https://automobilist.org/tags/rally/ Recent content in Rally on Automobilist.org Hugo en-us Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://automobilist.org/2025/09/29/the-lancia-stratos-was-built-to-win-the-world-rally-championship-and-nothing-else/ Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://automobilist.org/2025/09/29/the-lancia-stratos-was-built-to-win-the-world-rally-championship-and-nothing-else/ <p>Cesare Fiorio, Lancia&rsquo;s competition director, decided in 1970 that the Fulvia — which had won the World Rally Championship in 1972 — was obsolete and that Lancia needed a purpose-built rally car rather than an adapted road car. The car that resulted from this decision was designed by Bertone&rsquo;s Marcello Gandini, powered by the Ferrari Dino 246&rsquo;s 2.4-liter V6, and homologated for competition by producing exactly 492 road cars. It won the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975, and 1976. Then Fiat, which owned Lancia, withdrew works support. The Stratos was replaced by the Fiat 131 Abarth. The absurdity of this decision is apparent in retrospect.</p>