Lancia Stratoos HF Stradale - 1976
Chassis n° 829 ARO 001 611
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais 2020
Bonhams
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2020
Estimated : € 400.000 - 500.000
Unsold
A limited production 'homologation special', the Lancia Stratos is historically significant as the first car from a major manufacturer conceived specifically for rallying. The spearhead of Lancia's international rally campaign in the 1970s, the Stratos had its origins in a Fulvia-powered, mid-engined design exercise by Marcello Gandini first exhibited on Carrozzeria Bertone's stand at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. Also the work of Gandini and Bertone, the production Stratos of 1972 retained the striking 'wedge' styling of its forbear but employed the powerful Ferrari Dino 2.4-litre V6 engine. The latter was housed in a robust steel monocoque body tub clad in glassfibre coachwork.
That such a daring design actually made it into production is mainly due to Cesare Fiorio, co-founder of the HF Corse team that had become Lancia's official competitions department in 1965. Lancia was already enjoying considerable success in international rallying with modified versions of the Fulvia, but in the Stratos Fiorio saw an opportunity to create a purpose-built rally car from the ground upwards. He was an admirer of Ferrari's quad-cam V6 motor, having evaluated a Dino for rallying purposes, and Enzo Ferrari was duly persuaded to come on board as the engine supplier. The stubby, mid-engined Stratos looked nothing like a traditional rally car, but then Fiorio knew exactly what he was doing.
As befitted a car purpose built to cope with all types of rallying, the Stratos came with fully adjustable, all-independent suspension by double wishbones and coil springs, plus four-wheel disc brakes all round. With 190bhp on tap, the production road-going (Stradale) version was good for 225km/h (140mph). The works Group 4 rally cars were, of course, considerably more powerful, but reliability problems meant that success was slow to come. After its initial major victory in the 1974 Targa Florio, the Stratos went on to dominate international rallying, Lancia winning the World Rally Championship of Makes in 1975 and 1976. Works pilote Bernard Darniche triumphed twice in the world's premier drivers' competition - the European Rally Championship - in 1976 and 1977, and the Stratos helped Markku Alén to the inaugural World Drivers' Championship in 1978. Alén's season had been split between the Stratos and the FIAT 131, and it was the parent company's political decision to favour that latter, rather than any lack of competitiveness, which saw the incomparable Stratos phased out, though private entrants continued to enjoy success at international level into the early 1980s.
Its competition-focused rationale notwithstanding, the Stratos in Stradale form is surprisingly usable on the road. As one would expect of a car designed for rallying, forward visibility is excellent, enabling the driver to place the Stratos with confidence. There is ample elbowroom inside and a surprisingly generous amount of luggage space at the rear, while that bugbear of so many mid-engined designs – excessive interior heat – is kept under control.
Incredible as it may seem today, after the 500-or-so cars required for homologation had been completed in 1975, the vast majority remained unsold due to lack of demand. (As it happens, that crucial '500' figure was never reached, one widely circulated estimate stating that only 492 were built). Almost as soon as it ceased active competition though, the car's historic significance was recognised and prices soared.
Finished in blue with yellow seats and correct gold-painted wheels, this Stratos Stradale was delivered new in 1976 to Dr Rudolf Wiespointner of Wels, Austria, who kept the car for 23 years. In 1999 the Stratos was sold to Rudolf Bromberger of Vienna, Austria, passing to the current (third) owner in 2012. Restored circa eight years ago and rarely used since, it remains in very good condition. The paintwork is of very good quality and the panel fit, if anything, is better than new, while the engine compartment appears in very good, almost unmarked, factory-correct condition. This car retains its original engine and gearbox, which have never been rebuilt but remain in excellent condition.
Offered with French Carte Grise and an original workshop manual and sales brochure, this beautiful Stratos Stradale is a highly original and unmolested example of a mythical and supremely successful competition model from one of the most distinguished marques in motoring history.
