Coys Auction - Automoto D‘Epoca
Padova Fiera
Padova, Italy

Italy

Saturday 25th October 2008

Admission by catalogue only - admits two.

When it appeared in 1982, the Lancia 037 Rally was as revolutionary as the Stratos had been ten years earlier. It was the first of the Group B supercars and owed more to circuit racing practice than to any other rally car of its time. For a start it was a mid-engined two seat coupe with strong links with the Group 5 Lancia Montecarlo which won the 1981 World Endurance Championship. Its four cylinder, 2,111cc engine was supercharged by an Abarth ''positive displacement compressor'' and in works trim produced 325bhp, fed through a five speed ZF gearbox. The spaceframe chassis had double wishbone independent suspension and Brembo disc brakes all round.
In its first season the 037 Rally suffered teething troubles but in 1983, facing the strongest possible opposition from Audi, it dominated the World