Montecarlo - Scorpion: The Story Of The Lancia That Almost Never Was

It may be hard to believe now that it’s a coveted classic, but the #Lancia Beta #Montecarlo also known as #Scorpion in the United States, wasn’t popular with buyers in the period. Still, its existence led to two successful racing programs for Lancia. Funny, given the Montecarlo wasn’t supposed to be a Lancia at all. The Beta Montecarlo was available either as a coupé or with a large canvas sunroof: those models were, rather inappropriately, called Beta Montecarlo Spider. Although the little mid-engine Lancia did nothing for the company’s balance sheets, it would serve as the basis for two unrelated but very successful racing programs, leading to two world endurance championships and one world rally championship for Lancia. The Beta Montecarlo occupies a special place in Pininfarina’s history, as the company’s involvement went far beyond the exterior styling, attributed to Paolo Martin. For the first time, the company engineered the car’s steel bodyshell, considering upcoming American safety legislation, on F