A highly unusual story is the origin of the Lancia Stratos. Never before a vehicle was built for the only purpose to win at rallies and winnings three world championship was the reward of this ambitious project.
Cesare Fiorio, Lancia's head of the race department, introduced the Bertone-study at the Turin International Car Show for the first time in 1971. The power plant came from the Ferrari Dino GT - V6 with 65°, 2418 ccm and 195 hp at 7000U/min.
First test drives took place in summer 1972.
The serial production started at Bertone in 1973. Afterwards the technology was completed at Lancia. Because of homologation reasons 500 vehicles had to be manufactured until 01.10.1974, from these about 250 Lancia Stratos found their way to the road. As the cars were not able to fulfil the security norms in many countries then, they were only sold in Italy, Belgium and Germany.
At the end of the 70s the Stratos had to give way for the Fiat 131 as rally vehicle out of strategic reasons. So the price of the original DM 49.500 dropped down continuously. The last Stratos were sold of cheap for DM 30.000 in 1978.
In the 80s the interest, slowly but steadily, accelerated again. Meanwhile good specimens are traded with € 350.000.