The Lancia Stratos, that 1970s rallying legend, has been revisited recently with the 'New Stratos'. Classic Driver Dealer Art & Revs has a rare Group 4 version for sale, which reminds us of the timeless appeal of the original.

Chassis 1936 was one of the first privateer Stratos rally cars. Its first owner - Ferdinando Montaldo - entered it in the 1975 Rally Campagnolo and participated in a further 16 such events (including many at international level) between 1975 and 1980. Montaldo’s final race in the car resulted in a respectable fourth place overall in the Rally di Monza.

Montaldo sold the car in 1981 to the then President of the French Ferrari Club, a Monsieur Domet, who kept it alongside his impressive collection of Ferrari race cars (Group 4 Daytona, 512M, Dino 206S etc.) until 2004.

While in Domet’s ownership, the Stratos was given a full mechanical overhaul with Maglioli entrusted to rebuild the 2.5-litre V6. In the 1990s, the French press took considerable interest in the car, with Francois Delecour testing it for the popular magazine Sport Auto in 1996.

In October 2011, the car was reunited with its original owner at the Rally Legend in San Marino, where it was one of 20 Stratos rally cars assembled to celebrate the model’s 40th anniversary. The bodywork was restored in time for the event and repainted in the original Montaldo colours it carried at the 1978 Costa Smeralda Rally.

Included with the car is a raft of original paperwork including many invoices, press articles and around 80 photos documenting its history. Price: 390,000 euros.

For a direct link to the advert, click here. Art & Rev's entire inventory can be found in the Classic Driver Marketplace.

Text: Jan Richter
Photos: Art & Revs