Every car is an argument about what matters, and the Lancia Stratos makes its case with Lancia 2418 cc Tipo 829A.000 V6 24v and 190 hp. Lancia built from 1973 to 1978 — as the oil crises and the first emissions rules rewired the industry. Its designer of record is Marcello Gandini at Bertone.
The story
The Lancia Stratos HF (Tipo 829), known as Lancia Stratos, is a rear mid-engined sports car designed for rallying, made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. It was highly successful in competition, winning the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975 and 1976; as well as winning the 1974 Targa Florio, winning the Tour de France Automobile five times and the Giro d'Italia automobilistico three times.
What is underneath
Under the skin sits Lancia 2418 cc Tipo 829A.000 V6 24v; it is rated at 190 hp. Kerb weight is 980 kg. Power-to-weight lands near 194 horsepower per tonne, which is quick by any era's standard, the kind of figure a hot hatch or a sports saloon posts. The gearbox is a 5-speed manual. The layout matters: the engine sits behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle, which puts the mass in the middle of the car and is why mid-engined cars change direction the way they do. The wheelbase is 2180 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Its place in the line
Where it sits in Lancia's history is not in doubt: the Lancia Fulvia HF came before it; the Lancia Rally 037 followed it; it was built at Turin, Italy. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Tatra 613. Nearby in the Lancia catalogue sit the Lancia 037 and the Lancia 2000.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Lancia Stratos has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.
Lancia Stratos Zero