Why the Stratos?

Whilst at Lister Bell the other week with a few others, we briefly discussed what had originally piqued our interest in the Stratos and how that lead you to buying/building a replica.

I'm sure I'm right in thinking a lot of you were standing in Dalby forest in the 70s and hearing the roar of the Strat getting closer - sadly I wasn't born until the early 90s so missed out on all that!

For me, I'd always been into classic cars, and seeing Reg Barker's Litton out of the window of the school bus at the age of 9 or 10, I knew instantly that it was the car for me. After begging my parents to take me to see the car up close, they finally gave in. 6 or 7 years later (and lots of buying and selling cars to make some money!) and I got my hands on a part-finished Hawk. This led me to be lucky enough to buy a completed car.

Sadly that Hawk had to go when starting my classic car business whilst at university - but I've never been able to escape the call of the Stratos, which is probably why I've got a LB chassis on order...!

What was it for you that started the ball rolling?



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The roof hoop on Reg's car looks to be in a terrible position!
I think there was an era of the Corse S chassis' where the B post was too low & the roof hoop was low as a result. This appears to be that generation.

*That* episode of Top Gear was broadcast at exactly that moment when I was thinking "now what?". Trouble is that there seems to have been way too many answers to that question since then.

Was there ever a time when Corse roof hoops achieved a consistent good position?!
But to answer the question, undeniably the 1974 RAC, while out in Clocaenog awaiting my boss Tim's appearance in a Mazda RX3 coupe, I was totally blown away by Munaris Marlborough car.
As a 19 year old I was not aware of the Stratos and in a field of ancient looking Saabs, Escort Mk1's and even stuff like Hillman Avengers, then the Stratos looked like something from the future. My future I hoped!
I didn't realize it would take another forty years to get there.....

By the time I started watching rallying (late 80's), the Lancia was the Delta (S4 then Integrale). I was planning to build a kit-car as soon as I got my own house in the early 90's and the Red Stradale on the front of the Hawk brochure was my favourite. I only found out it was a rally car once I'd got hooked and drawn in by on the road car.

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Originally Posted by john

But to answer the question, undeniably the 1974 RAC, while out in Clocaenog awaiting my boss Tim's appearance in a Mazda RX3 coupe, I was totally blown away by Munaris Marlborough car.

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Almost the same for me.
I was walking into the first stage of the 1974 RAC, and Munari drove past on his way to the arrival control at Bramham Park. Forever etched on my brain was this low thing with 2 big round lamps on the back. You don't forget things like that when you're 12 years old!
As you say John, there was no build up to it, nobody seem to know it was coming. We were lucky enough to see the Colibri Mk1 Escorts being readied for the start in the basement car park of the Viking Hotel in York the night before. The cutting edge of what Ford had to offer, which suddenly looked old the next day.

Having said that, the big thing was the announcement of two different replica Lancia Stratos kits in the January 1987 issue of Cars and Car Conversions.

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Originally Posted by john

Was there ever a time when Corse roof hoops achieved a consistent good position?!

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Yes indeed John - brings back memories. Luckily we managed to get mine remade and improved on the 2nd attempt!

Yes Paul. Roof hoop and a few other aspects!
Was your Stratos moment Billy Coleman?

Watching the WRC on telly as a lad. Then a bit later seeing some original cars at an LMC gathering and a rather sad looking replica that was relegated to the carpark as it wasn't 'real'. Plus various reminders from time to time in kit car mags.

Funny enough, having been in touch with Lydia & Craig recently it struck me that my Stratos moment was mis-timed. I'm sure that if I was building now, it would be an LB STR and I'd not be selling it 6 years after a 5 year build followed by a 5 year and 11 month development process! Hey ho.