The Stratos had no direct ancestors, strictly speaking, though its midships drivetrain was lifted intact from Ferrari’s Dino 246 GT.
Here it’s important to recall that in 1969, Fiat took over Lancia, then in financial trouble, and also acquired 50 percent of Ferrari.

Bertone’s body design was chunky and stubby yet somehow wicked — and predictably minimal, to hold down weight and bulk. Its most distinctive features were semi-concealed A-pillars and a door beltline sharply upswept to the top of the daylight opening. The shape of the resulting unbroken expanse of glass gave the tunnelback roof the appearance of a futuristic crash helmet.

With 190 horsepower in roadgoing trim, the Stratos could exceed 140 mph. With nicely balanced, if slightly nervous, handling, it was as different from, say, a Corvette as a Derby winner is from a plow horse, the kind of car with which you had to become thoroughly familiar before you could really drive flat out. As with the compact mid-engine Ferraris, however, the Stratos was addictive, and most owners fell in love with it.

Automobile design consultant Chris Hrabalek has the largest Lancia Stratos Collection in the world – he owns 11 unique Lancia Stratos cars, including the fluorescent red 1971 factory prototype and the 1977 Safari Rally car.

This new Stratos arrives during the 40th anniversary year of the Marcello Gandini-designed Stratos Zero concept, whose name was later resurrected for the rally car and homologation special.

Reference

• Technical specifications of 1974 Lancia Stratos. carfolio.com
• 1975 Lancia Stratos. sportscarmarket.com
• Lancia/Models/Lancia Stratos. carsfromitaly.net
• Beyond the Stratos-phere. topgear.com