Lancia 037 Rally Course

Rédaction : Albert Lallement

PIONEER OF GROUP B

The Lancia Rally 037, the successor to the Stratos which had won in the 1970s, was designed specifically for the new Group B and introduced during the 1982 World Rally Championship.

Following its domination of the World Rally Championship from 1974 to 1976 with its Stratos, Lancia decided to focus on Endurance events. This was very successful, as the Group 5 Beta Montecarlo won the World Sports Car Championship from 1979 to 1981. When the new Group B was created by the FISA in 1982, Lancia was prepared before anyone else by lining up the Rally 037, a model that was derived from the Montecarlo. The following season, the championship was won by Lancia.

Because the car is so low, two raised bumps had to be made in the roof to allow the driver and co-driver to sit on board with their helmets. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Autopresse

The new FIA Group B (Modified Grand Touring Cars) introduced in 1982 offered, like the previous Group 5, a very flexible regulation allowing manufacturers to develop competition versions from a production model of at least 200 cars built in one year. While most of the brands competing in the World Rally Championship at the time, such as Audi, Peugeot and Renault, opted for four-wheel drive and turbocharging, Lancia chose rear-wheel drive. From the very start, it designed a version for racing, incorporating its experience in various disciplines. The Rally 037 was the last two-wheel drive car to win the World Rally Championship in 1983.

Pininfarina designed an aggressive yet elegant bodywork, with an aerodynamic load providing effective downforce. Pictured here is the car of Bettega and Perissinot at the 1983 Tour of Corsica where they finished 4th. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Autopresse

A FRUITFUL COLLABORATION

With the Lancia Beta Montecarlo dominating the World Endurance Championship, the Italian firm was looking to extend the scope of its presence at the highest level of competition. The introduction of Group B in rallying offered the company the opportunity to do this with Project SE037, initiated by Cesare Fiorio, the Sporting Director of the Lancia HF Squadra Corse, with the assistance of Gianni Tonti. This project is an exemplary collaboration between several Italian automotive icons: Lancia (and the entire Fiat Group), Abarth for the preparation and Pininfarina for the design. Initially, the idea was to create a model using various elements taken from the Fiat Ritmo as well as the Lancia Delta and Beta Montecarlo. In May 1980, the final choice was made for the Montecarlo, of which only the core cell was retained. In July 1980, design work began under the direction of engineer Sergio Limone. The construction of the prototype was assigned to Dallara, the same tuner who had developed the Beta Montecarlo endurance car. At the end of December 1980, the car made its first tests on the private tracks of Fiat and Pirelli.

In 1983, the Lancia Rally 037 dominated the European Rally Championship with a total of 12 victories! Here the Tognana and De Antoni team finishing 5th in the Rally Costa Smeralda in Sardinia. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Autopresse

SUPER LIGHT STRUCTURE

The prototype of the Lancia Rally 037 was presented in October 1981, followed by the official presentation of the road version "Stradale" at the Turin Motor Show on 21 April 1982. Meanwhile, the 200 cars required for Group B homologation were built and granted on April 1st under the code ZLA 151 AR0. Altogether 222 Lancia Rally 037 "Stradale" cars (including 2 prototypes) were built between December 1980 and January 1984, while 40 "Corsa" cars (Evo 1 and Evo 2) were produced between 1983 and 1984. From the start, the Lancia Rally 037 was designed as a pure two-seater with a compact and very light chassis. The frame structure consisted of a monocoque aluminium central cell which was extended by two tubular subframes supporting the suspension (gas shock absorbers) and radiators at the front, and the engine and transmission at the rear. The chassis is fitted with a Kevlar and glass fibre reinforced polyester bodywork that can be quickly dismantled by mechanics.

The rear compartment is particularly accessible with the engine installed in a longitudinal position to simplify the work of the mechanics during assistance operations. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Autopresse

TWO-WHEEL DRIVE

The 4-cylinder engine of the Rally 037 was derived from that of the Fiat 131 Abarth designed by the engineer Aurelio Lampredi. Unlike its previous uses, the engine was installed in a longitudinal central position at the rear to ensure better stability of the car when driving straight ahead. The initial version had a displacement of 1,995 cm3 (bore x stroke: 84 x 90 mm) and developed 265 bhp at 7,000 rpm. The Bosch injection system was complemented by a Roots-type volumetric compressor developed by Abarth, with a pressure ranging from 0.6 to 0.9 bar. This system offers less power than a turbocharger, but has the advantage of releasing its power more evenly, at all engine speeds and without response time. Over the course of its career, the engine was upgraded twice, first to 2,111 cc (305 bhp) in 1983, then to 2,142 cc (325 bhp) the following year. The 5-speed gearbox, supplied by ZF, was modified by Abarth and combined with a self-locking differential set at 25%. From 1985 onwards, the Rally 037 was gradually replaced by the Peugeot 205 T16 and the Audi Quattro. This was the moment Lancia chose to start working on the new Delta S4, equipped with a turbo and four-wheel drive.

: Lancia Rally 037 took the first 4 places in the 1983 Tour de Corse, with Vudafieri and Pirollo's car, entered by the Jolly Club Team, finishing 3rd. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Autopresse

Technical data

Lancia Rally 037 Group B Evolution 2 (1984)

• Engine: Type 232 AR4, 4-cylinder, centre rear, longitudinal

• Displacement: 2,140 cm3

• Bore x stroke: 85.6 mm x 93 mm

• Power: 325 hp at 8,000 rpm

• Fuel: Bosch Kugelfisher mechanical injection + Abarth compressor

• Ignition: electronic Magneti Marelli AEI 200 A

• Timing: 2 overhead camshafts, 4 valves per cylinder

• Transmission: rear wheel drive, 5 speeds + M.A.

• Tyres: Pirelli P7 Corsa 205/55 VR 16 (front), 225/50 VR 16 (rear)

• Brakes: ventilated discs (front and rear)

• Length: 3915 mm

• Width: 1850 mm

• Height: 1245 mm

• Wheelbase: 2445 mm

• Front track: 1508 mm

• Rear track: 1498 mm

• Weight (empty): 960 kg

• Maximum speed: 225 km/h

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE RALLY 037

The Lancia Rally 037 won 6 of the 28 races in the World Rally Championship from 1982 to 1986. In 1983, Walter Röhrl won the Monte Carlo, the Acropolis and New Zealand, while Markku Alén won the Tour de Corse and the San Remo. That season, Team Lancia was declared World Constructors' Champion ahead of Audi. The following year, Alén again won the Tour of Corsica and Lancia finished 2nd in the Constructors' Championship, then 3rd in 1985 and 2nd in 1986. In the European Championship, the Lancia Rally 037 won 40 races from 1983 to 1986, with Massimo Biasion winning in 1983 (5 victories), then Carlo Capone in 1984 (5 victories) and finally Dario Cerrato in 1985 (4 victories)