The early Eighties Group B period of the World Rally Championship produced some legendary automobiles, with the Lancia 037 among the many most revered. Now a prototype of the championship-winning rally automobile is scheduled for a RM Sotheby’s public sale.

Conceived as a successor to the Lancia Stratos, the 037 retained that automobile’s mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive structure. The 037 was the final two-wheel-drive automobile within the WRC, beating the Audi Quattro, the automobile that launched all-wheel-drive to the game.

Group B laws had been introduced in 1979, and 1982 was the newest yr that automobiles from the earlier Group 4 rule set could be eligible. That did not go away a lot time to develop a brand new automobile, so Lancia began with the Beta Montecarlo Turbo from the Group 5 sports-car class, itself loosely based mostly on the Lancia Montecarlo sports activities automobile (badged Scorpion in america to keep away from clashing with the Chevrolet Monte Carlo).

This automobile—chassis SE037-001—was the primary prototype. It made its first take a look at runs in 1980, adopted by a full testing program all through 1981. Even after manufacturing automobiles had been constructed and provided to the rally staff, Lancia continued utilizing SE037-001 as a growth mule, and it was additionally used as a reconnaissance or “recce” automobile on the 1982 Acropolis Rally, in response to the itemizing.

The 037 gained the WRC producer’s championship in 1983, and Lancia constructed 200 automobiles to fulfill homologation necessities, however the automobile’s second within the highlight was transient. Audi had proven that all-wheel drive was the long run, and the 037 was quickly changed with all-wheel-drive variations of the Lancia Delta hatchback. The 1986 deaths of driver Henri Toivonen and co-driver Sergio Cresto in a Lancia Delta S4 helped convey concerning the finish of Group B, though Lancia continued by way of the next Group A period.

Chassis SE037-001 was slated to be scrapped in 1983, nevertheless it was saved by its designer, Sergio Limone, who restored the automobile to its authentic configuration. It is now within the palms of a Lancia collector, who’s providing the 037 prototype on the market with full documentation testifying to its authenticity, in response to the itemizing.