1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 1
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1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero

cropped luca1.pngByLuca

Unveiled at the Turin Motor Show, the 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero was a groundbreaking concept car that pushed the boundaries of automotive design.

The Stratos Zero’s audacious wedge shape was a sculpture on wheels. Its razor-sharp lines and minimalist form evoked speed and motion, even when standing still.

1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 2

In its design rivalry against Pininfarina, one of Bertone’s goals was to see just how low of a car they could create.

The final product stood a mere 33 inches tall, a feat of engineering that required innovative solutions. For reference, a 2024 Corvette is around 49 inches tall.

1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 3

Beneath the avant-garde bodywork lay the mechanicals of a Lancia Fulvia HF. The compact 1.6-liter V4 engine was mounted transversely behind the seats, driving the rear wheels. Front suspension used McPherson struts, while the rear borrowed the Fulvia’s front double-wishbone setup.

1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 4

Ingress and egress required acrobatic skill. The windshield hinged forward to allow access to the snug cabin. Once inside, the driver lay nearly horizontal, peering over the front wheels. The instrument panel, etched in green Perspex, looked like something from a sci-fi movie.

1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 5

Despite its radical nature, the Stratos Zero was a fully functional car. Quattroruote magazine even drove it through the streets of Milan, drawing astonished stares from onlookers. Nuccio Bertone himself drove the car to pitch a production version to Lancia executives.

1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 8

While the resulting Lancia Stratos rally car bore little resemblance to the Zero, it owed its existence to this daring concept. The Zero had served its purpose, sparking Lancia’s interest in a purpose-built competition machine.

1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 11

Today, the Stratos Zero stands as a testament to the unbridled creativity of the 1970s. Its influence can be seen in countless wedge-shaped supercars that followed.

1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 6
1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 12
1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 7
1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 9
1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero 10

For aspiring designers, the Stratos Zero was a revelation. It showed that a car could be more than just transportation; it could be a work of art that challenged conventions and stirred the soul.

Credit: RM Sotheby’s

cropped luca1.png

As the founder of Car Classico, Luca's passion for classic cars began on the outskirts of Naples, Italy as a young boy in the 1970s, when he vividly remembers seeing stylish Alfa Romeos and sleek Lancias driving through his neighborhood.

After his family immigrated to the United States in the 1980s, Luca fell in love with the array of classic vehicles he encountered, from shapely Cadillacs to muscular Corvettes. Though he’s not a car collector or restorer himself, Luca has cultivated a lifelong appreciation in the classic car world and is fortunate enough to own a ’57 Chevy Bel Air.

Now living in North Carolina, Luca would be one of the few that would prefer to watch a Barrett-Jackson auction on the History channel instead of a Duke vs North Carolina college basketball game. He’s a regular at local classic car meet-ups and has the Charlotte AutoFair circled on his calendar.

His dream car is to one day own a C2 Corvette with its amazing split window although that better come sooner than later with prices continuing to climb.

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