No it didn't - Daily Mirror had a go though. Lancia/Fiat rusted no worse, no better than any other car on sale at the same time - Austin 1100 subframes needing replacing for first MOT for example.
Difference was Lancia attempted to do the right thing - bought back series one Beta saloons that had one engine mount with a rust problem - the engine could tip (not fall out as per The Mirror) - and suddenly . . .
Austin - would flog you a new subframe . . . not news as it was so common.
However, allowed me, and others, to buy and run some fantastic Italian cars so not all bad - had a few Betas - first was a 1977 car, disc brakes all round, electronic ignition, handling, ride, comfort . . . whereas my 1978 Dolomite Sprint -. . . hmmm . . . I'd have another Beta . . . I had to not type "Beta coupe" or "HPE" into Ebay these days or . . .
There's a book, the title of which I can't recall right now, that were the memoirs of a second hand car salesman - he ended up with un-official Lancia UK support to sell Lancias as he did so much better a job at selling and then reselling to new Lancia enthusiasts than the official dealers. He tells the tale of the Beta rather better than I
My 1992 integrale is parked outside at the moment - since 1992 it's need one sill, one half sill, one part inner sill and part of the floor near the sill on one side. 200000 on the clock and still making me smile - I don't think that's too bad for a car I thrashed most of the time, in all weathers, and lived outside all of the time.
What closed the dealerships were crap dealers - Alfa ones didn't get much better - but my 2007 V6 159 Q4 is outside too
