The battle of the mid-1970s European sports cars came to a head with the introduction of the Fiat x1/9 and the Lancia Stratos. While American-made sports cars were still pulling in a lot of attention here in the states, these two cars gained a lot of attention between 1974 and 1978 in Europe and worldwide. Keep in mind; however, the Fiat introduced the x1/9 in 1972 and the Lancia in 1973. To help you decide which car is best, you need to know a little of each car’s history. Here a few questions and answers to help you decide on which car you think is best.
What is the story of Lancia Stratos in a rally race?
The Lancia Stratos was a very successful rally car. In fact, the Stratos won the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975, and 1976. If you’re not familiar with the World Rally Championship (WRC), it’s a rally or motorsport event that takes place on public or private roads with modified or special-built street-legal cars. Rally events don’t run a circuit but run A to B or point to point formats with drivers and co-drives. The WRC is one of the largest Rally races in the world.
How many Lancia Stratos‘ are left?
Approximately 500 Lancia Stratos’ were built but 26 of those were used by the official factory team. Red was the most popular color for the Stratos. Forty percent of the Lancia Stratos were red, 20 percent blue, 20 percent white, and 20 percent orange.
There are 5 Stratos’ left on the roads in the UK, but the exact number of these vehicles remaining around the world is unknown
Why did Lancia go bust?
Some bad luck, underhanded schemes, and poor sales led to the demise of the car. Despite its excellent performance as a rally car, the Stratos had a reputation for corrosion, which may have contributed to its poor sales. In 2008, there were hopes and rumors of the vehicle’s return, but a financial crisis dashed those, and Lancia’s plans for the Stratos’ return were scrapped
What engine was in the Lancia Stratos?
A 2.4L V6 engine powered the Lancia Stratos. The 2.4 V6 was the same engine used in the Stratos rallying versions, but the engines were tuned at a lower state giving the vehicle a power output of 190 PS.
How much does a Lancia Stratos cost?
The original list price of the Lancia Stratos was $17,000. In the year 2021, that’s not a lot of money for a sports car, but in 1974, it was a pretty big chunk of cash. If you were going to buy an original Lancia Stratos today, be prepared to pay between $600,000 and $900,000
What’s the difference between Lancia Stratos and Fiat x1/9?
Amazingly, both the Fiat x1/9 and the Lancia Stratos were designed by Gruppo Bertone, also known only as Bertone. The Stratos was designed as a rally car as was very successful. While the two cars are vaguely similar in body style, the Lancia is wider in the rear and has a larger engine. The Fiat x1/9 was not as successful as a rally car. But it achieved better success in production and sales. The Lancia Stratos was only manufactured until 1978, while the Fiat x1/9 was manufactured until 1989. Fiat, between 1972 and 1982, manufactured the x1/9. Between the years 1982 and 1989, the x1/9 was manufactured by Bertone.
What is the difference in their engine?
From 1972 thru 1978, the Fiat x1/9 featured a 1,290 cc (74 cu in) 128.AS I4 engine. This engine was an in-line four-cylinder with an iron block and aluminum heads, and a single overhead camshaft. Between 1978 and 1989, Fiat upgraded to a 1,498 (92 cu in) cc 138.A2/A4 I4 engine.
The Lancia Stratos featured a 2,418 cc (148 cu in) Dino V6 engine, which is similar to the V6 and V8 engines produced by Ferrari from the late 50s to the early 2000s.
What is the difference in their top speed and horsepower?
The Lancia Stratos had a proposed top speed of 237 kph or 147 mph, while the fiat x1/9 had a proposed top speed of 180 kph or 111 mph. The Stratos’ verified top speed was 231 kph (143.5 mph), and the verified top speed of the x1/9 was 179kph (111.2 mph
The Lancia Stratos had 190 hp, while the Fiat x1/9 had 74 hp.
What is the difference in their acceleration?
Both of these cars had some impressive acceleration, especially for their size and era. The Fiat x1/9 had an acceleration of 0 – 60 in 10.4 seconds. The Stratos had a more impressive acceleration rate of 0 – 60 in 6.800 seconds.
How much does the Fiat x1/9 cost?
If you were looking to buy a fiat x1/9 today, you would pay between $9,000 and $25,000, depending on the condition and year. Since the x/19 was manufactured until 1989, older models are worth more than newer ones. The original price of the Fiat x1/9 was $4,167, which was less expensive than the Lancia Stratos.
“What do other people say about which car is best?”
The majority of car experts and people who love classic cars believe the Lancia Stratos was the better car when it came to performance and handling. While the x1/9 was a good car for its time, it could never compete with American sport and muscle cars of the 70s and 80s or the Lancia Stratos when it came down to top speed and acceleration.
If you wanna know “why do rally cars have a minimum weight”, then click here
