Mint condition Lancia Beta Zagato Spiders seem to be coming out of the woodwork as of late. We've featured a few here at CICFS this year, most recently this example owned by the President of Fiat Lancia Club's Arizona Chapter. Now comes along a red, two owner Zagato Spider that has been impossibly preserved, especially given these cars' propensity to rust away. For sale in Washington state, this could be one of the best examples of the breed left.

1979 Lancia Beta Zagato Spider

1979 Lancia Beta Zagato Spider. 34K miles from new. Always garaged. No rust. This stunning Zagato Spider is likely the finest original example in the country. The second owner bought this car in 1980 when it was almost new. He was Capt. Richard Jacobs, who commanded the destroyer-tender U.S.S. Puget Sound, which for a time was the Flag Ship of the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean and later supported Operation Desert Storm in the first Gulf War. We spoke to his widow who expressed that they had many fun times together in the car when the Captain was home in Washington State on leave.

New water pump, new timing belt and tensioner bearing, new fuel pump, and completely rebuilt ZF power steering rack. New shifter bushing kit installed. Gas tank removed and fully cleaned with new NOS sending unit and fuel filter. Fully recommissioned air conditioning system that blows cold. Thousands in receipts. Optional power windows work quite well. Repainted to an excellent standard many years ago. Original soft top in very nice condition. Completely original inside and in absolutely lovely preserved condition throughout. These are the known defects: the oil pressure needle does not work but the zero-pressure warning light does as it has had a new sending unit installed. The power antenna does not work but can be operated manually. Very slight patina to the driver's seat that shows more in photos than it does in person...the new owner can dye it back to perfection if they so choose. Very slight paint rub-through on one of the contour lines of the hood that generally does not show up in photos...and that's it.

This is another stunning example of nearly perfectly preserved Northwest car. The Pacific Northwest is absolutely the very best place in the country to find wonderfully original classic cars, with cloudy skies and moderate tempertures that keep paint lustorous and interiors cool. This car is destined to cross the receiving ramp at Concorso Italiano someday soon. We just attended the Concorso, and we saw not a single Zagato Spider on the field...underscoring the rarity of these cars today. Little over 3000 examples were ever imported. Today, there are probably only a few hundred still in existence...and probably only a few dozen worth owning. We believe that this car is likely the finest original example left. Expensive. Good luck.

The Zagato Spider owned by the Fiat Lancia Club Chapter President brought $6,400 last month. That was a white car and had double the mileage. This shade of red might be more desirable to Italian car enthusiasts and considering the mileage, I'd wager that this car might bring another $2,000 to $3,000 or so. These weren't the best Lancias, but these Spiders have their charm and they are becoming more and more scarce as the years pass.

-Paul