The Lancia 037 Rally Group B

The beautiful 037 Rally was a true thoroughbred, honed by Lancia’s racing department in collaboration with Pininfarina and Abarth to do one thing: win rallies. And win rallies the 037 Rally did.

Thanks to head engineer Aurelio Lampredi’s novel use of supercharging, which largely eliminated the lag suffered by its turbocharged rivals, along with its lightweight clamshell body design that drastically reduced servicing time and a squadron of hot-shoed drivers, the 037 fulfilled its destiny, winning the World Rally Championship in 1983. It was the final rear-wheel-drive car in history to do so.

Furthermore, the 037 Rally secured three consecutive European Rally Championships from 1983 to 1985, two Italian Rally Championships in 1983 and 1985, and an Open title in 1984. The story of success Lancia had written with the Fulvia and the Stratos was continued in fine fashion. And the lessons learned along the way proved instrumental in the design of the marque’s future champions: the Delta S4 and the Delta HF Integrale.

In order to keep up with the rapid rate of development – and thus speed – of its bitter rivals, Lancia’s engineering wizards dug deep in their lockers ahead of the 1984 season to produce the most potent 037 of them all: the Evo 2.

Not only was the engine enlarged from 1,995cc to 2,111cc, but it also benefitted from a new inlet manifold and exhaust system designed to increase airflow to a newly designed supercharger housing. The result was 325bhp at a dizzying 8,000rpm. Oh, Lancia also did away with the rear bumper, leaving the heart of the beast tantalisingly visible. It’s the Evo 2’s most obvious tell.

Chassis number 186, the Lancia 037 Rally Group B pictured here and which we’ve recently sold, has been fastidiously prepared to modern FIA specification by the San Marino-based rally car specialists Ksport and is poised to return to the special stages.

SOLD