Newbie... looking for a Lancia Stratos....

[82-T/A]

Hey guys,

I know very little about the Lancia Stratos. However, I do know that I like it! It's a very nice looking car, and I'm looking for something unique. Older 70s european style cars often appeal to me and there's just something about the Stratos that I can't ignore.

I honestly know very little about the car. I know it was a popular rally car.. and I had many of the Alltalia matchbox race cars growing up. I know it's mid engined, and rear wheel drive.

I honestly have no clue how much these go for.. they could very well be completely out of my price range for all I know. For all I know, they may not even be legal here in the states anyway!

I'm in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. What are the chances that I'll be able to find a running Lancia Stratos within a couple hundred miles of me?


Any comments, information, or links where I might be able to learn more about the car... I'd appreciate.


Thanks!!!

[mogul_x]

Todd,

I know very little about the Lancia Stratos. I know it was a popular rally car.. and I had many of the Alltalia matchbox race cars growing up. I know it's mid engined, and rear wheel drive.

If you're looking for more information on the Stratos, you've come to the right place! I'm sure that of you have any specific questions, someone here will be able to answer them.

One of the better sources of information is a book titled "Lancia Stratos - World Champion Rally Car" by Nigel Trow. The book is out of print, but occasionally turns up on E-bay, or other online booksellers. A new book has recently been printed, titled "Lancia Stratos thirty years later" by Andrea Curami. Nowhere near as good, but it at least has the benefit of being easier to find a copy of.

In general, the Stratos was a homologation special built to win the world rally championship in the 70's. Based on a Bertone concept car built in 1970, it evolved into the now familiar form in 1971, and went on to win the world rally championship three years running ('75-'77). It continued to enter and win rallies through the 1982 season in private hands, when its homologation expired.

All of the cars were built by Bertone between 1973 and 1975, and used Ferrari Dino 246 engines and gearboxes. The exact number produced is still something of a question, with the "offical" number being around 500.


I honestly have no clue how much these go for.. they could very well be completely out of my price range for all I know. For all I know, they may not even be legal here in the states anyway!

The good news is - they are now legal in the USA, since they are more than 25 years old, and no longer subject to USDOT and EPA regulations. If you can find one, you should no longer have any problems importing and registering one. The bad news is the price. Good examples usually go anywhere between $80,000 and $120,000, depending on condition, provenance, exchange rates, etc. That's one of the reasons that replicas are so popular. A replica can be built for somewhere around $40,000, depending on a number of factors. You might pick up a used Replica for a bit less, but importing a replica after it's completed is a little tricky.

I'm in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. What are the chances that I'll be able to find a running Lancia Stratos within a couple hundred miles of me?

Pretty slim, I'd say. We haven't been able to put together a list of Stratos currently in the USA. The few original cars I know of are not in your area, and there are probably fewer than a dozen genuine cars over here, at best. There are about 8 replicas currently in the US that I know about. Only two are currently running - one in Michigan, and one in Pennsylvania. The nearest in-process build to you is probably Jeff Davison, near Altanta, Georgia.

If you want any additional info, please post away here on the list. Otherwise, send me a private message or an e-mail and I'll try my best to answer your questions.