Stratos - a wedge born for rallies

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Stratos - a wedge born for rallies

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Created on February 1, 1985

Text:

Dough Nye

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Lancia Stratos at the 1976 Monte Carlo Rally - Winner of the 1976 Monte Carlo Rally

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Lancia Stratos prototype - The first Stratos prototype with Lancia Fulvia HF technology - photographed in 1970

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Lancia Stratos HF (1971) - View from above - Illustration from a promotional brochure

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Lancia Stratos HF (1971) - illustration in promotional material from back then

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Lancia Stratos prototype (1972) - already pretty close to the production version

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Lancia Stratos HF (1971) - rear view of the prototype of the later rally winner

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Lancia Stratos HF (1971) - all the essential design elements of the later Stradale can already be seen

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Lancia Stratos HF (1971) - rear view of the prototypes - the round rear lights are striking

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Lancia Stratos HF (1971) - from the front there are hardly any differences between the prototype and the later production car

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Lancia Stratos HF (1971) - side view of the prototype

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Lancia Stratos HF (1971) - not far from the later production model

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Lancia Stratos (1978) - side view of the Bertone design

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Lancia Stratos (1978) - stocky and aggressive - born for rallies

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Lancia Stratos - The last Stratos - Bertone's Sibilo prototype - recorded in 1978

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Lancia Stratos - The rally Stratos - rev counter, clocks, relays and a dust catcher as an air filter

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Lancia Stratos - The road-going Stratos - Stylish dashboard and a conventional air filter for practical use

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Lancia Stratos - The fastest Stratos - Turbo prototype with 480 hp and two turbos

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Lancia Stratos - Darniche:Mahé won the 1979 Monte Carlo Rally in the Lancia Stratos

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Lancia Stratos - Darniche still achieved 2nd place in the 1980 Monte Carlo Rally with the aged Lancia Stratos

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Rally Monte Carlo 1975 - Lancia Stratos (a pure racing car on snow and ice) with Munari/Manucci

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Erfolgreiches Lancia-Rallyefahrzeug - Lancia Stratos

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Lancia Stratos (1976) at the 2010 FIA WRC Germany Rally

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Lancia Rallye-Autos - Lancia Stratos (1976)

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Lancia Rallye-Autos - Lancia Stratos (1976)

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Winter RAID 2011 - Lancia Stratos (1976)

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The beautiful Alitalia livery - Lancia Stratos

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Rightly painted with the number 1 - Lancia Stratos

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Summary

When Bertone presented the Stratos dream car at the 1970 Turin Motor Show, the journalists didn't know whether to remain serious or laugh. "It's an impossible thing", they said when they saw the coupé with the centrally mounted Lancia Fulvio engine, "it will probably never drive". Admittedly, it never made it onto the road in its original form. But the basis for a real car had been laid. It was given its name by an employee who asked Bertone whether the car had come down from the stratosphere. The Lancia Stratos became one of the most successful rally cars in history and was also successful on race tracks. However, the Stratos rarely remained on the road.

This article contains the following chapters

Marlboro helps
From victory to victory
The fire goes around
Successes in Monte Carlo

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

In 1970, Bertone commissioned his designers to create a new car. The result went too far even for Bertone. Anyone who has seen the prototype can understand why. When Bertone presented the Stratos dream car at the 1970 Turin Motor Show, the journalists didn't know whether to remain serious or laugh. "It's an impossible thing", they said when they saw the coupé with the centrally mounted Lancia Fulvio engine, "it will probably never drive". Admittedly, it never made it onto the road in its original form. But the basis for a real car had been laid. It was given its name by an employee who asked Bertone whether the car had come down from the stratosphere.

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