Broad Arrow have got a lovely consignment in this Stratos which was converted to GP4 spec in period - just gorgeous!
Broad Arrow details on the car below:
1976 Lancia Stratos HF Group 4 Specification
Estimate: €600,000 - €800,000
Live Auction - Zoute Concours Auction 2025 October 10th
Description
Chassis No. 829AR0001581 Engine No. 1240 80 Few competition cars have so completely epitomized their sport as the Lancia Stratos. While the Fulvia HF had proven itself in Group 4, Lancia was eyeing its next master stroke: something brand new and purpose-built to dominate the world rally stage. Conceived from Nuccio Bertone's radical Stratos Zero concept of 1970, the rally-ready Stratos debuted at the 1971 Turin Motor Show and was unlike anything that had come before. It sported purpose-built styling crafted by Marcello Gandini at Bertone, and the proven 2.4-liter V6 borrowed from the Ferrari Dino 246. Before its Group 4 homologation, the Stratos was already winning rallies, with Sandro Munari and Mario Mannucci triumphing at the 1973 Firestone Rally in Spain. Once officially sanctioned in 1974, its dominance was immediate and emphatic: scoring three consecutive victories at Monte Carlo, winning a hat trick of World Rally Championship titles for Lancia from 1974 to 1976, and helping Munari win the FIA Driver's World Cup in 1977. Even the Stratos' liveries became legend, with the car initially clad in Marlboro red and white, the tricolore Alitalia livery in 1975, and later in Pirelli's bold black, red, and white combination. Though gradually succeeded by the Fiat 131 in 1978, the Stratos remained a formidable competitor, scoring victories at premier events well into the 1980s under privateer banners. Additional top-line wins followed at the Monte Carlo, Tour de France, and Tour de Corse rallies, closing with a famous 1-2-3 finish at the 1982 Monza Rally and cementing the Stratos' chapter in rally legend. Lancia built 492 road-going Stradale versions of the Stratos in order to meet Group 4 homologation standards, each fitted with the same Ferrari-provided V6.
Packing so much potential, it wasn't uncommon for the road-legal variants to be brought up to full rally spec and raced alongside the 26 factory cars Lancia produced. According to its Italian registration card from the Automobile Club d'Italia, this 1976 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale was first registered in 1976 in Padova, Italy, and was converted to correct Group 4 specification the following year, first racing at the 1978 Rallye Internazionale della Lana - Trofeo Lana Gatto with Fabio Bertin/Marco Sormano. Massimo Casotto purchased the car in 1978 and raced it successfully during the 1978 and 1979 seasons, notably scoring a second place finish at the 1979 Rally Umbro and fourth place at the Rally 1000 Miglia, before selling it to fellow driver Franco Leoni in 1980. The car was campaigned extensively during the 1982 Italian Rally Championship and was driven to even greater glory. It won overall at that year's Rally Valli Imperiesi by Franco Cassinis/Marina Mandrile'in front of a field of over 110 starters.
The car was driven by the exceptional duo of Leoni/Giuseppe Borgo for much of the rest of the season, who piloted it to victory at the Rally Alto Appennino Bolognese - Rally Petroniano and second place at both the Rally Appennino Reggiano and Rallye Vierre that season. More recently, Bjorn Waldegard drove the car at Silverstone in 1998, shown in a period photograph on file. French rally car restoration outfit Daunat Classique serviced the car and competed in both the 2015 and 2016 Tour de Corse Historique as well, sporting the #60 and #36 numbers respectively.
This example is now presented in the emblematic black, white, and red Pirelli livery, which it raced in during the 2016 Tour de Corse Historique event. It comes with French road registration from 2018, Automobile Club d'Italia homologation card, French Federation of Automobile Sport technical passport, a copy of its original Italian registration on file, and many period photos and articles of the car in action during its competitive run.
This 1976 Stratos evokes the very essence of Lancia's motorsport legend, sporting proven competition history and the spirit to keep racing long after its manufacturer has ordered it to retire. Beyond enjoying its well-chronicled competition history, the next custodian can enjoy the rare opportunity to enter the car in the most prestigious historic rallies,including the Tour Auto and Tour de Corse where a Lancia Stratos is always a welcome and beloved sight.
