1975 Lancia Stratos HF

The Lancia Stratos holds the distinction of being the first car from a major manufacturer conceived specifically for rallying. The Bertone-styled production Stratos of 1972 was powered by the 2.4-liter Ferrari Dino V6 engine, housed in a steel monocoque body tub clad in fiberglass coachwork. The road-going, limited-production 'homologation special' version was called the 'Stradale' and had a top speed of 225 km/h. The works Group 4 rally cars were considerably more powerful.

The Stratos Zero Concept, initially called 'Stratoline,' was introduced in 1970 at the Turin Motor Show wearing a design penned by stylist Marcello Gandini under the direction of Nuccio Bertone. The wedge-shaped design had a mid-engine placement and stood a mere 33 inches tall. It had a lat windshield that extended over the passenger compartment and was based on the Lancia underpinnings. The Stratos Zero Concept generated much enthusiasm and caught the attention of Ugo Gobbato, Lancia's managing director, and Cesare Fiorio, head of the company's motorsports division. Fiorio envisioned the car to be purpose-built for rally racing, wearing a similar design to the concept, and successful enough to revive the company's racing image. FIA homologation requirements stated that 500 examples were required to be built to qualify for Group 4 sports car racing. Fiorio, with approval from management, began work on accomplishing this goal.

A new prototype, following the design cues of the Stratos Zero, was built the following year and called the Lancia Stratos HF or 'High-Fidelity.' The short wheelbase vehicle wore a lightweight design by Bertone and had a central steel monocoque, rear Subframe of steel tubes, a fiberglass body, and a wraparound windshield. A 2.4-liter V-6 engine developing nearly 200 horsepower was sourced from the Ferrari Dino.

During the 1972 and 1973 seasons, Lancia tested and perfected the design in several races in the prototype class. It received its officiant homologation status on October 1st, 1974, for the 1974 Group 4 World Rally Championship. It was immediately successful, and for the following five years, the Stratos dominated rally racing, recording more than 80 international wins. The first victory came at the hands of Sandro Munari at the October 1974 San Remo Rally. It won the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975, and 1976. It won the 1974 Targa Florio, the Tour de France Automobile five times, and three editions of Giro d'Italia automobilistico. Even after its factory campaign was over, the Stratos continued to be raced with success by privateers, helping Sandro Munari to the WRC Drivers' Championship in 1977 and even winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1979.

The Lancia Stratos HF Stradale, or street version, was slightly detuned for reliability and received a few concessions to civility but retained a large amount of its rally car roots. Similar to the competition version, the Stradale was equipped with a Ferrari Dino engine, five-speed manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive, fully independent front and rear suspension, four-wheel ventilated brakes, and even the helmet holders beneath the side windows. Changes included a revised rear suspension with the double wishbones replaced by McPherson struts, and the body was formed from fiberglass instead of aluminum. The rally cars had a slightly more aggressive body kit.

Production continued through 1975, when approximately 492 examples were made, including around 50 competition examples. Homologation for Group 4 required that 500 examples be built within a 24-month period, but in practical terms, this did not require 500 completed cars, but rather enough chassis and components to complete that number. Production began on July 1st, 1972, and only 183 examples were completed by the end of 1974. The FIA determined that enough completed body shells and components existed to satisfy Group 4 Homologation.

Bertone at its Grugliasco Works manufactured the cars and then shipped them to Lancia, who handled final assembly at the Chivasso plant.

A Turbocharged Group 5 version was later created but did not enjoy the same success as its Group 4 sibling.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 829 ARO 0011948
Engine number: 142536

During the mid-1970s, the Lancia Stratos was raced by both factory and privately owned teams with much success in rally competition racing from European and World Championship level to National-standard series in many countries. The mid-engine cars were very effective on tarmac-surfaced states and rough terrain. The Ferrari-derived quad-cam V6 engine was mounted transversely behind the rear bulkhead and provided enough power to carry the lightweight and well-balanced cars at Rally-winning speeds.

