Re: 1980 Lancia Trevi

Group Test suggestion #1. Trevi, Santana, Montego

Since the Trevi was a booted Beta, the Santana came to mind as it was a Passat with a trunk - introduced a year after the Trevi in 1981. I have not looked up details of the Montego, but like the Trevi it is of oddball appearance.

Re: 1980 Lancia Trevi

@AReader - I think you've chosen apt counterparts in terms of three-box saloons, but it's interesting that CAR chose to pit the Trevi against the Citroen CX and Saab 900 in '81. Maybe the idea of comparing a Lancia to a humble Ford, VW or BL machine was unseemly in those days? 

I've probably scared Bertandnairobi away with my Trevi-hunting efforts, but just in case the temptation is still there, I found another beige Trevi 2.0 ie for €1500 near Padua, so another Trevi option in northern Italy to consider.

Re: 1980 Lancia Trevi

Thank you for your interest in this odd strand.

The CX was comparable to the Lancia because it was available in a broad range of prices. So, even if if was a large beast, it was quite cheap.

"Motor" in 1981 listed the following as Lancia Beta rivals: Alfa Romeo Giulietta 2.0,, Audi 80 GLE, BMW 320, Ford Cortina 2.0 Ghia (note it´s a Ghia) and the Renault 18 Turbo.  Meanwhile, Autocar compared the Trevi to the Alfa Romeo Alfetta 2.0,, Citroen CX Athena, Fiat Mirafiori Sport, Renault 20 TX and Saab 900 GLs 4-door. That´s quite a range of cars which tells you how unfocused the Trevi was or else how much of an all-rounder it was meant to be.

Thanks car4mh for throwing these ideas in my direction. I´ve been dwelling on the notion to the exclusion of all else. I particularly applaud the idea of getting Bellini to sign his masterpiece. What a cracking idea for a piece of automotive journalism. 

Russel Bulgin: in retrospect I find he´d hate all these small saloons as much as he´d hate a 2 bed semi-detached house with ducks flying up the walls. Some small saloons such as the Ital and the Belmont (really it´s the name that spoils the image) are a bit ducks-on-the-wall. The Trevi is no more so than a BMW 320, just not so well assembled. But I don´t think Bulgin would have been so charitable.   

Re: 1980 Lancia Trevi

bertandnairobi said:

Meanwhile, Autocar compared the Trevi to the Alfa Romeo Alfetta 2.0,, Citroen CX Athena, Fiat Mirafiori Sport, Renault 20 TX and Saab 900 GLs 4-door. That´s quite a range of cars which tells you how unfocused the Trevi was or else how much of an all-rounder it was meant to be.

What strikes me about the Autocar list is that it does not include any cars from American (Ford or Vauxhall), German, Japanese or Korean makers. What a different world it was back then!

Based on the comparison lists from CAR, Motor and Autocar, it definitely appears that I was not comparing the Trevi with the right cars.

Re: 1980 Lancia Trevi

How about this: in 1980 there were more manufacturers offering smaller ranges. It was easier for a marque to cultivate an image for a small slice of the market, bearing in mind that break-evens were lower then. These days instead of Lancia offering a small, cultivated saloon, BMW offer a version of their 3 series or 1 series with the appropriate trim and suspension settings. Ditto Mercedes Benz. We have fewer, stronger players offering a broader range of vehicles. So, diversity still exists (after a fashion inside brands rather than between them. Citroen´s market of plush saloons has been eaten by Mercedes among others. Lancia was consumed by Alfa, BMW and Mercedes and Audi. Saab was beaten to death by the relentless preference of buyers for A4s, 3-series and, at a push, certain Subarus.  And other brands are still falling by the wayside. Remember before it died, Lancia also gave up on the UK market. And of course, the entirety of Rootes and BMC/Rover also gave up on the UK market. The UK market is a killing ground for cars. If you can´t sell in the UK you´re stuffed (Lancia, Citroen´s big cars, Fiat) and if you only sell well in the UK you´re stuffed (Saab, Bristol, Rover)

I think it is dreary that if you wast the kind of car that does what, say, a Lancia did, you end up buying either very well specced Focus (do they still offer Ghia trim) or a BMW3with some warmer colours or maybe a small Merc coupe with an orange interior. So, you have cars with watered down identities rather than clear strong ones as when you had a Lancia on your drive compared to the neighbour´s BMW318. Today: you have a 325 with a plush interior and the neighbour has the 3 series in M-spec or just plain grey inside and out.

I don´t mind the non-metallic Trevis. 30 years later it´s hard to be justifiably picky about options. Might I add that the IE is a better bet than the VX which was a notoriously thirsty car. Period reviews of the VX engine the other Betas revealed mpg under 20. The car this has a touring range of about 220 miles if you´re lucky.