In the late 1970s and 1980s, Lancia suffered an increasing image problem in the
United Kingdom, centred around a perception that Lancia cars were prone to
rusting, due to the Lancia
Beta rust scandal. Poor rust prevention techniques and inadequate water drainage channels led to the Beta gaining a reputation for being rust-prone, particularly the first series vehicles, which were built from 1972–75. The corrosion problems could be structural; for instance where the subframe carrying the engine and gearbox was bolted to the underside of the car. The box section to which the rear of the subframe was mounted could corrode badly causing the subframe to become loose. The problem affected mostly first series saloon models and not the Coupé, HPE, Spider or Montecarlo versions.
In the UK, Lancia's largest export market at the time, the company commenced a campaign to buy back vehicles affected by the subframe problem. Some of these vehicles were 6 years old or older. Customers were invited to present their cars to a Lancia dealer for an inspection. If their vehicle was affected by the subframe problem, the customer was offered a part exchange deal to buy another Lancia or Fiat car. The cars that failed the inspection were scrapped.
Lancia had already introduced one year previously a six-year anti-corrosion warranty. Whilst later Betas, second series cars, had reinforced subframe mounting points and post-1979 cars were better protected from the elements, these issues, accompanied by critical press coverage, damaged the whole marque's sales success in the UK market. Lancia's reputation was not helped by widespread, although never backed by evidence, rumours of Fiat and Lancia using Russian steel. Later Betas had galvanised bodies which generally lasted very well.
Unfortunately, on 9 April 1980, the
Daily Mirror and certain TV programmes such as
That's Life! got wind of what Lancia was already doing to help its customers and embarked on a slanderous[
citation needed] campaign to exaggerate the issue and humiliate the manufacturer. There were false claims that the problem persisted in later cars by showing photographs of scrapped 1st Series saloons, falsely referring to them as being newer than five and six years old.
[4] Other contemporary manufacturers (British, French, Japanese and German) whose cars also suffered just as badly from corrosion were never treated with the same harshness.
The last right-hand drive model was sold in 1994, after which Lancia withdrew from all right-hand drive markets. At this time the Thema and Dedra were the only current models.
The Beta still enjoys a following today among enthusiasts.
In September 2006 it was announced that the brand will return to the UK with a right-hand drive version of its
new Delta, in early 2009, although the marque's reintroduction to the UK and other right hand drive markets has been subsequently postponed in light of current economic conditions .
[5]
un día me confundí de coche y metí la llave en otro 
desde entonces solo miro coches que sean distintos y no estén de moda o sean súper ventas
y para la ciudad el saxo
)
:
y no veas que cuore tiene el mío 
