Only two owners from new
Retaining its original engine
Restored to Group IV specification and ready to rally
The most iconic rally car of all time
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 2nd 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?
List of original Stradale components (removed for Group IV conversion) which are supplied with this car:
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