One to Buy: 1979 Sanremo Rally-winning 1975 Lancia Stratos Gr.4
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By the time the inaugural World Rally Championship was organised for 1973, the sport had changed drastically from its roots to become a more or less flat out sprint contested by professional drivers in specially prepared cars.
However, when Lancia unveiled the Stratos at the Turin Motor Show in November 1971, the goalposts were moved to an entirely different post code.
Never before had a manufacturer developed a car from the ground up just to go rallying. Nor had anything that looked like the spectacular wedge-shaped Stratos ever graced the special stages.
Unsurprisingly, once Group 4 homologation was approved (on October 1st 1974) the Stratos became rallying’s dominant force for the best part of a decade. Lancia won three Manufactureres’ titles on the bounce (1974 through 1976) and the Stratos continued to pick up wins long after parent company Fiat switched their attention to the 131 Abarth for 1977.
One such example that continued the Stratos’s winning ways after the factory programme was brought to a close is currently being represented by Hamann Classic Cars.
The German domiciled vehicle depicted here was campaigned by Lancia Concessionari between 1979 and ‘82. During this period it was most famously driven by Tony Fassina to victory on the 1979 Sanremo Rally (round nine of that year’s World Championship).
Tony Fassina took a quintet of wins on his way to becoming the 1979 Italian Rally Champion, after which the car was successfully campaigned by Franco Cunico, Maurizio Verini and Gianfranco Ricci.
Since then, this important Stratos has been preserved in remarkably original condition yet remains on the button and ready for its next owner to enjoy.
