1983 Lancia 037

The Lancia Rally 037 (or Lancia-Abarth 037 - the 037 was the Abarth project number) was the production of a joint collaboration between design house Pininfarina, Dallara, and project manager Sergio Limone. It was given a monocoque and tube-framed chassis with Kevlar and fiberglass-reinforced body panels. The championship-winning predecessor, the Beta Montecarlo, was used to derive the location and position of the engine, windshield, side windows, firewall, and cockpit. Abarth worked with Italian brake manufacturer Brembo in designing and developing the 4-wheel disc brake system.

The 3,000cc engine class dictated a minimum weight of 960kg. A forced induction engine could not exceed 2,143cc. The team decided to use an Aurelio Lampredi-designed supercharged engine that had a displacement size of 1,995cc. The dual-cam engine was positioned within the chassis for optimal weight distribution. It was given an Abarth Volumex Roots-type positive displacement supercharger system which helped it produce just over 200 horsepower. The ZF 5-speed manual transaxle was equipped with a ZF self-locking differential and a hydraulic single-disc clutch.

In 1982, the Lancia 037 made its racing debut at the Rally Costa Smeralda in Italy. The first year proved to be a learning experience for the team, as many of the issues with the car were worked out. However, it did manage to win at the Pace Rally in the UK. The following year, the team enjoyed a more successful season in the Group B Rally class. In 1983, it won the World Rally Championship Constructors' title.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2019