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A 1976 Lancia Stratos Up for Grabs

by Frédérick Boucher-Gaulin
Lancia Stratos
Photo: Lancia

If you were following rallies in the seventies (or if you are a racing fan), you will instantly recognize the shape of this car. For everyone else, this is a 1976 Lancia Stratos, one of the most iconic race vehicles ever built. It was made specifically to race in the World Rally Championship, starting out as a concept in 1970. Lancia's chief of motorsports took the prototype and made a rally car out of it.

The earlier versions of this Lancia were powered by an engine that came out of slow sedans, like the Fulvia and the Berta. In the end, a Ferrari V6 found its way into the engine bay. Said engine bay was placed far back into the chassis, giving the car a 37/63 weight distribution. Combined with a very short wheelbase, this gave the Lancia a reputation as a killer car: some drivers refused to drive it, because it had a tendency to kick back!

Today, one of the 492 Stratos Stradales built in 1976 (for homologation purposes) is for sale. It is a remarkable vehicle, with only 54,800 kilometres on the clock.

The car is currently in the hands of a collector based in Amsterdam. He wants $55 million for it. It may be a lot of money, but the market for the Stratos skyrocketed recently. One sold for $32,500 in September 2012, before being resold in September 2013 for $480,000...

So, who will own of of history's most iconic rally cars?

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