In rallying’s most romantic, most reckless era, the cars that thread the needle between hundred-year-old trees and overly passionate spectators were the stars, just as much as the crew who were brave enough to strap themselves into them. While the rally cars tore up the terrain, the battle of the Group B homologation specials gave the world a chance to experience road-going rocket ships for the lucky few. Built with exotic materials, bold engineering and limited numbers, these are the cars that seemed to defy logic, thrilling, fragile, dangerous, and now, very much collectible. The Lancia 037 is the epitome of this ethos, and with an example such as this one available from Curated Garage might be the one that turns road-going Group B machines into million-dollar collector cars.
Ignoring the original rally rocket ships, of which we’ve seen Hannu Mikkola’s Audi Sport Quattro S1 top a staggering £1,800,000 back in RM Sotheby’s 2022 London sale, and even a Lancia Rally 037 Evolution 1 Group B Works fetching over £1,000,000 in the very same sale, the road-going versions have struggled to keep up. Between these two fire-spitting powerhouses, their road-going counterparts have traded blows on the collector car market for years, both comfortably sitting over the half-a-million mark, it is standout examples such as this one that send the rally-obsessed into a frenzy.
Delivered new in Germany to a Mr. Heinz Harder, this Lancia 037 Stradale has lived a remarkably well-documented and careful life. By 1991 it would change hands and head to The Netherlands, before it moved to Switzerland and remained with its custodian for eight years, finally arriving in Portugal in 2018, where it has been part of the permanent exhibition at the Caramulo Museum as one of its most celebrated highlights.
Incredibly, the car shows a mere 16,000 original kilometres, and therefore retains its original engine, all original panels, of which all are numbered, and it comes with a comprehensive history file, original books, double keys, tool kit, jack, reading light, and all period accessories. Despite its incredibly low mileage, the 037 has been treated to a complete service by Baldi Brothers of Turin in 2019, which included new fuel tanks and full mechanical overhaul.
Among the 200 homologation cars built, many were used as Lancia intended, the ultimate expression of theatre and drama, making the chance to acquire an example such as this, as beautifully preserved as this one is a real rarity. Lancia’s last pure rear-wheel-drive rally car, built by Abarth and Pininfarina give those lucky and brave enough to drive it one they will never forget, and, in our opinion, a car worthy of its ever-growing price tag!