The idea began with the Stratos Concept Car, first shown by Carrozzeria Bertone at the 1980 Salone del'Automobile in Turin. It was labeled as an impractical design - a label that would soon be proven very wrong. The Lancia Division made modifications to the design and prepared it for competition.

The original design incorporated a Fulvia 1600cc engine. That was later replaced by a 2418cc Ferrari Dino V6 engine which offered 190 bhp in normal guise. To satisfy FIA's Group 4 Special GT homologation requirements, the Lancia group began creating the new Coupe in significant quantities. At least 500 were required within one calendar year. This point in history was difficult, as the oil crisis of the early 1970s hindered production. Compounding this problem was the Italian national tax on cars with engines exceeding 2-liter capacity. Consequently, around 270 examples were created.

Nevertheless, the Lancia Stratos Coupes were used very successfully in International Rally events. The V6 4-cam engines were first tuned to 230 bhp and then to 240 in 24-valve trim.

This example is a 1975 Lancia Stratos HF Competition-Liveried Two-Seater Coupe with coachwork by Carrozeria Bertone. It has been a static display for many years in a private European collection. It is a near-identical version of the rally team car with an interior that is more civilized.

In 2007, this coupe was brought to the Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club in Carmel, California, where it was auctioned at the Bonhams auction, An Important Sale of Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia. Bidding reached a high of $113,000 (plus premium and taxes), which was enough to satisfy the reserve, and the lot was sold.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 829AR0 001672

Lancia presented the Bertone-designed Lancia Stratos HF prototype at the 1971 Turin Motor Show, a year after the announcement of the Stratos Zero concept car. The prototype Stratos HF (chassis 1240) was fluorescent red in color and featured a distinctive crescent-shaped wrap-around windshield providing maximum forward visibility with almost no rear visibility. The prototype had three different engines in its early development life: the Lancia Fulvia engine, the Lancia Beta engine and finally, for the 1971 public announcement, the mid-mounted Dino Ferrari V6 producing 192 horsepower.

The Stratos was a very successful rally car during the 1970s and early 1980s. It started a new era in rallying as it was the first car designed from scratch for this kind of competition. The three leading men behind the entire rallying project were Lancia team manager Cesare Fiorio, British racer/engineer Mike Parks and factory rally driver Sandro Munari.

Without support from Fiat, and despite new regulations that restricted engine power, the car would remain a serious competitor. The final Stratos racing chapter at the international level took place in 1981.

This Lancia was built on June 12, 1975, in red with Avana (medium tan) seats and Rosso carpets. All steel body numbers match today, the fiberglass front and rear lids were never matching numbers. It was bought by Netto Aldo on June 22, 1976, from Aosta for 10,500,000 Lire, equivalent to 5,423 Euros. SAVA is the finance company of Fiat Spa, which first bought the car from the Lancia factory. Over the years, there have been several owners until it was purchased by the current owner on July 15, 2012. During 2011 and 2012, Aldo Zanone of Italy performed a down-to-the-tub restoration with some very nice paint inside, outside, and underneath and has great body panel fit, and all mechanics were rebuilt. In 2012 it was serviced by Rod Drew, F.A.I. of Cost Mesa, with an engine out service, transaxle rebuild, new-old-stock seats located, seats reupholstered, and seat belts installed.

The engine was rated at 275 horsepower in the two-valve configuration and 320 horsepower in the four-valve configuration, producing outstanding performance and handling.

Coupe
Chassis number: 829AR0 001880

The Lancia Stratos HF was purposely built for competition in the World Rally Championship and its radical design looked like nothing else on the road. It stood just under three and a half feet tall and was one of the only Ferrari-powered cars regularly seen covered in mud.

The Stratos name was introduced to the public in 1970 at the Turin Motor Show as a concept car named the Lancia Stratos Zero displayed on Bertone's stand. It captured the heart of Cesare Fiorio, manager of Lancia's World rally Championship team. A year later, when Lancia introduced a prototype designed by Marcello Gandini of Bertone, called the Stratos HF, Fiorio persuaded Lancia to take the Stratos rally racing.

