Lancia Shines at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2024
The futuristic 1970 Lancia Strato’s Zero prototype won its class and was one of the four finalists for the “Best of Show” award. This concept car was the basis for the legendary 1971 Lancia Stratos, a source of inspiration for future Lancia models, as seen in the New Ypsilon’s round taillights.
The 73rd Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (USA) has just drawn to a close, like the events at Villa d’Este (Italy) and Chantilly (France) the ultimate celebration of automotive elegance around the world. The prestigious occasion is the highlight of Monterey Car Week, nine days packed with events, which every year attracts thousands of classic and current production car enthusiasts from all over the world. As per tradition, the event took place at the Pebble Beach Golf Resort in California, with the Pacific Ocean as its breathtaking backdrop, and witnessed the participation of over 200 priceless vintage cars from 58 countries around the world.
The 1970 Lancia Strato’s HF Zero belongs to a U.S. collector and stood out by winning the “Wedge Concepts and Prototypes.” It turned out to be one of the most beautiful cars in the race, joining the shortlist for the coveted title of “Best of Show.” The futuristic car is a masterpiece of Italian design that brought about one of the most powerful and best-loved racing ‘beasts’ ever, the legendary Lancia Stratos HF, featuring primary shapes, radical geometries and round taillights, hallmarks that form part of Lancia design history. It is no coincidence that the iconic car is one of nine from the past that inspired the brand’s future models, as demonstrated by the New Ypsilon’s circular taillights.
Lancia Strato’s Zero prototype, a nonconformist legend of Italian design
Unveiled at the 1970 Turin Motor Show and built by Nuccio Bertone, based on a design by Marcello Gandini, the Lancia Strato’s Zero prototype immediately aroused great interest for its revolutionary lines. It was a fully functional vehicle, just 85 centimeters off the ground, which underwent a full restoration in 2000 to return it to its original color: bronze. The lights were innovative: in the front, a row of 55-watt bulbs, with a strip of lights consisting of 84 small bulbs standing out in the rear. The interior was also revolutionary, as seen in the practically horizontal seats and in the instrument panel shifted to the left and embellished with a green acrylic glass display. The windshield extends upwards, providing outstanding visuals for the front and top. The 115-hp 1.6-liter V4 engine – with two twin-barrel Solex carburetors taken from a Lancia Fulvia HF – and the central dual-tailpipe exhaust system highlight the prototype’s sporty spirit, on which the iconic Lancia Stratos would later be based for its road and racing versions.
Lancia Stratos “fits like an athlete’s kit, showing off their muscles”
In 1971 the definitive version of the Lancia Stratos made its debut, with its futuristic wedge shape and the V6 engine from the Dino 246 Ferrari. The front end was sharp, and the sloping windshield encompassed the front pillar and continued into the side windows. The roof dropped vertically over the small rear window, enveloped by the large bonnet. Round taillights and an assertive wing stood out at the rear. When Nuccio Bertone, the prototype’s ‘father,’ saw the final version of the Lancia Stratos, he said “it fits the driver and navigator like their kit does an athlete, showing off their muscles.” Everything in this car was designed for rallying, starting from the bonnet and trunk consisting of two lightweight shells, including their respective fenders, with a wide opening for quick action during races. Inside, two seats and only two compartments for racing helmets, even in the road version. The “color blocking” in the interior created continuous plays of contrasts, using the primary colors. The Lancia Stratos HF Group 4 won the Monte Carlo Rally three times in a row, two Constructors’ World titles (1975 and 1976), and two European Drivers’ titles, as well as Sandro Munari’s victory in the 1977 FIA Cup for Rally Drivers. From the 1975 racing season, it was kitted out in the white and green colors of its sponsor Alitalia, one of the most beautiful liveries in motorsport.
Turin, August 20, 2024
Silvia Cassani, Lancia Communications – silvia.cassani@stellantis.com
Lancia
With 117 years of history, Lancia represents timeless Italian Elegance, a brand that made people around the globe dream, thanks to its iconic vehicles: the elegant Flaminia and Aurelia B24 Spider, the high-performance Delta, Stratos and 037, the eclectic Fulvia, the Beta HPE and many others.Lancia began its Renaissance Plan with the launch of the New Ypsilon and with a 10-year strategic plan that is moving ahead in leaps and bounds.Innovation and timeless design have always been the founding principles for the brand. And now sustainability, customer centricity and social responsibility have also become essential, because Lancia is determined to look to the future with great commitment and ambition.
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