One to Buy: ex-works 1984 Lancia LC2
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Having successfully campaigned the Group 6 LC1 during 1982, the Martini-backed Lancia squad created their first Group C car for the 1983 season.
The resultant LC2 would take the challenge to Porsche’s awesome 956 which had gone up against the LC1 during the crossover 1982 campaign when cars from both Group C and Group 6 were permitted to compete against one another.
That year, Porsche’s Jacky Ickx had pipped Lancia’s Riccardo Patrese to the Drivers’ title and although Lancia were not eligible to score points in the Manufacturers contest (which was only open to Group C machinery), the LC1 had taken victory at three of eight rounds.
With this in mind, much was expected from the new LC2 which continued a trend set by its predecessor of having been the quickest car in terms of single lap pace. However, the factory Porsche squad, now backed by hordes of privateer 956s, proved too strong as poor reliability blighted Lancia’s challenge.
Extensive aerodynamic and mechanical revisions were made to the LC2 for 1984, but although the Lancias routinely grabbed pole position, they were once again unable to match the Porsche’s robustness. As it transpired, the only Lancia victory came after a mid-season hiatus at the Kyalami 1000km end-of-year finale when Riccardo Patrese and Bob Wollek took the chequered flag in chassis 0005.
On June 9th that very car will be going under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s Le Mans sale.
In addition to its victorious outing at Kyalami, chassis 0005 qualified on pole for the 1984 Le Mans 24 Hours where it also set the fastest lap before ultimately crossing the line eighth. Le Mans was the car’s second pole position after it had gone quickest for the Silverstone 1000km four weeks prior.
Chassis 0005 raced on into 1985 when it most notably took pole again at Silverstone and bagged the final podium spot. The car also recorded a seventh place finish at Le Mans.
Today, chassis 0005 is presented in outstanding condition having been maintained by United Autosports in recent years.
