- On October 7th 1983, Lancia Rally 037 conquered its fifth World Constructors' title by winning the Sanremo Rally competition.
- An unexpected success for a rear-wheel-drive car, against competitors equipped with all-wheel drive.
- Today, Lancia Rally 037 is still an icon for the brand, being one of the nine cars in its history that inspired the design of future models.
- With 15 World Rally Championships, three World Endurance Constructors' Championships, one 1000 Miglia, two Targa Florio, and one Carrera Panamericana victories, Lancia is still the most successful brand of all time in rally.
“Lancia Rally 037 fully embodies the brand's spirit, made up of radical geometric shapes, combined with an elegant and exclusive design, giving life to a car always ready to overcome any obstacle: features that allowed the car to become part of the collective unconscious. The victory achieved exactly 40 years ago today remains a historic moment for the Rally and consecrated the model in the pantheon of immortal global cars. It’s no coincidence that Lancia Rally 037 is one of nine cars that inspired the design of our future models.” stated Luca Napolitano, Lancia brand CEO.
October 7th 1983 represents a truly memorable date for the Lancia brand, an indelible day in the eyes and hearts of all racing enthusiasts: the Lancia Rally 037 indeed triumphs at the Sanremo Rally and secures its fifth World Constructors' Championship title with two races to spare in its history.
An astounding achievement for a stage entirely "signed" by the Italian marque, which had four cars in the top five final positions: with Markku Alen, Walter Röhrl, and Attilio Bettega, and a young Miki Biasion finishing fifth behind the wheel of a Lancia Rally 037 - Jolly Club.
A veritable feat, bearing in mind the technical values and power of the competing models: unlike its challengers, which could already rely on an all-wheel drive engine, the Lancia Rally 037 actually had a rear-wheel drive engine. Unsurprisingly, 40 years later, this remains an achievement that has never been repeated in the history of racing.
The victory in Sanremo marked the beginning of a golden age for the model: in a very short time, the Lancia Rally 037 managed to enchant millions of fans around the world. In addition to the Constructors' World Championship, it took the second place in the Drivers’ World Championship with Walter Röhrl and the European and Italian Championships with Miki Biasion, who shortly after also competed under the insignia of the official Lancia Martini team.
The history of the Lancia Rally 037 is one of excellence in Italian motorsport.
The official debut took place in 1982, at the 59th edition of the Turin Motor Show with the road version. It featured 205 hp, a twin-body carburetor, and supercharging through a volumetric compressor, the car had been designed in anticipation of entering the world of rallying.
200 units were produced in total, to obtain type approval as a Group B racing car.
The Lancia Rally, better known by its design designation of “037,” was actually a pure sports car in every detail: its “functional” bold shapes, both in the front and rear, and an angular “chalice” that made it an icon of rallying. It was clearly based on the Beta Montecarlo, a compact mid-engine coupe with a sporty feel, characteristic of the 70s. Taking that basis as a starting point, everything about the Lancia Rally 037 contributed to its sporty spirit: its aggressive styling; its brutal and efficient character. The minimalist and rational interior was the quintessence of competition, whereas some of the aerodynamic “appendages” on the pillar and tail – including a striking rear spoiler – raised its performance even higher.
The indomitable spirit of its original mixed structure was fitted out in sheer class, because of its simultaneously aggressive and elegant body that could push a significant aerodynamic load towards the ground. For maximum efficiency, it was made of polyester with fiberglass reinforcements, while the two lightweight bonnets, over the engine and trunk, could be completely disassembled.
That very balanced union of two such different spirits that already featured in the legendary Stratos made the Lancia Rally 037 one of the nine iconic cars in the brand's history that have inspired future models, starting with the Lancia Pu+Ra HPE, the brand's manifesto for the next 10 years. It is a 100% electric concept car that embodies the brand's vision in terms of design, interior home feeling, sustainability, electrification, and effortless technology. In the Lancia Pu+Ra HPE Concept, one can indeed find a design with a constant interplay between purity and radicalness that strongly recalls the essence of the Lancia Rally 037.
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