1975 Lancia Stratos

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION

For many enthusiasts, the Lancia Stratos is one of the definitive ‘poster cars’ of the 1970s, offering not only a striking blend of Bertone styling and Ferrari’s sonorous V6 engine, but also a long history of motorsport success. 

The car being offered for sale here is chassis number 001951. Its factory Certificato di Origine shows that it was sold new in September 1975 to Germany as a Stradale model, and was finished in Rosso Stratos with Pelle Nera interior. 

The Stratos has subsequently been converted to full Group 4 specification, with painstaking attention to detail. The Group 4 body panels were created using the original tooling in Italy, while the suspension is fully Rose-joined. There are also Bilstein dampers all round with ride-height adjustment, plus an Eibach adjustable anti-roll bar front and rear. 

The front suspension features strengthened lower arms and Group 4-spec track-control arms, while at the rear there are alloy hub carriers, plus strengthened lower wishbones and radius arms.

A Group 4 high-ratio steering rack has been installed with 2.5 turns lock to lock, while the braking system includes four-piston calipers and dual Girling master cylinders with adjustable bias. The five-speed dog ’box is also to full Group 4 specification, and the 15in Campagnolo-style magnesium wheels have been fitted with Pirelli tyres. 

The 2.4-litre Dino V6 engine features ported and gas-flowed Group 4 heads with 45mm inlet valves and 39mm exhaust valves. High-compression pistons have been installed, along with an Arrow steel crankshaft and con-rods. It breathes through a trio of Weber 44 IDF carburettors and has a Group 4 air filter and box. There’s also a lightened flywheel, baffled sump and a six-into-one exhaust manifold. 

Inside, there’s an integral roll cage, Recaro seats, OMP harnesses, a Lifeline fire extinguisher and analogue rally clocks.

Not only is this Lancia Stratos superbly finished throughout, with a huge specification, it is truly spectacular to drive and boasts a soundtrack that evokes the glory days of 1970s rallying. It would certainly be a crowd-pleasing addition to any event for which it was entered.

MODEL HISTORY  

The origins of the Lancia Stratos can be traced to Bertone’s show-stopping Stratos Zero concept car, which was designed by Marcello Gandini and first shown at the 1970 Turin Salon. Its ‘wedge’ shape provided the inspiration for the Stratos itself, which was developed over the next couple of years by a team that included legendary names such as Giam Paolo Dallara and Mike Parkes.

Along the way, they decided to use glassfibre for the bodywork rather than aluminium, which had been employed for an early prototype. They also switched from double-wishbone rear suspension to MacPherson struts. 

The first choice of engine was Ferrari’s 2.4-litre V6, but plans were made to fit Lancia’s own twin-cam ‘four’, or even a Maserati engine, before Maranello agreed to supply its Dino unit. This was mounted transversely behind the driver and gave 190bhp in Stradale spec, with competition cars boasting something closer to 300bhp. 

Fewer than 500 were built in total, and the Stratos was homologated for Group 4 in October 1974. By then, it had already made its competition debut on the 1972 Tour de Corse, drivenby Sandro Munari, who would become synonymous with the Stratos. He also drove one to second place on the 1973 Targa Florio with Jean-Claude Andruet, then won that year’s Tour de France. 

Munari took a hat-trick of victories on the Monte Carlo Rally in the Stratos, which claimed three consecutive World Rally Championships in 1974, ’75 and ’76, before parent company Fiat switched its attention to its own 131 Abarth. 

Munari nonetheless won the inaugural drivers’ title in 1977, and the sight of the Italian ace in an Alitalia-liveried Stratos remains one of the sport’s most iconic combinations. The Lanciaalso enjoyed great success in the hands of privateers, and this remarkable little car won a total of 82 international rallies.