One to Buy: ex-Chardonnet 1983 Lancia 037 Rally
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While most examples from Lancia’s 200-strong batch of 037s built to homologate the model for Group B competition led a relatively pampered life, a handful were rallied by their owners and a few were used by top teams as recce or promotional cars.
Falling into the latter category is one of the most interesting 037s to hit the open market in recent times, chassis ZLA151AR0 00000109, which is currently residing at the Movendi showroom in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Completed on July 29th 1983, chassis ‘109’ was delivered new to French Lancia distributor, Andre Chardonnet.
In addition to having been Lancia’s French importer, Chardonnet had for many years run a successful competition department which, perhaps most famously, took outright victory on the 1979 Monte Carlo Rally with a Stratos driven by Bernard Darniche.
Throughout 1983 and ‘84, chassis ‘109’ served as Jean-Claude Andruet’s recce car, helping the French ace with set-up and preparation of his 037 Evoluzione. In addition, ‘109’ fulfilled various promotional duties and was finished in the same blue and white colours of Andruet’s 037 Evo which ran with backing from Total fuel and Pioneer audio systems. Although largely identical to the production 037, chassis ‘109’ did receive a few technical improvements made by Chardonnet at the time.
Today, this remarkably well preserved 037 has covered a little over 12,000km. It is said to be in perfect running condition as evidenced by an appearance on final stage of the 2026 Rallye Monte Carlo Historique where it was driven by Walter Rohrl over the iconic Col de Turini.
