Lancia Stratos HF Stradale (1977)

The Lancia Stratos became the first ever motor vehicle to be purpose built for participation in the World Rally Championship, combining a stunning Bertone designed body with a mid-mounted Ferrari engine to power it to success. It immediately set to work securing its name as one of the most successful rally cars in history having won three consecutive constructors championships for Lancia from 1974 until 1976 and winning multiple titles into the 1980s when running privately.

Eager to enter business with Lancia, Italian coachbuilder Nuccio Bertone created a prototype car nicknamed the Stratos Zero made from a highly modified Lancia Fulvia and first unveiled the car at the 1970 Turin Motor Show to catch the attention of Lancia. His plan did exactly as desired and caught the attention of the Italian manufacturer, specifically Cesare Fiorio, the chief of Lancia's rally team. Fiorio inspired by the iconic wedge shape design approached Ugo Gobbato, the Managing Director of Lancia and proposed a collaboration between the two.

The prototype was unveiled the following year at the 1971 Turin Motor Show however it took some time to secure the Ferrari power plant. Ferrari insisted that the Dino production run ended before supplying the engine to Lancia in order to not create direct competition with another manufacturer.

A production run of just 500 cars was initially planned in order to satisfy the Group 4 homologation needs. Lancia's lightweight fibreglass body (at just 1,000 kilograms) combined with Ferrari's powerful V6 engine became an unbeatable pairing and only few differences were seen on the road going versions, known as the Stratos HF "Stradale". The same Ferrari Dino engine was seen in its road going counterpart mated to a 5 speed fully synchronised dogleg manual gearbox providing drive to the rear wheels.

This exceptional example was delivered to its first owner located in Italy in 1977. Supplied in the vivid colour combination of Neon Giallo over Dark Blu half leather seats with cloth centres and Rosso carpets. Remarkably the first owner would retain the car until 2015 and it remained in an almost untouched condition and original form having covered only 39,000 kms from new. The original owner had also acquired two other Stratos both of which were modified to Group 4 specification to compete in rallies, thus meaning his yellow road car would be a preserved and remained very original.

In February 2015 it was subsequently sourced by DK Engineering as a prime candidate for a total restoration by our team. Particular care was taken to carefully preserve the exceptional level of originality. Over a period of two years a total rebuild of every nut and bolt was carried out, the paint was carefully stripped back to reveal a rot free shell needing just minor metalwork repairs as well as the original fibreglass body needing next to nothing before both being carefully painted in the correct and minimal layered Neon Giallo. The matching numbers engine was rebuilt to exacting standards and all mechanical components carefully stripped and rebuilt. The interior was carefully restored whilst preserving the original seat material.

Today the car has covered just running in and snagging miles since restoration. It is accompanied by UK road registration and a superb history file including the original and exceptionally rare Italian Libretto document as well as full photographic documentation of the extensive restoration. This Stratos is ready to be used and enjoyed immediately, located at our showrooms just outside London.