Seller's Description
Estimate:
$350,000 - $450,000
Estimate:
$350,000 - $450,000
192 bhp, 2,418 cc DOHC Dino V-6 engine with three Weber carburettors, five-speed manual transmission, four-wheel independent suspension with front coil springs and rear MacPherson struts, and four-wheel ventilated disc brakes. Wheelbase: 2,180 mm.
- Single owner from new; showing less than 39,000 kilometres
- Includes its original Italian registration
- A World Rally legend; one of fewer than 500 built
The Lancia Stratos, without a doubt one of the most successful and recognisable rally cars in existence, was the first automobile ever to be purposely built for competition in the World Rally Championship. With a powerful Ferrari mid-engine and stunning Bertone-designed body, the Stratos cannot help but catch the eye of anyone lucky enough to see it fly by.
Italian coachbuilder Nuccio Bertone went to the 1970 Turin Motor Show looking to create a stir. What he brought there was a fully functioning prototype that had been built out of Lancia Fulvia parts. Bertone had purposely kept construction of the car quiet, as this was to be his one-up on rival Pininfarina. Bertone wanted to break into business with Lancia, and to do so, he needed something brand new and attention grabbing.
The car, nicknamed the Stratos Zero after the project code, was striking with the now-iconic wedge-shape design and integrated doors and mirrors, which made the car appear as though it was a solid block of metal. The entire front windshield lifted up to allow entry into the fully reclining seats. The prototype was a new species unto itself, looking more like modern art than a street-going car. At only 84 centimetres tall, the Zero was so low to the ground that Nuccio Bertone apparently drove it under the security gate at Lancia headquarters, to much applause. Ultimately, his goal was to get the attention of the heads at Lancia, and the Zero did just that.
Cesare Fiorio, the chief of Lancia's rally team and the director of Public Relations, could not help but be inspired by the Zero, despite never having worked with Bertone before. At the time, Lancia had just been bought out by Fiat and needed something new to help turn around its sports division. He approached Lancia Managing Director Ugo Gobbato and suggested a collaboration between Bertone and Lancia. The agreement was to build a five-speed manual rally car with a mid-mounted Ferrari Dino engine.
In 1971, the prototype for the Lancia Stratos HF (for High Fidelity) was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show. Securing the Ferrari engine had taken some time, as Enzo Ferrari did not want his Dino engine in a competitor's car. A deal was not agreed upon until production on the Dino had ended. The design for the Stratos had been given over completely to Bertone's designer Marcello Gandini, who had also worked on the Zero.
With a few practical changes, Lancia started production on 500 cars, which was just enough to satisfy the homologation requirement for Group 4. The final Stratos HF was a light (1,000 kilograms), super-fast car wrapped in a modern fibreglass body. In general, the production Stratos was a simpler version of the prototype, but it certainly did not skimp on the engineering. The Ferrari V-6 engine was stripped down from the prototype's all-alloy to an alloy-head iron-block unit, which was mid-mounted behind the driver and only got smoother as it warmed up.
True to its design, the Lancia Stratos HF made a name for itself in Group 4 races. For the rally version, the engine was further tuned and equipped with a fully rose-jointed suspension. The Stratos won three consecutive World Rally Championships between 1974 and 1976, with support from Fiat and in the hands of drivers Sandro Munari and Björn Waldegård. The Stratos also raced privately, winning multiple titles into the 1980s.
The Lancia Stratos HF Stradale, or street version, is equipped with the same Ferrari Dino engine, five-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, and fully synchronised dogleg gearbox. With a maximum speed of 232 km/h and twin fuel tanks of 80 litres, the Stratos HF Stradale is not lacking any of its rally car roots. Competition features include helmet holders beneath the side windows—a favourite of Stratos fans—as well as the race-bred wraparound windshield that provides a panoramic view of the passing scenery, usually sideways.
The Stratos HF Stradale offered here is a single-owner car with its original engine, and it has been untouched since its delivery to Italy in 1977. It currently still wears its original neon yellow exterior and its original wheels, and it has been unaltered from new. Inside, the dark blue Alcantara seats with red upholstery remain in exceptional condition. The odometer reads only 38,554 kilometres since 1977. The original Italian registration, included with the car, notes that it was released to the original owner on 5 May 1977, after having been first registered on 29 April of that year. The owner also acquired two other Stratos when new, both of which he transformed to Group 4 specification and entered into rallies. This car, however, he left in original Stradale configuration.
Lancia Stratos HFs have always been extremely desirable, although very few maintain their original road-ready status. This Lancia Stratos HF Stradale is a rare piece of automotive history that boasts only a single owner since new. Cruising down the autobahn or sliding sideways around the back roads, it is sure to continue to turn heads wherever it goes.
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