The Rare Lancia Beta FF Spider: Felber and Michelotti’s Forgotten Masterpiece

Artful Engineering - There’s something undeniably magical about the way the automotive world of the 1970s dared to dream. It was an era when boundaries were constantly tested, when engineers and designers alike played with courage and curiosity, blurring the line between art and machinery. Among those visionaries was Swiss car enthusiast and entrepreneur Willy H. Felber — a man whose fascination with Italian design and performance gave birth to one of the most intriguing and rare sports cars ever built: the Lancia Beta FF Spider by Felber, with the refined touch of the Italian master designer Giovanni Michelotti. 

The Lancia Beta FF Spider built by Felber with the refined touch of the Italian master designer Giovanni Michelotti. (Picture from: CarsThatNeverMadeItEtc in Tumblr)

Felber’s journey into automotive creation started not as a manufacturer, but as a passionate importer. In the 1970s, his company, Haute Performance Morges, was the gateway for Swiss enthusiasts to experience brands like Ferrari, Lancia, and Panther. Surrounded by elegance and speed, it was perhaps inevitable that Felber would one day decide to craft something of his own. His first step into this world was the Felber FF, a retro-styled sports car inspired by the Ferrari 125 S, powered by a Ferrari twelve-cylinder engine. Priced at around 90,000 Swiss francs, it captured attention for its nostalgic design and pure, unfiltered driving spirit — even being described by German racing driver Harald Ertl as “a pure men’s thing.” 

The Lancia Beta FF Spider by Felber unveiled at the 1976 Geneva Motor Show. (Picture from: Carrozzieri-Italiani)

But Felber wasn’t content to stop there. The FF had proven that there was a market for beautifully built, hand-crafted sports cars — but perhaps not one large enough for such an expensive creation. So, in true entrepreneurial fashion, Felber sought to design something more attainable, yet still dripping with Italian character and Swiss precision. His idea: combine the proven mechanics of the Lancia Beta with the visual DNA of one of Lancia’s greatest racing legends, the D24, which had triumphed at the 1954 Carrera Panamericana. The result was a lighter, more refined car — and when he teamed up with the legendary Michelotti, that vision transformed into the Lancia FF Spider, unveiled at the 1976 Geneva Motor Show. 

The Lancia Beta FF Spider by Felber posed along with the standard Lancia Beta Spider. (Picture from: CarStyling.ru)

Michelotti’s touch changed everything. What had started as a derivative of the Beta Spider became something entirely new — elegant, balanced, and unmistakably Italian in its proportions. The body, crafted from aluminum over a tubular frame, gave the car a lightweight presence of just about 750 kilograms. Under the hood, the Fulvia-derived 1300 engine produced a modest 110 horsepower, but the combination of low weight and well-sorted handling made it nimble and responsive. In an era where excess often trumped subtlety, this car stood out for its purity of design and driving feel.

Under the hood, the Lancia Beta FF Spider houses the Fulvia-derived 1300 engine produced a modest 110 horsepower, but the combination of low weight and well-sorted handling made it nimble and responsive. (Picture from: BettelBruenneliCollection)

The Lancia FF Spider’s technical base mirrored much of the standard Beta’s engineering — McPherson struts up front, independent wishbones at the rear, and four disc brakes for dependable stopping power. The transversely mounted engine featured twin overhead camshafts and a light alloy head, while the five-speed manual gearbox gave the driver the kind of engagement that only 1970s Italian sports cars could deliver. Felber’s genius was in ensuring that, despite its bespoke nature, the Spider remained easy to maintain — oil changes every 10,000 kilometers and readily available parts, a rare luxury for a handmade automobile. 

The Lancia Beta FF Spider roof fits snugly but isn’t exactly waterproof, and the trunk barely fits more than a weekend bag. (Picture from: ItalianCarsClub)

Production plans were ambitious. Felber envisioned a modest run of two to three cars per month, assembled in Morges from body parts produced by Michelotti’s Turin workshop. Priced at around 38,000 francs, the Spider seemed to promise the perfect balance of craftsmanship and accessibility. But as with many ambitious small-scale projects, reality intervened. The dream of steady production faded, and only a handful — likely three to six examples — were ever completed. Today, only two are known to survive, each one a tangible reminder of an era when passion could outweigh practicality.

The Lancia FF Spider’s technical base mirrored much of the standard Beta’s engineering — McPherson struts up front, independent wishbones at the rear, and four disc brakes for dependable stopping power. (Picture from: BettelBruenneliCollection)

Driving one of these surviving Lancia FF Spiders today is like stepping into a time capsule. Despite being handmade, the car feels remarkably well put together. There’s none of the rattling or awkward ergonomics often found in low-volume prototypes. The steering is communicative, the gearshift precise, and the lightweight body gives it an agility that even modern cars struggle to replicate. Its four-cylinder engine hums with enthusiasm, and while it may not roar like a Ferrari, it sings its own melody — that distinct Lancia rhythm that blends refinement with a hint of rebellion.

The Lancia Beta FF Spider body, crafted from aluminum over a tubular frame, gave the car a lightweight presence of just about 750 kilograms. (Picture from: CarsThatNeverMadeItEtc in Tumblr)

There are quirks, of course. The roof fits snugly but isn’t exactly waterproof, and the trunk barely fits more than a weekend bag. Yet none of that matters. This isn’t a car for daily commutes or car washes; it’s a car for bright mornings and winding roads, for gatherings where its rare silhouette draws silent admiration. Each curve of its body tells a story — of Swiss precision meeting Italian artistry, of a man who dared to make his vision real, and of a time when cars were made not by committees, but by dreamers. 

The Lancia Beta FF Spider by Felber seemed to promise the perfect balance of craftsmanship and accessibility. (Picture from: BettelBruenneliCollection)

Willy H. Felber’s automotive adventure didn’t last forever. By the mid-1980s, he had turned his focus to reimagining production cars under names like Pascha, Excellence, Oasis, and Rubis. His company ceased operations in 1991, and Felber himself passed away in 2002. But his spirit lives on in creations like the Lancia Beta FF Spider by Felber — a delicate balance of engineering, artistry, and imagination that still captures the hearts of those lucky enough to see one. Since a video of the Lancia Beta FF Spider by Felber is unavailable, here’s a video of the Lancia Beta Spider (Beta Zagato) instead. | 3StECoeJnx0 |

It stands today as a rare reminder of what happens when vision and craftsmanship collide. Not just a car, but a piece of automotive poetry — written in aluminum, signed by Michelotti, and forever sealed by the passion of Willy H. Felber. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | ITALIAN-CARS-CLUB | BETTELBRUENNELICOLLECTION | OLDIFANS67.CANALBLOG | BAZONLINE | CARROZZIERI-ITALIANI | CARSTYLING.RU | THINGIES IN FACEBOOK | CARSTHATNEVERMADEITETC ]

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