Guide: New Limits - a Historical & Technical Appraisal of the Lancia Stratos Zero
Background
Two years after the sensational Alfa Romeo Tipo 33-based Carabo arrived on the scene, Bertone’s next wedge concept was ready to break cover. However, before it was publicly unveiled, Nuccio Bertone presented the new Stratos Zero to a Lancia management that had been kept in the dark about the highly secretive project.
Lancia had traditionally favoured Pininfarina and, to a lesser extent Zagato, but Nuccio Bertone wanted to engineer a collaboration with the Turin auto manufacturer for his own firm.
Loss-making Lancia had been acquired by Fiat in October 1969 and, with the Lancia Fulvia soon due for replacement, it seemed the perfect time for Bertone to roll the dice.
Without a manufacturer-supplied base car to work with, Nuccio Bertone purchased a crashed Fulvia 1600 HF from a friend. The Fulvia would provide much of the running gear needed for the Stratos Zero which was to be a fully functional design concept.
Styling was the work of Bertone chief designer, Marcello Gandini, whose brief was to create the lowest operational car possible.
Chassis
A custom monocoque-style chassis numbered C 1160 was built up at the Bertone works in Turin.
It had a wheelbase of 2220mm and used the crashed Fulvia’s engine subframe.
A short MacPherson strut suspension layout was installed at the front. At the back, the double wishbone and transverse leaf spring arrangement from the Fulvia’s front axle was adapted.
The Fulvia’s four-wheel disc brakes were also installed.
Custom deep dish alloy wheels were manufactured in-house and shod with Goodyear racing tyres.
Engine & Gearbox
Originally designed by Zaccone Mina, the Fulvia’s dual overhead camshaft motor was the last of Lancia’s V4 engines.
All incarnations used an iron block and alloy head while the 1600 HF unit (as fitted to the Stratos Zero) had a unique 11° vee angle and longer 75mm stroke.
A bore of 82mm gave an overall displacement of 1584cc.
Compression was 10.5:1 and two Weber 45 DCOE carburettors were installed.
In this configuration, the Fulvia V4 produced 132bhp at 6000rpm and 122lb-ft at 5500rpm.
A 45-litre fuel tank was positioned in the right-hand side of the engine bay.
Bodywork
Gandini wanted the futuristic bodywork to look like it had been carved from a solid block of bronze.
The nose aperture housed a full width row of ten ultra slim headlights.
In the absence of conventional doors, access to the cockpit was by a lift up canopy. The canopy popped open via a concealed pivot handle. As occupants had to clamber up the bodywork to gain access, a black rubber mat was mounted on the central section of the nose.
Down each flank were concealed wing mirrors, a pair of stacked side windows and two near mirror-image intakes, the upper of which acted as an air scoop for the engine.
Rear wheels were partially shrouded and the upswept arch profile became a Gandini trademark later copied for the Lamborghini Countach.
The sideways-opening engine cover was made up of five superimposed metal triangles that channelled air into the engine compartment and rear-mounted radiator.
At the back, 84 tiny light bulbs were spread around the tail perimeter. The fascia was home to a black mesh grille underneath which were two megaphone exhausts.
Traditional turn signals were abandoned. Instead, the lights at both ends illuminated in succession from the centre out to the edges.
Interior
To assist entry to the extremely cramped cockpit, the steering column hydraulically tilted forwards.
Block-pattern seats were upholstered in black leather and were also later copied for the Countach.
The custom Gallino-Hellebore steering wheel had a padded central boss, four unusual diagonal spokes and a particularly thick rim.
Instrumentation was located on a green perspex panel located off to the driver’s left so as not to obscure forward vision.
Reception
Nuccio Bertone only informed Lancia of the project shortly before the Turin Motor Show which opened in late October of 1970. Nevertheless, he received the firm’s approval and, at the request of Lancia Chairman, Ugo Gobbato, Nuccio Bertone famously drove the Stratos Zero to the Lancia factory in February 1971.
There, a contract was signed for Bertone to develop and build coachwork for the Stratos production car, a prototype of which was displayed at the Turin Motor Show in late 1971.
The Stratos Zero was re-painted silver in 1971 and later appeared in Michael Jackson’s 1988 film ‘Moonwalker’.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Bertone - https://www.bertone.it