The early Lancia prototypes were powered by engines from both the Lancia Fulvia and Berta road cars. In the end, the company decided to use Ferrari's mid-mounted V-6 first seen in the Dino 246. The cars were manufactured by Bertone in Turin and then sent to Lancia's nearby Chivasso factory for final assembly.

The Stratos was small, short, and weighed just under 2,200 pounds. Zero-to-sixty took less than five seconds and they were very easy to maneuver. They had excellent front visibility thanks to the wraparound windshield.

The Stratos began its racing career in 1972 as a prototype by the Lancia team. Their first win would come a year later, and by 1974, the car and team were on their way to supremacy in Group 4 rallying.

Rules changed for the World Rally Championship and required the production of 500 road-legal units. Lancia began work on complying with the rule in 1973, and by 1975, however, only 492 examples were completed. By that point, the homologation requirement had dropped to 400 units.

The Stratos would claim three World Rally Championship titles for Lancia in a row (1974 through 1976). With this success, Lancia had no difficulties selling their 492 examples to eager customers. Internal squabbling, however, had divided the Fiat group and its racing enterprises. As a result, Fiat removed the Stratos from the formal factory-backed competition and replaced it with the Fiat 131 Abarth. The other competitors in Group 4 competition must have been delighted by this, as the Stratos would probably have continued its dominant performance as it was more advanced than the contemporary competitors.

Privateers continued to race the Stratos, earning impressive victories along the way. One example won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1979. Several Stratoses were even able to outpace new cars campaigned by Fiat and Lancia. Lancia built a pair of turbocharged Stratos for rally use as well, though they were not nearly as successful as the Fiat 131, or their naturally aspirated predecessors.

This particular example, chassis number 829AR0 001880, was manufactured in January 1975. It is one of the 492 'Stradale' specification production versions. It is believed that it was equipped from the factory with Sparco racing seats and five-point harnesses, which it has today. It was first sold to Renato Fossi of Bergamo, Italy. By 1982, it was registered to Alessandro Seghi of Ferrara. In 1984, it was sold to Swiss resident Arthur Honneger. At some point in its life, while residing in Europe, the car was repainted red from its original color of lime green.

The current owner purchased the car directly from Mr. Honneger's Swissco Auto, of Key Largo, Florida, in 2001. At the time, the Stratos had already been given its purposeful body modifications in the style of the competition 'Corse' version.

The original set of laced wheels remains with the car though it currently rides on gold-finished 'coffin' style wheels. The odometer currently shows 45,000 kilometers, 1,200 of which have been accumulated under its current ownership.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 829AR0 0000008
Engine number: AR0829000 0000008

The Lancia Stratos was the first car from a major manufacturer conceived specifically for rallying. The origins of the Stratos began in a Fulvia-powered, mid-engined design exercise by Marcello Gandini first exhibited on Carrozzeria Bertone's stand at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. The production Stratos appeared in 1972, still the work of Gandini and Bertone, and retained the unique 'wedge' styling of its predecessor. Power, however, was from a Ferrari Dino 2.4-liter V6 engine housed in a steel monocoque body tub and clothed in glassfibre coachwork.

In 1965, the HF Corse team became Lancia's official competitions department. Cesare Fiorio, the co-founder of the HF Corse team, saw an opportunity to create a purpose-built rally car. He had been impressed by Ferrari's quad-cam V6 motor, having evaluated a Dino for rallying purposes, and Enzo Ferrari was duly persuaded to come on board as the engine supplier.

As the Stratos was built from the ground up as a Rally car, it was given mechanical components to cope with all types of rallying. It came with fully adjustable, all-independent suspension by double wishbones and coil springs, plus four-wheel disc brakes all round. With 190bhp on tap, the production road-going (Stradale) version was good for 225km/h. The works Group 4 rally cars were considerably more powerful.

