Very few machines are more engaging than an Italian automobile built during the post war era. Literally every Italian manufacturer from this booming period was raising the bar on exceptional design, engineering, and braving new marketing territory – unafraid to risk, leading with passion and vigor. And it wasn’t just cars. An entirely separate area of equally passionate engagement can be found with Italian motorcycles from this same period. But, as an owner of twoLancias myself, I am continually surprised at how many automotive enthusiasts have little awareness of Lancia and the extraordinary cars they have constructed.
Lancia began as one of Italy’s earliest automobile manufacturers. Famous for their incredible craftsmanship, innovative engineering,and a passion for excellence regardless of cost, Lancias arein a class all their own. Few cars are as thoughtfully engineered or constructed, which partly explains why Lancia encountered a great deal of financial troubles building these exceptional cars. Exorbitantly expensive tooling, detailed and complex alloy castings, and impossibly beautiful body designs were hallmarks of Lancia excellence. The other area of Lancia dominance was in the rally circuit, beating Renaults and Porsche 911s with win after win in the late 1960s, and finally in 1972, Lancia’s first world championship in a series of many more to come. Lancia would go on to devour competitors with a remarkable 11 championships (not to mention multiple driver’s titles) between 1972 and 1992, campaigning the Stratos, Lancia 037, and Delta Integrale. Lancia’s 11 championships remain today a record that no other manufacturer has yet to achieve.
By the end of the 1970s a new FIA class was announced with the first year of WRC series races beginning in 1982 – Group B. These loosely derived production model variants resulted in some of the most outrageous performance cars the world has ever seen. Lancia chose to use their Monte Carlo platform to develop the 037. Together with assistance from Fiat Abarth and Pininfarina, the 4-cylinder powertrain was beefed up with a supercharger while the lightweight Kevlar body panels allowed for quick construction of 200 road cars (Stradale) to meet homologation requirements.
To understand the nature of these purposefully built performance cars, it’s important to recognize the emerging aesthetics of the time. Lancia had always been a leader in design excellence, but in the case of the 037, the body design would begin a transition into a highly mechanical, visually disruptive period of car design. In many respects, looking back on the aesthetic achieved in the 037, the brutalist nature would stand alone at this time, but evolve with other examples including Pininfarinas execution for the 1987 Ferrari F40.
Derived from the Monte Carlo, the original design was light, taut, and ideal for the muscular “hulking out” of the smooth contours and modest powertrain. The bulging fenders, clamshell front and rear openings, and purposeful stance are among the many features of this radical design.
The profile view is tall in the cabin, rising up to the peak point at the crown of the double bubble roof – a key feature of former Abarth body designs, rendered in the 037 in a crisp, more linear iteration. This tall roof design emphasizes the short wheelbase and large diameter wheels, further enhanced by the short front and rear overhangs. Although the glass is production based, the rear C-post trails off the roofline in a short deck, accented by an angled parting line, which might seem to be a minor design element, yet it gives the design a great deal of forward energy as part of the overall vehicle profile. The wheels on the Stradale version are also highly mechanical with exposed bolts and ventilation holes appearing to have been drilled straight through much like vintage racing wheels might have been to lighten wheel weight.
The front of the car retains the Monte Carlo production fascia and grille opening with a curious nod to chrome and traditional ventilation – the only aspect of the car that is refined and friendly in nature. The visual signature as the car approaches you from behind is stealthy and unassuming. A quick glance viewing only the front of the car might lead one to dismiss it as a Monte Carlo. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Opening the rear of the car, the engine and tubular frame construction confirm the pure mechanical aesthetic with an absolute no-frills representation of the powertrain. And while most design articles will reference body design and interior features, the 037 engine compartment is a true work of mechanical artistry, yet again another example of how Italian designers consider the entire driving experience in conjunction with engineering goals. The aesthetic is not limited to the body design, it permeates every aspect of the total construction. This is also reflected in the raucous engine sound from inside the car, once again so very Italian in that nothing escapes the visceral sensations of performance driving when behind the wheel.
Much like Ford vs Ferrari, the epic battle of Lancia vs Audi has recently been released as a feature film covering the 1983 World Rally Championship. Although the heady rivalry becomes the focus of much of the movie, the technical details around the Lancia 037 construction make it a must see for any fan of Lancia rally cars. For anyone seeking one of the most outrageous Lancia performance cars of the century, the 037 Stradale is guaranteed to deliver Italian excitement and passionate visual engagement from any view.
