Once upon time, before the Fiat Group decided to withdraw its mainstream brands from the U.S. market, consumers had the opportunity to buy various Italian models from marques like Lancia. Sure they weren't always great or reliable, but if anything else, they were different. One of the most rarest Lancias ever to come in the States was the Beta Montecarlo, a mid-engined two-seater sports car that was marketed in the USA as the Scorpion due to the use of the name "Monte Carlo" by Chevy.

Designed by Pininfarina, the Beta Montecarlo was introduced in 1975 and remained into production until 1982 having received a facelift in 1979. Both the original and facelift model were available in Coupe and Spider variants, the latter featuring a targa-like, rollover fabric top.

The Scoprion model was based on the Beta Montecarlo Spider featuring some subtle styling changes such as the different headlights (see photos below). Unlike its European sibling that was powered by a 122HP 2.0-liter four-pot, due to the fact that this engine did not pass the emission standards in the U.S., Lancia was "forced" to fit the two-seater with an anemic 81HP 1.8-liter four-cylinder unit.

Overall, it is reported that Lancia sold 1,801 Scorpions in the U.S. between 1976 and 1977. This particular example that we found on eBay is a 1976 model with the seller claiming that the car has a mere 17,000 miles on the odo. The "Buy it Now" price for this 1976 Scorpion is $8,500.

It goes without saying that those of you interested in the Scorpion, should do their homework before making a bid on the car.

Link: eBay