Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Lancia Stratos in Australia

I keep hearing that there's no such thing as a Stratos in Australia, not even a replica.
Well, here's one in Western Australia.
Here's a South Australian one.
A New South Wales one.
And here's a Queensland one competing in the Targa Tasmania.I believe there's plenty more as well. They might not all be real ones. I know that the top one is. There's a couple of places in the UK that produce replicas. They are so authentic that owners of real ones buy their bits from them. They are supposed to be powered by Dino V6 engines but some replica builders are using the turbocharged Lancia Beta/Fulvia units in 2 litre form. This is what has made me sit up and take notice. I keep thinking about what would be good in the Ikara.

8 comments:

Bruno von Rotz said...

The Lancia Stratos is a great car, if you can sit in it and are able to control it. Its main purpose was to win rallyies and you feel this when you sit in the car :-)

Glenn K said...

The Lancia Stratos is such a fantastic design. Very high on my "wish I could own" list.The Hawk HF3000 replica from the UK is too shabby either.

There's a video on youtube of a Hawk fitted with a 300bhp V8 engine that's made from two 1000cc motorcycle engines grafted together. It makes a crazy sound and looks like it's incredibly quick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHa-lJ7aKUI

Glenn K said...

Ummm... that's meant to read "ISN'T too shabby" in regard to the Hawk HF300!

Anonymous said...

Why not try a Series III or IV Golf engine, if it can fit, I have experience of both both Series 2.0lt FI types, they are both economical and very flexible, if you need a turbo - the GTI engine would fly!
PeterG

John L said...

Yes, you're right. I should stick to what I know. All the Golf engines fit. Tom Drewer had a later series Golf (twin cam I think) when he was still in high school and it used to fly up Collingrove. It made my old series 1 look very ordinary.

John L said...

Barry Currie has written:-
"Your blog about the Stratos brought back some memories for me. The car pictured used to belong to Peter Briggs of York Motor Museum fame. (I think it has been sold recently) I had the privilege of bringing the car home to do a few repairs and get it running after years of standing. This was some time ago but I will never forget the sound of that V6 Ferrari engine with extractors and megaphone exhausts. It used to spit flames when you backed off and the whole house shook when I fired it up. At the time Rally Australia was still in Perth and I got to drive the car around the special stage on the Perth foreshore with some other exotic cars on show. The best was when Colin Bond who used to run car Zero for Rally Australia ran the Stratos around at speed with me as Navigator as Zero for the rally. What a ride! John Dawson-Damer who was the proper navigator was waiting to get in but I would not get out as the car was in my care!"

Anonymous said...

There is another Stratos (replica???) in WA (Perth), seen around the Karyinup area, Mid night blue.

Anonymous said...

So there are no Lancia Stratos in Australia. So how do you explain this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osHMVAywYPw