One to Buy: Giallo 1 owner 1977 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale
/
Even though subsequent rule sets may have created some technically more outstanding vehicles, the Lancia Stratos remains arguably the most radical piece of machinery ever to grace rallying’s special stages.
Conceived during the zenith of wedge styling, the Stratos looked unlike anything that had come before and, as expected, it vanquished the opposition to claim three straight World Manufacturers’ Championships between 1974 and ‘76.
To qualify for the premier Group 4 category, Lancia first had to build a batch of 500 base cars which, in a post Oil Crisis world, proved very difficult to sell. As a consequence, many sat unsold long after production officially came to an end in July 1974.
One such car was chassis 001819 which will be going under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s Paris sale on February 4th.
First registered on April 29th 1977, chassis 001819 was released to its new Italian owner five days later on May 5th. Interestingly, the buyer acquired two other Stratos road cars at the same time, both of which were transformed into Group 4 trim and rallied.
As for this Giallo example, it was kept in standard trim and has been retained by the original owner ever since.
Having accumulated a little over 38,000km, chassis 001819 is said to have been preserved in untouched original condition and may very well represent one of the last opportunities to acquire a single owner Stratos in unrestored condition.
