83 Lancia Rally 037 - Motorsports Almanac

LANCIA RALLY 037 – STRADALE AND EVOLUZIONE I www.qv500.com/lancia037p1.htm
By the early 1980's, Fiat were well aware that, for their domination of World and European rallying to continue, an allnew
challenger conforming to FISA's Group B regulations would have to be produced. But although the Italian firm's
most recent participation in the sport had been with the boxy 131 sedan, it's replacement would come from Lancia
whom Fiat had decided should make an official return to rallying. This meant the new car would be replacing the
seminal special stage challenger, Lancia's mid-engined Stratos, a car that indelibly changed the face of world rallying.
Indeed, with no less than 62 World and European Championship victories to its name, the Stratos had an enviable
reputation almost impossible to improve upon. Nevertheless, Lancia were determined to claw their way back to the
forefront of world rallying and the task of designing this new car fell to Abarth. Abarth had been aquired by Fiat back in
1971, but it wasn't until ten years later that the operation officially became responsible for Lancia's rally cars. However,
although starting with a clean sheet of paper, the new 037 was clearly conceived from a hot Monte Carlo built by the
firm for 1979's Giro d'Italia. Like that car, the 037 was based around a central cockpit section with space frames front and
back, the tubular framework at the front accommodating the radiator and suspension while the sub frame at the rear
was used to support the engine, gearbox, suspension and fuel tanks. Suspension was via double wishbones all-round
with two gas-filled Bilstein shocks at the front and one at the back. There was an Abarth-modified ZF-type self locking
differential, two 35-litre fuel tanks and Brembo self-ventilating disc brakes. 16-inch diameter ten-hole Speedline light
alloy wheels featured Abarth-crested centres and came shod with Pirelli P7 Corsa tyres, these being of eight and nine
inch widths at the front and rear. However, even though Audi were continuing to prove that four-wheel drive was the
future of rallying, Lancia decided that a lighter, less complicated, rear-wheel drive machine could be more than just
competitive. And lightweight the 037 most certainly was, weighing in at just 1170kg in full road-going Stradale trim. Its
two-litre water-cooled in-line four cylinder engine was dry sumped and mounted longitudinally in the chassis, exact
displacement having been 1995cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 84mm x 90mm respectively. There were innovative
four-valve cylinder heads, twin overhead camshafts, Marelli ignition and an Abarth supercharger, compression being
set at 7.5:1 for 205bhp at 7000rpm. A single Weber 40 DCN VH 15/250 twin choke carburettor was standard fit along
with a ZF five-speed gearbox and single plate Valeo clutch, all of which equated to a possible top speed of 138mph. And
with zero to sixty coming up in just 5.8 seconds, this little Lancia had enough poke to frighten even the most exotic of
supercars. Meanwhile, the 037's gorgous bodywork was created by Pininfarina, the famed Turinese coachbuilder
crafting a stunning berlinetta shell fabricated from glassfibre reinforced Kevlar. As pretty as it was aggressive, the 037
had clearly been influenced by Abarth's unique Lancia Montecarlo-based 030 from a few years earlier (also styled by
Pininfarina), but no doubt thanks to production requirements, the 037 looked a markedly more cohesive piece of work.
However, because of problems with painting composite body panels, these cars were only ever available in red, and
because FISA's homologation requirements for the 200 road cars dictated each example had to be identical, the only
aesthetic variance was a prominent rear spoiler. Indeed, while some cars were completed without these wings, others
had matt-black items whilst yet more came with body-colour coded addenda. But while the aerofoils undoubtedly made
the 037 an even more purposeful looking machine, they greatly restricted rearward visibility. Inside, the cabin provided
few thrills for its occupants, just the essential ingredients for high speed motoring. Things like air conditioning and
electric windows were never part of the 037 experience, but that's not to say these Group B Lancia's were hostile places
to be. Indeed, with their hip-hugging cloth-covered bucket seats, Abarth-centred three-spoke leather-rimmed steering
wheels and just enough soundproofing to get by, 037's had everything the serious driver could wish for. The first
prototype was secretly completed just prior to the end of 1980 and after several encouraging outings with Giorgia Pianta
behind the wheel, official approval was given for the programme to commence during the spring of 1981. Meanwhile, as
FISA's Group B regulations stipulated that 200 identical road cars had to be produced prior to homologation being
granted, Lancia were planning for an April 1st deadline in 1982. Amazingly, 207 had been completed by late March and
although it was apparently a close vote from the inspectors, the 037 was announced Gr B-legal and made its debut on
April 1st in the Costa Smerelda Rally. Road versions sold for 40m Lira a-piece (£18,000) compared to 53m Lira (£24,000)
for a competition car (both prices excluding taxes). But despite costing substantially more than a Ferrari 308 or Porsche
911, the 037's advanced specification and considerable rarity made it an intoxicating proposition for many European
buyers. But of those 207 originally completed for homologation, a good number were later converted by the works to
competition spec, which probably means less than 170 Stradale's were ever sold. With the 037 having been conceived
solely as a means for Lancia to win the World Rally Championship, no-one was particularly surprised when
competition versions made their debuts just days after FISA had officially granted the car homologation into Gr B.
Typically weighing in around 200kg lighter than the 1170kg Stradale, some 037 competition cars were little more than
960kg although this did vary according to the nature of any given event. Meanwhile, wheel size and width also varied
but when in definitive tarmac trim, the stock 037's 16-inch diameter rear wheels were exchanged for taller 18-inch pieces
and then shod with Pirelli's latest generation P7 Corsa tyres. Other set-up changes included a 5mm drop in ride-height,
but while Lancia's hands were tied by FISA when it came to making major changes to the 037's rolling chassis, there was
considerably more scope for developing engines. Indeed, for this first batch of 1982 cars, Abarth's diminutive two-litre
was tuned to produce no less than 280bhp thanks to an increase in supercharger pressure and compression (from 7.5 to
8.0:1). There were also new Champion N84G spark plugs and a problematic Bosch mechanical fuel injection system that
was periodically exchanged for Weber carburettors during the course of the year. The gearbox was an Abarth-ised fivespeed
ZF unit with single-plate Valeo clutch and ceramic alloy gasket. Meanwhile, although the bodywork for these first
series cars was identical to the high-winged Stradale's, when they were finished in Martini's stunning motorsport livery,
Pininfarina's beautiful design was given a new air of urgency. Inside, what little soundproofing Lancia had fitted to the
road car was removed along with all unnecessary trim, the stock dash getting more extensive Borletti instrumentation
while competition seats with harnesses were also fitted. First shown to the press in Turin during mid-December of 1981,