Unveiled in prototype form at the 1971 Turin Motor Show, the Lancia Stratos HF — or Type 829 — is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated rally cars of all time, with a compact design that allowed the wedge-shaped vehicle to claim a trio of World Rally Championship titles — a feat that went unbeaten until Lancia itself broke it with its legendary Delta Integrale Group B car. Lancia’s first purpose-built rally race car, the Stratos was penned by Bertone’s Marcello Gandini and featured a fiberglass body set over a steel frame with an internal roll cage and was powered by a mid-mounted 2.4L V6 borrowed from the Dino.
The predecessor to the Rally 037, the Stratos was engineered for rally competition, however, FIA regulations forced Lancia to produce a certain number to meet homologation requirements. This ultimately lead to 492 units being produced from ’73 through ’78 — all of which were made in Turin. This unsurprisingly makes surviving examples extremely rare and highly sought after — and such is the case with the 1974 example that’s just surfaced for sale in the car’s native Italy.
Built to Group 4 specification, this ’74 specimen features a gutted race interior with Sparco race seats and rally-style switches. Riding on period Pirelli P7 tires, the exterior of the Stratos sports a hood-mounted four-unit light-pod with a removable cover, and a replica Würth livery from Walter Röhrl’s 1983 037 — the car Röhrl used to win that year’s Rallye Deutschland. Ready to campaign in vintage car events, this example has been updated to meet modern FIA requirements for historical rallies, as well.
This 1974 Lancia Stratos Group 4 racer is for sale through Vicenza-based exotic and classic dealership Top Marques Deluxe Car, where its price is available upon request.