The Stratos initial major victory was in 1974 at the Targa Florio, going on to dominate international rallying, and Lancia won the World Rally Championship of Makes in 1975 and 1976. Works driver Bernard Darniche won the European Rally Championship in 1976 and 1977.

After Lancia had accomplished building the 500-or-so cars required to satisfy homologation requirements, the vast majority remained unsold. (One widely circulated estimate states that 492 examples were built, falling short of the crucial '500' figure).

After the Stratos ceased competition, the car's historical significance was realized, and prices soon soared. A few remaining Bertone-built unfinished cars were purchased by the racing team and car manufacturer, Milano-based Autosport Jolly Club. Jolly Club would assemble these cars to the stock Stratos HF Stradale configuration and sell them.

This particular example is finished in turquoise blue with a white rear spoiler, hoop, and wheels with a matching blue interior. The car was built at Bertone with Scocca number 1240 487, yet left unfinished when Lancia ended production. The car became one of the Stratos HFs final by Autosport Jolly Club in Milan, where it was given chassis number 829AR0 0000008 and the matching engine number AR0829000 0000008.

It is believed that this car was delivered new to Switzerland, where it was owned by a Zurich-based individual named Amoruso Euegen Damiano in 1988. It was later acquired by Ed Waterman in 1989, and in turn, sold to an individual from Central America who has cared for the car since that time.

Currently, this car has less than 12,700 kilometers on the odometer. It retains the 2,418cc dual overhead cam Ferrari Dino V6 engine fitted with triple carburetors and offers nearly 200 horsepower. There is a five-speed manual transmission and four-wheel disc brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 829AR0 001976
Engine number: 829A000 001248

This Lancia Stratos HF Stradale by Bertone has received a recent restoration to concours standards. It was initially registered in Italy in October 1975 under the ownership of its first caretaker, Paolo Neri of Livorno, Italy. The following year, it was sold to its second owner, fellow Livorno resident Romano Cionini Visani, and he kept the car for seven years. He sold it in 1983 only to quickly buy it back in December and kept it for the next eleven years, selling it to Giuseppe Di Benedetto in 1994.

The current owner acquired the car in 2015, purchasing it from Di Benedetto. At the time of purchase, the car was in need of freshening, so it was immediately sent to Richard Grenon of Driving the Best (Au-Temps-Tics-Auto) in Montreal, Canada. It was then treated to a cosmetic refurbishment, including a refinish in blue and re-appointment of the interior, and invoices were in excess of $60,000. After the cosmetic work was finished, it was sent to Phil Bagley of Klub Sport Racing in Riviera Beach, Florida, in 2017 who conducted a full mechanical refurbishment, addressing the engine, brakes, and suspension.

The car is largely original and period correct with all the major components, and only the windshield has been replaced. Several modifications were added to make it better for touring events, such as installing electronic ignition and dual-side mirrors.

Currently, this Lancia has 29,800 kilometers (18,517 miles) on the odometer.

by Dan Vaughan

A big success by any standard both in and out of competition, the Lancia Stratos was developed as a homologation Special for European rallying. After production ceased, it became a cult car and is now highly-priced as the 'modern classis' it is. Conceived strictly for rallying, the Lancia Stratos, however, makes an exciting road car, though it is very far from GT standards in both luxury and refinement.

The concept vehicle responsible for providing the inspiration for the Lancia Stratos Rally car is the Lancia (Bertone) Stratos. The Stratos featured a 1584 cc V4 DOHC with 115 bhp horsepower at 200 rpm. Designed by Marcello Gandini, the same designer responsible for the Lamborghini Countach and Lamborghini Miura, the Stratos concept was a development of the Bertone-designed Alfa Romeo Carabo concept from 1968. The Carabo concept was also a Gandini creation.

First revealed at the Turin Motor Show in October of 1970, the Lancia Stratos HF prototype was a styling exercise for Bertone. A futuristic design, the Stratos featured a wedge-shaped profile that stood just 33 inches from the ground. Since the vehicle was so low, conventional doors could not be used, and instead, one accessed the interior of the Stratos by a hinged windscreen. Drivers had to flip up the windscreen and walk into the vehicle. Once inside, visibility was quite restricted since the front windscreen was narrow. The cockpit of the Lancia Stratos was designed specifically for fast forest flying.

