Lancia Stratos HF Zero: The Ultimate Wedge

Reading the description of the 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza, you could be forgiven to think it’s little more than a preposterous footnote in automotive history. The car is compared to a “mobile ramp,” and onlookers are advised to “avoid tripping over it or stepping on it.” In fact, the importance of the Bertone-designed Stratos Zero cannot be overstated. Unveiled in October 1970 at the Turin Motor Show, it was a counterpart of the similarly outrageous Ferrari 512S Modulo by Pininfarina. Both cars have an almost abstract, sculptural quality, but the Stratos seems more dynamic compared to the somewhat static Modulo. It’s also even lower, at just 33 inches tall… read more >