Lancia Stratos

 

Mention the storied Italian brand Lancia to the typical automotive consumer, and you might get a raised eyebrow or a confused query in return. Only the most hard-core of enthusiasts spare a thought for Lancia, which is a real shame considering the Italian automaker has a long line of stylish performance cars in its history--at least one of which, the Stratos, is worthy of legendary status both for its success as one of the nonpareil rally cars of all time and as a high-performance sports car.

The Lancia Stratos was a wild and wooly sports car in the grand tradition of the 1970s exotics--loud, cramped, and uncomfortable, but so fast and uncontrollable that every spirited drive became an immersive exercise in self-preservation. In the Stratos, the cold sweat of raw fear was the perfect complement to the heat of excitement.

Today's rally cars are hugely sophisticated, relatively refined affairs, with complicated all-wheel-drive systems meant to keep driver and car pointed generally the right direction on the slick snow, ice, gravel, and dirt surfaces they navigate. The Stratos rally car took the opposite tack--instead of all-wheel drive, the Stratos was a rear-wheel-drive brawler that didn't so much tiptoe along uncertain surfaces as it beat them into submission with hairy at-the-limit handling and frantic, cavorting horsepower.

The Stratos', um, spirited nature was reflected in its styling, which wrapped the tiny driving module in an aggressively wedgy design true to the proudly angular style of 1970s supercars like the original Lotus Esprit and Lamborghini Countach.

As I bemoaned in the Lamborghini Miura Car Lust, today's supercars tend to drive nearly as amiably as a Civic or a Corolla until asked to do otherwise. After you stepped out of a Lancia Stratos, with palms damp, heart racing, muscles trembling, and eyes barren and blank with shock, you knew you had driven a supercar.

As one would imagine from the name, the Lancia Stratos Supersite is an excellent resource for all things Stratos and served as the source for these images.

 

Thanks to Phill Andrews of Czechered Flag Photography for allowing us to display the images of the red Stratos--if you're interested in the rest of his work, check out his soon-to-be-updated site here.

Comments

[rlord on April 02, 2008 at 07:11 PM]

Cannot believe this entry never got any comments. The Stratos has remained the one 70's car I still want to own. Just out and out the most balls-to-the-wall rally/sports/super car ever unleashed. Be still my heart.

[Hucbald on May 01, 2008 at 05:12 PM]

When I had my X1/9 I pretended it was a Stratos. LOL!

I even bought the first issue of Rally Magazine when it came out (Still have it).

I saw a Stratos concept car somewhere or other recently that looked really good, down to the original racing paint scheme. Alas, I'm sure there is a less than zero percent chance it will be built. With a modern AWD system, it would be beyond awesome.

[mochi mochi on July 05, 2008 at 09:38 PM]

just so no one thinks we were neglecting the stratos - or not paying attention - these comments were posted on the old Amazon location,

Nov 15, 2007 12:50 PM PST
Mochi Mochi says:
Lancia - this is a breath of fresh air. So of course the Lancia were not what one would call reliable or resistant to rust. But they were beautiful. And their presence in the 1970's and 80's had a special effect. The detailed and careful styling of Lancia's added a unique flare to the automotive landscape and the view of the road in that time. The experience of driving these cars and the way their presence contributed to the experience of the road was quite remarkable. In the US they were rare. In Europe they were more prevalent and were able to significantly add to a unique era in automotive design and production. If you were on the road in Europe in the 70's and 80's you got a visual and sensory experience that was truly remarkable. Lancia was a great part of that.

on Nov 30, 2007 4:21 PM PST
Christopher Hafner says:
Mochi Mochi: Lancia - this is a breath of fresh air.

Thanks, Mochi Mochi. I know I tend to deluge this blog with crappy cars - crappy to the objective viewer, at least! - but every once in awhile it's nice to mix in a real thoroughbred.