Stratos HF

Lancia's team manager Cesare Fiorio wanted a purpose-built rally car, not a modified road car. The result was the most radical homologation special ever conceived: a mid-engine, rear-drive, two-seat coupe with a wheelbase of just 2,180 mm.

The Ferrari Dino 246 GT donated its 2.4-liter V6, mounted transversely behind the cockpit. In rally trim, the engine produced up to 280 hp with various tuning stages. The short wheelbase made the car devastatingly quick on tight stages but required exceptional skill to control.

Marcello Gandini's design was a Bertone showcase: a dramatic wedge with a wraparound windshield, pop-up headlights, and a body so compact that the rear bodywork hinged open as a single piece for engine access.

The Stratos won three consecutive World Rally Championship titles from 1974 to 1976, driven by Sandro Munari and Bjorn Waldegard. It remains one of the most successful rally cars in history.

Only 492 road cars were built to satisfy FIA homologation requirements. Today they command EUR 400,000 to EUR 800,000, with rally-provenance examples exceeding EUR 1 million.