1972 Lancia Stratos HF Coupe

The Lancia brand showed a prototype at the 1971 Turin Motor Show that was destined to redefine the brand and turn the world of competitive rally racing on its ear. The Lancia Stratos HF (high fidelity) was an incredible Bertone design with a steeply raked windscreen that wraps around the cockpit, providing amazing forward visibility. (The same cannot be said on the rearward visibility.) In addition to its quintessential 1970's supercar looks in a very compact package, the chassis held an equally 1970's supercar engine, the Ferrari Dino V6.

The mid-mounted arrangement provided ideal weight distribution and very low rotational inertia. This, coupled with the purpose-built chassis, created an unbeatable world rally racer who claimed the championship in 1974, 1975, and 1976. Keep in mind that engine production finished in 1974, so the continued domination for the next two years really said something about the package Lancia was able to put together. The final significant victory was in 1981 at the Tour de Corse Automobile when longtime Stratos privateer Bernard Darniche placed at the top of the WRC event.

Although highly successful, this remains a very rare car, with only 492 cars built in total. Of this, about 200 cars were manufactured for the street. This road-going version of this car enjoyed very high performance for its time, with 0-60mph times of less than 5 seconds and a top speed of 144 mph.