Story and photography by Tommaso Bertotti
The road climbs quickly towards the top of the hill, in a pretty sequence of fast bends. Suddenly, the impressive view of the Langhe, from above, appears: we are in Northern Italy, it’s a land of vineyards and fine wines, but we are not here for this. I take a look in the mirror, and I see the silhouette of a Lancia Fulvia chasing me closely. Today, I’m driving a Stratos. Today, I’m a happy kid.
“This car was owned by Lancia in the late ’70s. It should have become a race car, but it never did” the owner tells me. It, sorry, she is parked alongside the road now, I’m trying to catch her beauty with my Nikon, but people keeps stopping and getting close to admire her. I can understand them: the lines drawn by Bertone are still so exotic, somehow beyond modern, even after more than 40 years. The Verde Chiaro body color helps.
The Fulvia is an eye cacther, too. Replaced by the Stratos in the 1974, this little 2-door coupé was used by Lancia to go back into racing after its withdrawal from Formula 1. The version we have here today is a commemorative one for the 1972 Monte Carlo Rally victory: under the matte black bonnet there is a small but brilliant 1.3 liter engine that perfectly suits the light weight of the car.
We finish the shoot in the sunset light, then I watch the pair leave, spared a few more moments with the sound of their engines as they drive away…
You can follow Tommaso’s work on Instagram, Facebook, or through his website, tobephoto.com.
