive. with that little power you do need to actually drive it, and its very rewarding. also compared to like an MGB, the Lancia is really comfortable. the car looks great too, although for some reason when its parked nobody sees it. when its moving though everyone stares, its quite odd.
So impressed with your style and storytelling. Great stuff!
Much appreciated! Thanks 🙏
So much inspiration came from this car to the De Lorean.
One of my favourite cars of all time, thanks for covering it Jack 👍🏻😎
I have loved these since I got a Polistil model one for my birthday when I was eight!
A similar story to the Fiero. A very sporty-looking car initially sold with an underwhelming motor that didn't sell to the intended market because it was too stylish, and disappointed the people who bought it because of its looks. Subsequent improvements couldn't overcome the negative vibes that the launch had generated.
And then came the Toyota MR2 ...
In the case of the Italians those underpowered engines were caused by the Italian legislation. A more powerful engine would mean way higher taxes to pay for the customer, so instead the Italians choose underpowered engines coupled to very long geared gearboxes. This way the cars could still reach a decent topspeed, although it took just about forever to reach that topspeed. Combine that with the rust problems Lancia suffered from and the notoriously unreliable Italian electrics and you understand why the rest of the world wasn't really interested in cars like the Monte Carlo.
There were also the epidemic of engine fires on the early Fieros...
VW started this trend with the karman Ghia..pretty coupe with bugger all power (hairdressers cars we called them back then)..the trick to selling them seemed to be, not to advertise them as powerful in any way (again, see VW Ghia ads😂).
The Fiero looked good but it was powered by the same engine/transaxle GM put in a Chevy Citation. they called it mid engined. the rear suspension was also what they put in the front of an X-car. If you said you made the car yourself with parts from several cars you bought in a junkyard ,Some people might believe you! Especially neighbors who kept seeing it with a tow truck taking it away.
Beautiful piece nice work
Great review. Nearly up to 100K subscribers. 😊
Fingers crossed! Thanks Richard!
There is a couple here in Weymouth that drive about in the summer in a yellow Montecarlo and it still looks amazing today . Beautiful car
Your channel has really grown on me now. You, Matt Armstrong and The Car Guys are my go-to car vids these days.
CarWow, LLF and JayEmm have been relegated to watch later.
Well thank you! Though I do enjoy JayEmm’s stuff
Great episode Jack. I went and test drove a secondhand one back in the early 80s. Always wished I have pulled the trigger and bought it 😢 Rare as hens teeth now.
I'm surprised the Herbie connection didn't make these sell more. Very pretty car.
Twin carbs and a sporty exhaust would be a easy upgrade
Never owned a Fiat twin-cam engined car myself, but yes sounds like a no-brainer as I’m pretty sure people like Alfaholics regularly tune these up to 160bhp-ish without reliability issues...
Enjoyed this great as Always !
Grazie Jack per le sensazioni che trasmetti. Sembra davvero di guidare insieme. Complimenti per la pronuncia inglese (sei italiano, right?}
Hey, don't take the micky out of our English pronunciation of Italian names! Great video as always Jack, you show and discuss all my favourite childhood cars, keep 'em coming!
Thanks chap.. and I certainly wasn’t taking the piss.. just that some people hate the Italian pronunciation!
@@Number27 Hey, no offence taken, I love hearing your proper Italian pronunciations, it's just one of the (many) things that makes your channel even more special. Keep up the great work buddy, we're all friends here!
@@Number27 It is the ONLY pronunciation👍.
Lan cha, never Lan see ya.
One of my friends in Serramazzoni deals in parts for the Monte Carlo, his son has rallied them in Italy. Engine is great.
Absolutely brilliant video ❤️ 👍 absolutely beautiful car love the style and the look brilliant jack
I have had this Lancia long term. Now I am inspired to use it more. Thanks!!!
That looks fantastic, I had a red Lancie Monte Carlo spider MK1 in the mid eighties although it had glass rear quarter sections not solid and I loved it to bits. The exhaust manifold cracked so the cheapest repair was a full ANAS tubular exhaust system from the head back, that certainly solved the sound issues you mentioned. The brakes were frightening in most conditions and ultimately I crashed the car.
I believe the solid rear quarters were replaced during the Series 1, not just Series 2.
You are absolutely spot on Jack , re the quality of the ride on the Beta, the same praise could be heaped on other Beta models , there driver qualities roadholding , handling were quoted as excellent for the day , and certainly would not be out of place today, but when you marry these up to high quality ride , you then realise how really good these Beta models were.
Amazing looking car Jack. I’m sure many moons ago, my dads mate had the VX version in red. Looked epic 👍
Last time I saw one of these was on the West Coast of the South Island of NZ. Driving with a Bora, Iso Griffo, and a Dino. Fabulous.
I can't make my mind up if that's a good looking car or a terrible looking car🤔..... It definitely stands out!
