Photography courtesy of RM Auctions
Who doesn’t think the Lancia Stratos is cool? No one, that’s who. The Lancia Stratos is among the coolest cars ever, but you know what’s even more amazing? The Lancia Stratos Zero, it’s otherworldly. Built by Bertone, on Lancia Fulvia Coupé running gear, to secure Lancia’s business. The Gandini-designed Zero was driven under Lancia’s gate to the applause of factory workers. It did the job, Bertone secured the contract, and the Stratos went into production as a rally racer.
But let’s be honest, the Stratos Zero is a far cry from the production Stratos no matter how wild the Stratos corsa or stradale are. Still, the fact that the Stratos was put into production, in any form is incredible. Can you imagine anyone but the Italians putting a car like this into production? But how many other concepts didn’t make it into production, in any form?
The list is long: Bertone’s Sibilo, and Ramarro, Giugiaro’s Boomerang and Manta, and Pininfarina’s Modulo; not to mention countless American, British, French, German, Japanese, and Swedish concepts that were ultimately destined for the scrap pile.
So we’d like to know, out of all the nonstarter car concepts ever debuted, which do you still remember and long for, over all the others?
