Lancia Does Monte Carlo... [PIC]

When Lancia decided to build a rally car from the ground up, they tapped the brain of Bertone's design chief, Marcello Gandini, rather than their mainstay Pininfarina. By 1971, a prototype Stratos HF was shown at the Turin Motor Show. The engine to power the car was still up for grabs. Enzo Ferrari refused to allow them to use their first choice... the Dino V6 as he feared potential competition. When production of the Dino V6 ceased, however, Ferrari suddenly dumped 500 of these engines on Lancia's doorstep. Until 1978, they were allowed to use the 24 valve 320hp version, but that was disallowed after 1978 by the FIA who demanded more units for homologation even though production by Ferrari had ceased. The Stratos HF was a dominant force through the 70s and suffered towards the end from lack of support from the Fiat Group as they were supporting the Fiat Abarth.

This AUTOart model in Alitalia liver was the 1976 Monte Carlo Rallye winning car driven by factory driver Sandro Munari.