Cracking stuff as always Jack 👍
Very interesting and appealing car, this, thanks for this review! What I always read is that the montecarlo originally was to be the Fiat X1/20, but then, after the oil crisis Fiat didn't want to market too many sporty/sports cars under their own name anymore - they already had the equally fun/gorgeous X1/9 - and so the car went to Lancia. Other fact that I remember is that montecarlo was written in one word as Lancia couldn't use Monte Carlo anymore because of its use by Chevrolet. A thing that I noticed just with this video is that at the rear, the montecarlo is somewhat reminiscent of the Maserati merak.
Hey Jack. I do love these old Italian cars, this one really stood out. I even liked the Dierdrie when it came out!
How about throwing in some Italian words or phrases to make us really understand how Italy would respond to these cars when they where introduced.
Cool vid. Cheers.
Ha!! Thanks chap
I have the perfect word: un bidone!
Just *love* Jack’s pronunciation. Much of my team is in Italy and I travel regularly. This is almost an Italian lesson … and about how “you” (we) talk about ‘bee-tars’. Just love it … and much miss my 127 1050CL if you can ever find one Jack. Keep it up … just *love* your storytelling and presentation style 😊
Oh Iain H, I hope Jack will do a 127, but I think he’s more likely to do the GT 😳Any small Italian car of that era would go like a scalded cat, but can Jack handle the power of a 127 GT? 😂
I owned a mk1 1977 version around 1982-83 white with a red vinyl interior. It had glass buttresses.
Not many balanced reports on the Monte, but you are spot on. I've owned two in my youth - crashed the first and blew upon the second, but they left a big mark on my subsequent car choices. Ride and handling were brilliant and you can use all the performance on the road too.
I do like you approach which has been rooted in ownership and risk-taking, not just boyish enthusiasm! It probably helps that I mostly agree with your taste (men of a certain age!), hope you can keep it going!
Great video, love the historical information and what a beautiful car, have all the time in the world for Lancia, affordable modern cars are clinical but with none of the character of the cars you test, shame they can't combine the two somehow.
One of my teachers had one of those, thought it looked bloody awesome! Still does today
Great video, Jack. Ty. Please keep it up. Have you done one on the 265 Dino?
Only an older video on a modified one..
@@Number27 how about a late 70s Mini Cooper S. How good would we feel about one today?
i was a fiat lancia mechanic, and these and the 131 sport were the cars that we took the longest to test drive.
I purchased a 1976 model. Never drove it in the rain but the brakes impressed me. The cars owned at the time were Alfa Gt veloce, Fiat x/19, Datsun 240Z and Alfa alfetta. The brakes seemed to feel like you dropped anchor from the center of the chassis. It squatted down and stopped straight. I loved the brakes. The datsun burned to the ground, sold the GT, alfetta was traded with huge front end rust problems and the x/19 disintegrated . I still have the scorpian with less than 40,000 miles on the clock.
Good review. If a bit disappointing, considering that I had a photo of it on my 6th Form college locker door from a motorshow brochure. Glad I recently bought an Esprit S1 instead!
Thank you Jack. You bring cars I've never seen in Gran Turismo or 3am Wikipedia search while on a bender.
When I was growing up my neighbor had a metallic gold one of these and it looked and sounded great and had the bow tie alloys and the glass rear panels. It lasted well and did not go rusty. I think the only problem was that it would often refuse to start. Apart from that it was kushty.
Another excellent review 👏
Your Italian pronunciation is perfect sir.
Wonderful seeing the Monte Carlo/Scorpion on the road once again. I happened to be a Fiat/Lancia/Saab dealer in Canada in the late 70's and we actually sold one Scorpion as they were called in NA. What a shit box. As a dealer we went beyond limits to sell this car by removing air pump and other nastiness in order to increase power and we succeeded.. Many years later living in Belgium I was entered in a classic car race at the Zolder race track in a 2000 Beta Coupe Volume which had outstanding brakes, quite superior to a competitor 2000 Monte Carlo. It was no match. Needless to say I easily beat him in outbreaking. He later told me how inferior his brakes were. just thought you would enjoy some feedback.
Great channel. Always the interesting stuff instead of the usual new German SUVs
The thing that killed the Monte Carlo was that it was designed for Italians of a "shorter stature" (5 feet 2" to 5 feet 6"). Being 6 feet 2 inches and trying to get into one, let alone drive it, was ridiculous. My head was at a 45 degree angle just sitting in the car with seat fully back. There was no way I would be able to drive it without severe spinal injury. I worked at a Lancia dealership in the late 1980's and had access to many models and owned several Beta's and a Beta Spider. I liked the styling of the Monte Carlo, but unless you were 5 foot six or less, totally impratical.
Jack is 6ft 1", but yes, I know what you mean.
i thought Italians were built in mm :)
Not just a problem with Lancias, I test drove an Alfa 33, great car, super fast (for the time) but difficult driving position for a 6' 1" man. "No problem", said the top salesman, we'll just take the seat off the rails and weld it to the floor. further back" My 5' 2" wife demurred.
