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Hi. Just joined the forum, and am looking for a Stratos. I currently have a S1 Fulvia 1.6HF, a S2 1.6HF, a Beta Spyder - and had other Lancias (Deltas and HF Turbos) in the past. I started looking for a Stratos a year or so ago. There are a few on the market right now - but to be honest, I know nothing about them and hoping that the forum can offer some advice about what to look for and what to avoid.
Thanks,
Justin.
Welcome!
Are we talking a replica or the real thing?
Hi. Thanks. I'm after one of the 492. I see a few advertised, but I'm at quite an early stage in the process of looking (about a year), and just after a bit of guidance as to what to look for. I'm going to go over to Milan in a few weeks to take a look at the one for sale at Girardo's and there's another in Brussels (Gp4 that belonged to Erik Comas), but I'm not sure whether to go for history with modifications, or something that's as standard as possible. I'm just intending to mess around with it (clean it, polish it, rub it) - trailer it to events, maybe do a few hill climbs at Shelsley - which is very close to me. Just having one will be great - so I'm not going to be too fussy.
Lucky man ! You should perhaps message David Hanman - he has an ex-Waldegard Safari car. His name on the forum is, perhaps unsurprisingly, - Davehanman
I'm afraid my knowledge of what to look for on original cars is non-existent as the chances of me ever being able to afford one is ZERO!
Good luck with the search, and keep us posted please!
So - I went to look at a Stratos this last Tuesday. Of course - it was absolutely lovely. Mechanically in top condition, and original body panels, refurbished interior. It was all very nice. I just didn't feel it though during the test drive. I imagined having the Stratos and my Fulvia Fanalone parked side by side - and to be honest - I'd choose to drive the Fulvia every time. So - there you go. I really wanted to love it - but it didn't happen.
It's a shame it didnt live up to your expectations - I've heard similar reports from people who have driven the Miura but the Stratos was built for a specific purpose - rallying - and to that extent , in its day, it was unbeatable. Chacun a son gout as the French might say. On the positive side you have saved yourself the best part of half a million... Most of us on this forum own, build and drive Stratos replicas which cost a tenth of that sum and from which we derive a great deal of enjoyment and satisfaction - so keep searching, hopefully you will find your dream car !
I like your french quote Peter and I'm fully agree with that! ;)
For sure original Stratos in road stradale version are not so easy to drive with bad confort etc...as the car was entirely built for rally and the 493 stradale only for FIA homologation
Comparisons between Fulvia and Stratos in drive are certainly... "close but no cigar"!
For my self I much prefer driving my Strat rep than my Fulvia 1.3s ...all things are different on these both cars!
Good luck for finding your dream car!
Thanks Frederic - I wish my French was fluent - but sadly not!
Regarding the original Stratos - it also depends on the reason for buying it . Do you want it for an investment or for driving pleasure ? If it's the former then buy it - as they are not going to get any cheaper. If it's the latter then buy a brand new Ferrari or McLaren - and save a couple of hundred grand. If you want both driving pleasure and an investment then I'm sure there are numerous other candidates out there. But if they are valuable classics this may limit your enthusiasm for taking them out on busy roads at the weekend - and definitely not one for the Tesco carpark. That's the great thing about a replica - it's not too valuable to drive on public roads and you can still get a good idea of the original driving experience. I still wouldn't park it in the Tesco car park though !!
Justin, soz you found the Stratos not to your liking, but I get why you'd prefer the Fanalone (I had one for 13 years - brilliant thing to drive). However, why don't you consider one of the Stratos replicas instead? There are lots of people in your position who seem to be buying them rather than an original these days, as they can be better built and a better drive.... you could end up with a good replica, AND a Ferrari or McLaren :)
Not meeting (or driving) your heroes must be a common woe.
Not on the same scale of expense but I found myself in the hunt for either a Ferrari Testarossa or Lamborghini Countach about 15 years ago. I was desperate to love the Countach but found everything about it, apart from the looks, far too much of a compromise to make it a practical car to buy. That left the Testarossa which fell down at the point of not feeling special enough, relatively speaking, as the Lambo partly because it was so easy to drive and live with. I made man-maths work in favour of getting an F355 and an Esprit GT3 instead. Should have bought the Countach tho.
Thanks for all of the replies on this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Normb666
Yes - I think you're right Norm. I'd definitely be interested in a replica. I've been thinking about an 037 as well recently, and had a couple of good leads. Someone I was talking to summed up the Stratos and the 037 by saying - "of course, they weren't built very well. They just had to build them to allow rallying. They weren't built to sell in quantity - or to last."
The Fulvia by comparison, were built for sale by the thousand, and 20 or so of the last S1, 1.6HF were taken by the works team and converted to rally spec. That I think is the major difference between the two ways of doing things. A replica Stratos that's been built properly I would imagine, can easily be a better drive than a period car that was pretty much thrown together to make up numbers. Anyone have a nice Alitalia Stratos replica for sale?
Cheers,
Justin.