Lancia Stratoos HF Stradale - 1976
Chassis n° 829 ARO 001 611
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais 2020
Bonhams
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2020
Estimated : € 400.000 - 500.000
Unsold
A limited production 'homologation special', the Lancia Stratos is historically significant as the first car from a major manufacturer conceived specifically for rallying. The spearhead of Lancia's international rally campaign in the 1970s, the Stratos had its origins in a Fulvia-powered, mid-engined design exercise by Marcello Gandini first exhibited on Carrozzeria Bertone's stand at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. Also the work of Gandini and Bertone, the production Stratos of 1972 retained the striking 'wedge' styling of its forbear but employed the powerful Ferrari Dino 2.4-litre V6 engine. The latter was housed in a robust steel monocoque body tub clad in glassfibre coachwork.
That such a daring design actually made it into production is mainly due to Cesare Fiorio, co-founder of the HF Corse team that had become Lancia's official competitions department in 1965. Lancia was already enjoying considerable success in international rallying with modified versions of the Fulvia, but in the Stratos Fiorio saw an opportunity to create a purpose-built rally car from the ground upwards. He was an admirer of Ferrari's quad-cam V6 motor, having evaluated a Dino for rallying purposes, and Enzo Ferrari was duly persuaded to come on board as the engine supplier. The stubby, mid-engined Stratos looked nothing like a traditional rally car, but then Fiorio knew exactly what he was doing.
As befitted a car purpose built to cope with all types of rallying, the Stratos came with fully adjustable, all-independent suspension by double wishbones and coil springs, plus four-wheel disc brakes all round. With 190bhp on tap, the production road-going (Stradale) version was good for 225km/h (140mph). The works Group 4 rally cars were, of course, considerably more powerful, but reliability problems meant that success was slow to come. After its initial major victory in the 1974 Targa Florio, the Stratos went on to dominate international rallying, Lancia winning the World Rally Championship of Makes in 1975 and 1976. Works pilote Bernard Darniche triumphed twice in the world's premier drivers' competition - the European Rally Championship - in 1976 and 1977, and the Stratos helped Markku Alén to the inaugural World Drivers' Championship in 1978. Alén's season had been split between the Stratos and the FIAT 131, and it was the parent company's political decision to favour that latter, rather than any lack of competitiveness, which saw the incomparable Stratos phased out, though private entrants continued to enjoy success at international level into the early 1980s.
Its competition-focused rationale notwithstanding, the Stratos in Stradale form is surprisingly usable on the road. As one would expect of a car designed for rallying, forward visibility is excellent, enabling the driver to place the Stratos with confidence. There is ample elbowroom inside and a surprisingly generous amount of luggage space at the rear, while that bugbear of so many mid-engined designs – excessive interior heat – is kept under control.
Incredible as it may seem today, after the 500-or-so cars required for homologation had been completed in 1975, the vast majority remained unsold due to lack of demand. (As it happens, that crucial '500' figure was never reached, one widely circulated estimate stating that only 492 were built). Almost as soon as it ceased active competition though, the car's historic significance was recognised and prices soared.
Finished in blue with yellow seats and correct gold-painted wheels, this Stratos Stradale was delivered new in 1976 to Dr Rudolf Wiespointner of Wels, Austria, who kept the car for 23 years. In 1999 the Stratos was sold to Rudolf Bromberger of Vienna, Austria, passing to the current (third) owner in 2012. Restored circa eight years ago and rarely used since, it remains in very good condition. The paintwork is of very good quality and the panel fit, if anything, is better than new, while the engine compartment appears in very good, almost unmarked, factory-correct condition. This car retains its original engine and gearbox, which have never been rebuilt but remain in excellent condition.
Offered with French Carte Grise and an original workshop manual and sales brochure, this beautiful Stratos Stradale is a highly original and unmolested example of a mythical and supremely successful competition model from one of the most distinguished marques in motoring history.