Re: 1980 Lancia Trevi

^{[Continued from above]}
Accomodation and equipment
As mentioned above, the interior is a simple but bravely modern affair. Rather than being designed by committee it is clearly the work of one singular mind, the designer Bellini of Italy. He has stamped his vision and understanding on the interior of the car in precisely the way architects of the 30s did. It is uncompromising. As in the Citroen CX, the door release levers are hidden to avoid cluttering the otherwise blank interior panels. Bellini doesn´t want the driver or passengers to disturb the clean lines of the interior. That would distract from the striking seats which are clearly inspired by the latest Italian furniture design of 1977. Oddly, now that the Beta Trevi has less space on the inside than its predecessor, Lancia make a bit of meal of how roomy it´s supposed to be. Despite it being a bit of a small car they insist "the Trevi is one of the most spacious on the inside." Well, logically, the least roomy of ten cars can still be one of the most roomy, the "tenth most roomy car." Lawyers must have written Lancia´s marketing fluff. I´m still puzzled.  The Beta was notably roomy and the Beta Trevi is noteably not so roomy. Where did the space go?

It´s a good smoker´s car. While the rear doors lack any visible decoration they do have an ashtray each. Simple though they are, they are effective. The driver´s ashtray is placed to allow you to keep your cigarette in your right hand, leaving the left one to do the gear-changing.

The ventilation is simply terrible but most smokers will have one or two windows open anyway. The windows are electric, in the modern style, with the four switches safely out of reach between the front seats. Rather than put the gear change map diagram on the ball of the gear lever where it is hidden by your hand, the gear locations are marked on the plastic fascia of the centre console. This is another clever idea, and typical of the originality that Beta Trevi demonstrates. A nice high lip over the tailgate keeps your possessions safe once the bootlid is open. All in all, the Beta Trevi is both different and original in many ways.

Conclusion
The Trevi has it all: a charismatic engine where the emphasis is on performance and not eking out petrol. On the handling front, the Beta Trevi manages to offer the possibility of either thrilling tail-out antics or play-it-safe understeer. The exterior design sets the car far apart from other saloons. Inside, the car is cosy, nicely trimmed (in navy blue or chocolate brown velour) and is fitted with a uniquely designed dashboard which ought to get the neighbours talking.

The only horse in the bath is a rather abstract one: should Lancia be building a car focused on both performance and luxury? And does the car´s Fiat roots mean it lacks that critical element of character that´s so important in today´s increasingly competitive market? But as it stands, the car´s unusual styling and quirky features, all built upon a tried-and-tested decade-old design will surely mean Lancia´s current progress can continue unchanged.

_{Archie Vicar is a founder member of the chartered society of retired motoring writers.}

Re: 1980 Lancia Trevi

Sir! Excellent work as always and thanks for sharing. Did I miss the section on the Trevi's ashtrays though? If so, perhaps Mr. Vicar was losing his legendary analytical rigour in the later years of his career. 

You may wish to append a warning for sensitive viewers also - whilst I'm sure Trevi sceptic Lokinen will delight in the opening photo of the rotting Lancia, Trevi stalwart Thotos may faint dead away...

Re: 1980 Lancia Trevi

Thank you B&N, it looks like I missed the last part in my eagerness to comment. As if an Archie Vicar report would neglect the ashtrays! 

Now that we have Chryslancias, Jeeperatis and all other manner of Marchionne-made hybrids, I wonder what the next generation of Lancias will look like (worrying about the engineering seems moot as the cars will be riding on a Fiat family platform anyway). I was pleasantly surprised by the Alfa Giulietta's US cousin, the Dodge Dart, so perhaps someone in Fiat Centro Stile will bestow some graceful and distinctive lines on the post-200/300 Chryslancias. Is it better that Lancia lives on, or should it have gone the way of Rover and Saab?

Re: 1980 Lancia Trevi

What´s just arrived in the post but "Motor", weekending August 1st, 1981. It has a four page review of the Lancia Trevi 2000 and to my surprise they thought the car´s 24 mpg was acceptable and unremarkable. They hated the interior and were amazed the car was less spacious than the Beta. The most surprising part is that they called the Beta "respected."  Has the rust debacle become more of an "issue" now than it was then? The reviewer also thought the Trevi was well assembled as they had come to expect from Lancia.

Re: 1980 Lancia Trevi

I look forward to reading your summary of the CAR '81 review. It's always interesting to me when looking back on old reviews to see how the subjective views at the time sit with our own hindsight-enhanced view of the situation. Maybe Lancia's UK press office was more successful at putting a positive spin on the rust issues back in the day? Or perhaps Lancia's rust-prone reputation grew once the cars had been allow to depreciate and decompose a few years in the used car marketplace? Or perhaps the reviewer was fondly remembering Fulvias and Flaminias when declaring the Beta 'respected'. Did it win the euro Car of the Year? That used to mean something, at the very least in giving a bit of padding to a review.

It's always funny to compare a review in a magazine when the car was new, with the laundry list of weaknesses and work-arounds that the owners group forum become conversant in once the car has sailed well out of its new car warranty and obligatory main dealer servicing regime. 

Was the verdict that a Beta Berlina was better than a Trevi? Or that the Trevi corrected many of the Beta's flaws at the expense of introducing a few new ones?