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Today the first prototype of the Lancia 037 goes up for auction

First of the last ...

TEXT: MIGUEL SÁNCHEZ / PHOTOS: RM SOTHEBY'S

Cesare Fiorio is quite a character. Known for his racing career, but especially for having led Scuderia Ferrari in F1 and the Lancia team for the World Rally Championship, his way of doing things is that of a Mediterranean rogue. Obviously we are not doubting their professionalism, but it is also true that the rumor mill attributes some really striking anecdotes. One of them has to do with the markets surrounding Monaco in 1983. And no, we are not referring to how to feed the mechanics, but to how to facilitate the car's running in Monte Carlo that year.

The car in question was the Lancia 037, a replacement for the Stratos and in charge of standing up to the new all-wheel drive from Audi. Equipped with the - until now - typical rear-wheel drive, the Lancia 037 started at a disadvantage compared to a Quattro designed to grip slippery floors like limpet. So things, While the German mechanics prepared the Audi, the Italians bought as much salt as possible in the nearby warehouses. After the purchase, they covered the snowiest sections of the race under Fiorio's orders, throwing salt to clear the road of snow and ice.

A strategy as picaresque as it is successful. Not surprisingly, the Lancia 037 driven by Walter Röhrl took victory against all odds. Thus beginning a series of achievements that ended up ruining the party to an Audi that intended the championship as a triumphant ride for its Quattro system. However, the truth is that The Lancia 037 interpreted with its achievement of the 1983 World Constructors' Championship the swan song of cars without all-wheel drive, being the last rear-wheel drive to achieve such a feat.

A myth of rallying whose first unit, the first prototype, goes up for auction today June 15 in Milan.

LANCIA 037 SE037-001. THE LAST OF ITS KIND, THE FIRST OF ITS SERIES

The Lancia 037 was born with the weight of someone who is known to be a replacement for a legend. In this case, the legend that had to happen was the Stratos. A car with which Lancia marked visible distances with respect to the Fulvia, a car with which he established himself in the world of rallying. And it is that, while the Fulvia lived their success on the tracks from being adapted from series versions, the Stratos was a racing car designed like that from the get-go. Far from adapting a model marketed on a large scale, Lancia bet heavily on the Stratos by investing in a project born exclusively for competition.

A radical turn that generated a trend, which was followed by the Lancia 037. In fact, we dare to say that it even enhanced it, adding names to create an even more competitive character. As an example you just have to look at the triad of firms involved. Going from Lancia coordinating to Abarth when it comes to development and Pininfarina when it comes to design. A coalition with which the italian brand championed the tradition versus the novel drive that Audi exerted with its groundbreaking Quattro traction.

That is why, those most given to romanticism in this car, feel a special devotion to the Lancia 037. And it is that, beyond its victories, this is still the end of an era in which rallies were dominated by vehicles with all force aimed at the rear axle. A swan song of which unit SE037-001 represents the first specimen. So much so that multiple details show its prototype character. Details such as the arrangement of the headlights or the shape of the rear, much more rounded than the final rectangular shape.

Curiosities that may be fresh in the memory of fans, since this same unit went up for auction only five years ago. Of course, his bid was deserted, perhaps due to an excessive reserve price set at 400.000 euros. Of those, the attempted sale was organized by Bonhams, while Today's inside the Serbelloni Palace in Milan is run by Sotheby's. We will see what happens although, for lovers of the legendary GrupoB, more surprising than the figures are the stories of cars like this Lancia 037.

What do you think?

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Written by Miguel Sánchez

Through the news from La Escudería, we will travel the winding roads of Maranello listening to the roar of the Italian V12; We will travel Route66 in search of the power of the great American engines; we will get lost in the narrow English lanes tracking the elegance of their sports cars; We will speed up the braking in the curves of the Monte Carlo Rally and we will even get dusty in a garage while rescuing lost jewels.

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