BBC 2 Top Gear 29th November

[Philip]

tonight's programme will feature Lancia. If you don't receive BBC 2 look it up on the website; past shows can be watched.

[Ralph deMasi]

Due to licensing issues, it seems BBC2 programmes can only be streamed if you are based in the UK. Unfortunately Lancisti in other parts of the world will be out of luck until it's shown in their country or it is posted on YouTube (wink, wink).

[gamma a.i.]

I've been informed that jetlag, sorry, bootleg copies will be available soon (tu), from a Gamma Hoodlum

[Ralph deMasi]

Much appreciated to whoever that may be.

[Koen]

Part 1 : http://www.youtube.com/user/Beslija60#p ... MQZeVNKzw8

Part 2 : http://www.youtube.com/user/Beslija60#p ... FGG6l6s3eM

Koen

[gamma a.i.]

Allrite ! OK !! Thank you !!! Great !!!

I hope the CD is longer than the TV show; after all the work & time spent by various Lancia owners, TV crew & London traffic-police.

Note how the silver Gamma turned blue !

& who cares about them Betas anyway ?

Those who still own them now; thats who ! & those who did, once upon a multi anni fa.
I don't own one anymore; but here is a quick review anyway.

Beta Saloon - well, it really wasn't any worse than similar cars back then; nor uglier than many of them. I never hankered for one, then or now. Of course, it did spawn the Integrale...which another story.

Then we have the B Spyder Z ; expensive to build, back then; expensive to buy, back then; expensive to own (an nice one), now & expensive to keep nice, always. And simply weirdly fantastic.

I have friends now own Spyder Z's in Germany; they love them; their bank loan-officers too B).

Then the Sciricco Killer - the Beta Coupe - too great a car to have been built to a micro (Fiat) budget. Sold for small (by sport car means) prices; with discounts of up to 40% when new...1.6, 1.8. 2.0 . ... the S1 Coupe ... stunning interior design vs the S2 Coupe, uglycheapointerior, irritatingly cheapo; but still a hellofan overall packet. I owned one, for years. OK; I never drove my (red) S2 .13L. 80 HP bare-bones Coupe in winter, so after 10 yrs it was still new-looking - outside & (ugly) inside,

I nvr had a smart-mans Beta - the HPE; but I came close to doing just that when I re-entered the Sports-Lancia World 6yrs ago...but that is another story. A stupid, lying, dishonest seller...selling a nice car ... at a good price. That stupid seller; he couldn't get 1 fact straight about his own car; but he had the lies down-pat.
I guess he still has it.

Then the (imho) the the crema della crema Beta !!! - The Mc- which, as you (we) all know... wasn't really a Beta at all. The smart mans Stratos ...slow as a turtle, loud as a 308. My (red) S2 (non-Targa, nicer wheels, smarter rear view) Mc was everything I wanted in a lo-price, lo-powered (125 HP`; what a joke...try 90, max) loud, cramped boy-racer. It was perfect for what it was. My girlfriend always wondered why we sat on the floor; she married me anyway. It was like new when I bought it - in Sardenia - where there is no snow &was like -new when I sold it 5yrs later. It too lived a pampered life.

For winter I had "normal cars".

The Coupe & the MC were both replaced by a wife, kids & a (red) Integrale - 3 red out of 3 Lancia; it wasn't planned; it just happened that way !!!.
The Integ; 180 HP, no roof spoiler, very loud, very cramped, but 4 doors; kids were small.
1st Integ model in Europa with Cat Converter. Unsellable (it sat in a showroom, unmoved for 3 yrs), Unsellable, except to me, at "a lowish price & Fiat 124 Spider part-trade". The Integ., was the car which my (still) wife learned to drive in. Fast Lady, Fast Car ha ha ; but it was slower than any other Integrale in the country; choked by emissions. I didn't care; nor did the family. We loved it; except for the death-gas mileage.

My Insurance-Agent told us "everyone who owns an Integ. kill themselves in it within 6 months; my bank manager said...buy a Benz 190 (& ...then... very quietly; b u y t h e l a n c i a).

It was sold to Greece; since it was getting really too too cramped) & was replaced by a common-sense car, that got 3x the gas mileage & had 5x the interior space. The lovely Kappa 2.0 SW. 155 HP.

Do I miss any of them ? Of course; I (we) miss the Integ. & we wish we still had it !!

Still I (we) now have other Lance to play with (including the Fat Beta...which is the Gamma...2 of 2 which are not red. and....not to forget...1 of the best Lance of all time /see Top Gear/ a (red) Fulvy Z, small, loud, slow, cramped........but it does at least get good mileage & lives; with all the other Lancia (yes, there are more) in a winter-free garage; in a relatively mild, snow free zone. (tu)

[Huib]

The whole 1 hour episode is on http://www.casttv.com/shows/top-gear/se ... e-3/quvy17
Thanks to Bart who posted it on the Fulvia forum

Quality is good enough to play on full screen

[peofsz1600]

What a complete collection of bullshit!!!!!
It has been one of the worst programmes I have seen.
I'm really disgusted by how Lancia brand and history bas been completely maimed by the two shomen.

If Englishmen were so keen to build cars, their industry should be still alive, shouldn't it?

Al the best

Piero Vanzetti

[ncundy]

You've not seen Top Gear before have you

[Pierluigi T.]

These two showmen are two perfect nationalist idiots IMHO