Bertone’s first Lancia:

Bertone’s design was outstanding, it was born into an era where populations wore bell bottom jeans, listened to the Village People and watched John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, this was the 1970’s! But, within the Bertone factory, a revolution was starting, one that would re-write car design and rallying. Little did they realise at the time, but Bertone were about to create one of the world’s most iconic and successful rally cars, the Lancia Stratos HF.

Traditionally linked with Pininfarina, Lancia was impressed when Bertone himself appeared at the factory gates with his Stratos Zero concept in 1970, passing under the barrier to great applause from the factories workforce. Bertone had his chief designer, Marcello Gandini, create an eye-catching prototype to grab Lancia’s attention, hopefully allowing him to win a contract to design a Lancia. The stunt proved hugely successful and a cooperation between Lancia and Bertone blossomed, leading to the development of a new rally car based on the ideas of Gandini, who had in recent years designed the Lamborghini Miura and Countach.

The manufacture of the Stratos was shared between Bertone in Turin and final assembly handled by Lancia at their Chivasso plant, to the north east of Turin. The V6 double overhead camshaft engine produced 280 bhp in Group IV specification and was mid-mounted, and thanks to twin fuel tanks mounted to either side of the engine, offered exception weight distribution. With a wheelbase of just 2,180 mm, and weighing only 880 kgs, the Stratos was nimble, pointy and direct, often catching out the less respectful drivers.

From the outset, the Stratos was designed for competition, with three men leading the charge, Lancia team manager Cesare Fiorio, British racer and engineer Mike Parkes and the factory rally driver, Sandro Munari. Production of the 500 cars require for homologation in Group 4 begun in 1973 with the Stratos gaining homologation for the 1974 World Rally Championship season. In 1974, there was no drivers Championship, only manufacturers could be crowned champions, which Lancia were with the Stratos consecutively for three years, and to this day are the World’s most successful World Rally Championship Manufacturer.

This Lancia Stratos HF:

The Lancia Stratos offered here, Chassis 001551, was delivered new via an Italian dealer for the German market on the 10 March 1976, as documented on the Lancia Certificato Di Origine. The car was finished in Verde Stratos with a black Alcantara interior and Saval Kenia carpets. This car was delivered new through Alvaro Bondi in Padova to Hubert Selles in Munich on 2^nd May 1978. Seven days later, Selles registered the car in Germany with license ‘M -WA3161’.

After 30 years of ownership, Selles sold this car to the current owner through Springbok Sportwagen Gmbh in Isernhagen, Germany. At the time of sale to the current owner, Selles expressed how much the car meant to him, explaining it was a “30-year lovers vehicle”. The current owner has a strong passion for rally cars, with his collection also housing an ex-works Lancia 037. With this in mind, he chose to upgrade the car to competition specification and in May 2009, this car received its Historic Technical Passport. The car was also registered on German license ‘R LH67H’ at this time.

Entrusted to complete the transition to Gr. IV specification was Lancia Stratos and rallying specialists, Autohaus Sparwald in Ensdorf. Udo Sparwald and his family has been involved in rallying for over 40 years, and in July 2009, the engine of this Stratos was tested on the dyno at Victor Günther Gmbh (VGS Motorsport) with power noted as more than 260 PS. In March 2010, the current owner took this Stratos to the VI Rally Clasico Isla de Mallorca with co-driver Michael Kaiser, finishing second in class.

Chassis 001551 is also accompanied by a large number of the original components, which were removed for competition specification, including the original dashboard and instruments, still displaying less than 21,000 kms. There is also the original exhaust system, intake air box, suspension dampers and springs, gearbox internals, camshafts, seats and seat runners, roof lining, interior carpeting, headlights, wiring harness, electronic control unit and Campagnolo wheels. If you would rather return 001551 to Stradale specification, all of these original components allow the original DNA to return to this very special car.

Having driven this Stratos recently, we can confirm it is one of the most exhilarating, exciting and useable cars, from an era when Lancia were dominating the World Rally Championship, en-route to becoming the sports most successful manufacturer in history. How could driving this Stratos, as its third owner, not put a smile on your face?

Documents:

Currently road registered in Germany

Current FIA Historic Technical Passport

List of original Stradale components (removed for Group IV conversion) which are supplied with this car:

Five gold Campagnolo wheels, dashboard and instruments, seats and seat runners, carpets, roof lining, road exhaust system, Stradale air box, road suspension dampers, gearbox internals, camshafts, headlights, wiring harness and electronic control unit.

SOLD