Lancia Rally SE 037 Prototype Group B - 1980
Chassis n° 001
Chassis by Dallara
Coachwork by Pininfarina
Lancia, as a brand, is as important in the rallying world as Ferrari is in that of Formula 1 racing. Lancia is the name that has made rallying history and some of its cars are truly legendary. The first was the Fulvia HF, followed by the Stratos and then the 037. The 037, a remarkable car and the last two-wheel drive car to win the World Championship, even managing to beat four-wheel drive competitors, was a real pleasure to drive. Indeed, its drivers loved it and nicknamed it “Mom” because it forgave all their mistakes. The car up for auction on this occasion (chassis #SE037-001) is the prototype that served as the basis for developing the Group B version (200 specimens had to be produced to obtain homologation to compete and around 150 of these were the road version). The four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine had 4 valves per cylinder and a supercharger to generate lower torque, and it proved clearly more efficient in a special rally test than a turbo engine, which was penalized by the famous turbo lag. The first sketches are dated April 1980 and in the September of the same year the first 037 (this very one) was built at the Dallara factory in Varano de Melegari.
The project was overseen by the engineer Paolo Limone, father of the 037 and also first owner of this prototype. After the first tests, both with and without the supercharger, the car was put through the Pininfarina wind tunnel for aerodynamic testing and then began doing its development tests on the Fiat test roads and on Pirelli’s Vizzola Ticino circuit. At the end of all this development work, the #001 was purchased by Sergio Limone in November 1981. A few days later, Cesare Fiorio presented it, with its definitive lines and Martini color scheme, as ready to compete in the Rally World Championship. Always well known, this 037-001, often featured in magazines and exhibited in museums, went on to have a series of owners. In 2012 it was restored, retaining many original components and all its interiors.
Autoworld
Brussels - Belgium
May 2017
Lancia Rally SE 037 Prototype Group B - 1980
Chassis n° 001
Chassis by Dallara
Coachwork by Pininfarina
Lancia, as a brand, is as important in the rallying world as Ferrari is in that of Formula 1 racing. Lancia is the name that has made rallying history and some of its cars are truly legendary. The first was the Fulvia HF, followed by the Stratos and then the 037. The 037, a remarkable car and the last two-wheel drive car to win the World Championship, even managing to beat four-wheel drive competitors, was a real pleasure to drive. Indeed, its drivers loved it and nicknamed it “Mom” because it forgave all their mistakes. The car up for auction on this occasion (chassis #SE037-001) is the prototype that served as the basis for developing the Group B version (200 specimens had to be produced to obtain homologation to compete and around 150 of these were the road version). The four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine had 4 valves per cylinder and a supercharger to generate lower torque, and it proved clearly more efficient in a special rally test than a turbo engine, which was penalized by the famous turbo lag. The first sketches are dated April 1980 and in the September of the same year the first 037 (this very one) was built at the Dallara factory in Varano de Melegari.
The project was overseen by the engineer Paolo Limone, father of the 037 and also first owner of this prototype. After the first tests, both with and without the supercharger, the car was put through the Pininfarina wind tunnel for aerodynamic testing and then began doing its development tests on the Fiat test roads and on Pirelli’s Vizzola Ticino circuit. At the end of all this development work, the #001 was purchased by Sergio Limone in November 1981. A few days later, Cesare Fiorio presented it, with its definitive lines and Martini color scheme, as ready to compete in the Rally World Championship. Always well known, this 037-001, often featured in magazines and exhibited in museums, went on to have a series of owners. In 2012 it was restored, retaining many original components and all its interiors.
Autoworld
Brussels - Belgium
May 2017