Big problem with the head room was caused by the thick seats, I am 6'4 and put lotus elise seats in mine to give more leg and head room
I haven’t tried sitting in one of these,but a few years ago, same height as you, I fell in love with an X19. Until I tried sitting in it. I put the seat right back. Sobbed silently 😂But since, I have learned the spare wheel is behind the driver’s seat. If I make my fortune on UA-cam shortly, I shall have another look and see if some minor modification can make it possible. Because that 1.5 Lampredi is a sensational sounding engine. X19 chases Ferrari, one of my favourite UA-cam clips, is where I’m going now, for a blast of music 😂
I definitely think it would have been worth mentioning in the intro that Herbie fell absolutely in love with a Lancia Montecarlo
A review on the Kappa and latest Delta Coupe would be interesting. Bringing to come round to their styling. Never seen either in real life although I know they weren't sold in the UK
I always liked them. What’s the best option for more power? Boxster power plant? Thanks for the review!
I love the Monte Carlo. I had only briefly seen it here and there, until one of the Practical Classic writers got one as their own driver. And I loved reading up on it, because I loved the styling. Great looking car.
Quirky little car keep reviewing these gems jack
Again, it is the time to pick up my backlog.
I always wondered if the twin cam Lampredi was more reliable than the single cam as found it for example the X1/9?
Cheers from Belgium!
The Montecarlo is very easy to fall in love with. What a cool car!
I had a 76 scorpion(USA) and put a 2L fi engine from a beta in it. Totally changed the performance. Pininfarina designed the 13' "bow tie" rims, the seats and I believe the steering wheel. Ahead of it's time in many styling aspects but it really needed to evolve in many mechanical ways. Brakes, shift linkage and emissions especially.
A friend had one back in the late 80's with an uprated engine I think about 170bhp. Sounded great.
I instantly fell in love with this car as I stumbled across it in a used car guide as a child.
Thanks Jack another great video, I don't remember that model making it to Australia. I know the engine though from my 125 and 125S FIATS. I could replace the head gasket in under 4 hours. It was a great engine if you drove it like an Italian; above 3000 RPM everywhere.
Hajahahhaah SO TRUE.
Respect for revs💚🤍❤️
I had one of the series 1 models from '78.
It had Pirelli P7s, twin carbs, proper brakes and a glorious Ansa exhaust that was musical in tone!
What a car!
PS. You'll recall I commented about my Urracco...just wondered if you have ever tried the Vauxhall VX220?
I've always felt excited when I see one but 70s interiors really haven't aged well in my opinion. I still like the exterior though. Nice video - thanks.
I think it’s an absolutely stunning car. I love Lancias in general.
One of my favourite cars I had always harked after but never owned. Still would like one, but quite rare. I just loved the shape and look of it. I would have put up with problems or known issues at the expense of owning one, hell I ended up with TR7 coupes & convertibles at the time! Nice & honest overview and the car looked great.
I thought the registration looked familiar!
I owned that specific car in the mid 80s, and carried out a number of enhancements to correct what I deemed to be inadequate standard features.
It was nevertheless a fabulous car to drive, and I miss it to this day, and it certainly saved my, and my wife’s, life when we encountered an unsignposted hairpin in the the Rheinlands on holiday. The handling and roadholding were stupendous.
nb. Nowhere does your review mention mention the fabulous Pininfarina rollback roof which gave open-top motoring in seconds with no draughts and no flappy bits.
Fitted Tarox front brakes (over £2,000 at current prices) to improve the absolutely dismal standard braking performance.
Remodelled (carefully bent pedals in a vice) pedal box to permit my size 9s to operate one pedal at a time - I considered the standard setup to be dangerous for the average Brit..
Had the worn bearings in the gearbox replaced and had thinner fully synthetic gear oil (very unusual then) in the box - the standard gearchange was pretty clunky and slow.
Got a quote from Sprintex for a Lysholm supercharger to sort out the distinct lack of straight line performance - I had previously owned a Daimler SP250, a Sunbeam Tiger 260, a Dolomite Sprint, a Reliant Scimitar, an MGBGTV8 and a BMW 528 to list but a few - but my fiscal circumstances at the time changed, so I reluctantly sold the car.
Had one back in the day. Great car. Also had a HPE Volumex a little while later. That was a fantastic car.
It reminds me of a Fiat X 1/9 for sure. I agree on the rear glass. I would call it “Cute” but not super appealing. I see the door panels are warping nicely as they often do. Every time you went by an oncoming car I cringed a little bit seeing where you knees are 😅 the Lancia Zagato was a favorite for me. Nice review Jack as always. Cheers! 👋🏻
So HAPPY you did a Monte….😁 I had one of these back in 1986 and thought I was the dogs bollocks: a cross between George from Wham! & Thomas Magnum PI ( well I was only 22 🤪). I’d swapped from a X1/9 and then a Matra Bagheera which were both pretty left field motors back in the day. Absolutely loved it. S2 Spider in red with only 40,000 miles. I got a company car soon after and it then sat in a barn collecting dust…but mostly rust. 🤦🏻♂️ 20 years later I sold it for restoration so whomever has it now, I do hope it’s been done - the Reg No was PAU 724W. 🤓🤓🤓🤓
I'm pleased to report that PAU 724W is still going strong and is an active member of the Lancia Montecarlo Consortium. It attends many events and a few years ago, along with 21 other Montes, it even went home to Turin for a week.