quick translation:- ADAC Eifel Rallye Festival 18.-20. July 2019
Feast for drivers and fans
Claus Aulenbacher and the rebirth of a Lancia Stratos group 4
The Eifel Rally Festival lives on the idea of preserving the history of rallying. "Therefore, only original or faithfully replicated vehicles may participate with us," explains Reinhard Klein (Cologne), who is responsible for putting together the starting field as the head of 'Slowly Sideways', the Europe-wide association of owners of historic rally vehicles.
Claus Aulenbacher from Mainz has been in possession of a faithfully reproduced Lancia Stratos Group 4 for some time, "getting a Stratos with history is almost impossible and priceless". Now he has one of the coveted and rare originals - the way there was very exciting and, above all, long.
On May 25, 2014, near Marseille, the existence of more than a dozen original rally vehicles from a private collection ended in the flames of a garage fire. "At the remaining skeleton one could just guess that it was a Stratos," describes Aulenbacher the first impressions, as he visited the sad remnant together with Stratos specialist Udo Sparwald.
It began the long, time-consuming and cost-intensive reconstruction. Engine block and gearbox could be used again after a renovation, the pedals are still original. The sheet metal works were taken over by Lancia specialists in Italy, but the search for the correct blue paint lasted weeks. Aulenbacher researched worldwide in the net for original parts: "Since a single original switch from the dashboard ever with 250 euros traded, for an original Stradale steering wheel you have to lie down at least 4,000 euros."
Screw for screw and spare part for spare part came together bit by bit. "During the research, I also met many people who had to do with this car, so I also got many pictures that helped to restore the Stratos in the original condition."
Today, the Stratos is back at the Mainzer, as he was in 1976 at the start of the Rally Lana in Italy. The then pilot Giani Besozzi has thus won the rally in the very first use of the car in June 75 and also in 76. The sporting career of the Boliden ended in May 1982, his first existence then at the Fire 2014.
"Fortunately, at the beginning of the reconstruction, I did not know what to expect. I had absolutely misjudged the time and the costs. But for that the result is all the more beautiful ", Aulenbacher radiates a good four years later.
At the Eifel Rallye Festival he will present the 'reborn' group 4-Stratos on selected exams, on the remaining stages he will climb into his replica. In the summer there is also a reunion for the Stratos with its first workplace. "At the Stratos meeting in San Remo I had contact with the
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