One to Buy: ex-Herbert Engel / Peter Kaus 37,000km 1975 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale
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Unlike most manufacturers who simply developed hot versions of existing models to satisfy the minimum production requirements for classes that demanded any significant volume, Lancia’s Stratos was designed from the ground up.
No car builder had previously embarked upon such a massive undertaking. While some firms had produced 25, 50 or even 100 examples of ultra highly specialised machines, Lancia would have to assemble at least 500 units of the Stratos inside twelve months to qualify for the Group 4 class.
In addition to having risked a huge sum in development terms, Lancia also took a massive gamble on the assumption that they could sell that many Stratos at a time when most Western economies were in pretty poor shape.
Set to go under the hammer at Broad Arrow Auctions’ Amelia Island sale taking place on March 7th and 8th is a fine example from that batch of circa 500 Stratos built between 1973 and ‘74: chassis ‘1948’.
Like many Stratos, final assembly of chassis ‘1948’ wasn’t finished until several months after the FIA had approved Group 4 homologation on October 1st 1974. Completed on May 22nd 1975, the Azzuro machine (which also came equipped with the two-piece matt black spoiler pack) was registered the following November to its German first owner, Herbert Engel.
Between 1981 and 2008, the Stratos resided in the renowned Rosso Bianco Collection of Peter Kaus, most of the cars from which (including ‘1948’) were subsequently purchased by Evert Louwman. The blue Lancia then departed to the United States and another noted collector, Phil Toledano, who commissioned an exacting restoration.