The body design was predictably minimal to hold down weight and bulk, with its most distinctive features being semi-concealed A-pillars and a door beltline that sharply upswept to the top of the daylight opening. The shape of the resulting unbroken expanse of glass gave the tunnel back roof the appearance of a futuristic crash helmet.

The main body structure was steel, like the chassis, and weight-saving fiberglass was used for tilt-up nose and tail sections. A small box above and behind the powertrain was where cargo space was held. Bins were also molded into the interior door panels for storing helmets.

The same engine utilized on the Lancia 1600 HF Fulvia was used on the Bertone-designed Lancia Stratos Zero prototype. A triangular-shaped panel hinged upwards to allow access to the mid-mounted engine. Developed for rallying purposes, the legendary Lancia Stratos was unveiled in 1974. The production vehicle Stratos was powered by a 2.4 liter mid-mounted V6 from the Ferrari Dino.

Like no other Lancia before or after, the Lancia Stratos was a shock that left enthusiasts and rally fans breathless. For almost a decade, the Stratos streaked across the rally landscape much like a brilliant comet, while discarding past principles, it also fearlessly represented something undeniably new. A phenomenal rally car, the Lancia Stratos set an example to every other car manufacturer in the world. The first viable purpose-built rally car ever built, the Stratos was probably the last purpose-built rally car.

Created by the Bertone coachbuilding company, the Stratos was both radical yet fully functional. Fiorio realized that for Lancia to continue to compete in the World Rally Championship, the Fulvia HF would need a much more powerful replacement. A the time, four-wheel drive was not an option, so a mid-engined configuration seemed ideal. To reinforce Fiori's convictions, the Bertone show car was featured soon after with a mid-engine Fulvia V4.

The introduction of the Ford mid-engine purpose-built GT70 rally car at the 1971 Brussels Motor Show was what truly inspired the impetus behind the Stratos project. It was after this appearance that Lancia's general manager, Pierugo Gobbato contacted Nuccio Bertone. Though the GT70 was actually never put in production by Ford, it was this that sparked the inspiration for the Lancia Stratos.

As always, there was a minimum production requirement of 500 units for the Lancia Stratos. This was an awkward figure that would necessitate funds for at least semi-permanent tooling as well as design and development. This was a job well suited to the Italian industry. Fiorio masterminded the project, and he envisioned a short, wide coupe with a transverse midship drivetrain. Bertone was immediately contracted to style the vehicle and build its unit body/chassis structure.

Forty-three months passed between the time of conception to the actual birth of the Lancia Stratos. The vehicle was developed to take over and make Lancia the outright world rally champ. The Stratos was both short and wide, with a wheelbase of only 7 feet 1.8 inches, and the width of the vehicle was only 5 feet 8.9 inches. Weighing only 1958 lbs, the Stratos was only 3 feet 7.9 inches high. Able to easily exceed 140 mph, the Stratos featured 190 horsepower in roadgoing trim.

Having studied every possible powertrain in the Fiat/Lancia group, Fiorio secured 2.4 liter V-6s and 5-speed transaxles from Ferrari, which was an ideal choice as they'd be installed exactly as the Dino 246. All-independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and four-wheel disc brakes were all specifically designed for the Lancia Stratos.

After 1978, the Stratos was officially retired and no longer officially entered by the Lancia factory. The Lancia team was headed by Sandro Munari, who won its first event as a homologated entry in October 1974. Munari entered 40 events with the Lancia Stratos and won 14. The Stratos also won the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975, and 1976 and remained competitive for another four years. The final major win came in 1979 when a Lancia Stratos entered by the Monaco importer won the famed Monte Carlo Rally. Finally, the factory retired the Stratos.

by Jessican Donaldson