Short, stubby and simply unstoppable, the Lancia Stratos HF won a staggering 18 World Rally events and no fewer than three World Rally Championships.

Its formidable performance can be attributed largely to Marcello Gandini, the design wunderkind who, working under the Bertone banner, single-handedly revolutionised the world of car design. The introduction of the Stratos in 1970 heralded the era of the ‘wedge’ and petrolheads simply had no idea what they were in for.

Arguably the very first thoroughbred rally car, no stone was left unturned by Lancia and Bertone’s designers and engineers in the quest for performance. The Stratos’ desperately short wheelbase (just 2.18 metres) coupled with its 880kg weight meant it was positively nimble and direct. It took a skip-full of skill to master it, which explains why Sandro Munari ranks so highly in our list of great drivers.

For the heart of its new car, Lancia approached Ferrari, a company whose legend was forged around the power and reliability of its engines. A 2.4-litre six-cylinder ‘Dino’ engine was chosen and tucked transversely right behind the cabin. It produced a mighty 300HP in Corsa spec. And it sounded a rabid dog barking for its life.

Crucially, the rallying rules of the time dictated that 500 road-specification cars were to be built in order to homologate a competition variant. In typically Italian fashion, Lancia didn’t manage to do that. It’s estimated that 492 Stratos HFs left the marque’s Chivasso plant, of which this fascinating Group IV-specification example from 1975 is one.

Born as an Acrylic Red HF Stradale in 1974, this Lancia Stratos – chassis number 001788 – was delivered new to Turin. With a view to rallying the car competitively, a subsequent Italian owner by the name of Maurizio Bardini decided to upgrade it to full-fat Group IV specification in 1978.

This Stratos contested the 1979 Spanish Rally Championship in the hands of Mariano Zapata Martinez

Consulting with the top brass at Lancia in Turin, Bardini approached none other than Claudio Maglioli, the former national touring car champion turned tuner extraordinaire, whose competition Lancias (especially Stratos’) scored over 100 victories and frequently got the better of the factory cars.

Finished in the striking and oh-so-seventies livery of Team Tejanos John, Martinez entered chassis number 001788 in the 1979 Spanish Rally Championship, where it was to be driven by Mariano Zapata Martinez. These competitive outings have been well documented by the Swiss Lancia Stratos authority Thomas Popper.

With its upgraded fuel-injection system, chassis number 001788 would have hadt the edge on the other Stratos competing

An advantage this Lancia enjoyed over the majority of its counterparts was that it was fitted with a Kugelfischer fuel-injection system, which lent the Stratos a dollop more top-end torque. The system was developed in period by Mauro Ambrogi of University Motors in Genoa, a man we’ll come back to later in this Stratos’ story.

Less than two years later, this Lancia entered a collection in Italy, where it would remain for decades, only seldomly making public appearances – and even then only at small domestic shows. Crucially, in 2018, chassis number 001788 was returned to University Motors, where Ambrogi oversaw a fastidious two-year restoration back to the car’s former glory. It’s always a pleasure for us to see historically significant cars going full circle.

Its most notable post-restoration appearance came in the 2022 Passione Engadina in Switzerland, where it was driven on behalf of the owner by none other than our very own Max Girardo. “Climbing back into this Stratos was like slipping on an old pair of jeans,” Max recalled of that weekend in the Alps. “Every Italian-labelled switch was exactly where it should be. The short gear lever fell to hand just so. The engine fired with the same rapturous bark. I found the increased top-end power from the fuel injection most welcome at the altitude of the Swiss Alps during last weekend’s Passione Engadina.

“I’ll tell you something: for the passes comprising endless series of hairpins, I honestly could not have found myself in a better car than the Stratos. The steering is so direct and precise, the handling so nimble and satisfying, the V6 bark so sharp and hair-raising. It’s pure escapism – the perfect antidote to the stresses of day-to-day life.”

Wanting for absolutely nothing, this EU-taxes-paid Group IV-specification Lancia Stratos would make for the perfect car with which to tackle such popular events as the Tour Auto Optic 2000, Modena Cento Ore, Rallylegend and the Eifel Rallye Festival.

There aren’t many authentic and highly original Lancia Stratos’ with period competition history left. Chassis number 001788 is one. That it was converted to Group IV specification by the Stratos mastermind Claudio Maglioli, boasts low and fully documented ownership history and is presented is such fantastic condition makes this Lancia an extremely rare proposition.

As our estimable leader Max Girardo maintains, every great collection needs a Lancia Stratos.

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