1982 Lancia

This 1982 Lancia 037 is one of approximately 260 examples manufactured among combined production of road-going and rally variants. Chassis 029 spent time in Switzerland and Belgium in the early 1990s before being purchased in the mid-1990s by a UK owner who is said to have piloted it at Goodwood before selling it later in the decade. It was imported to the US approximately seven years ago and was acquired by the seller in 2021. Wearing composite body panels finished in red, the car is powered by a replacement Evo II-specification 2,111cc Fiat inline-four featuring a Volumex supercharger, water injection, Bosch Kugelfisher fuel injection, and dry-sump lubrication. Additional equipment includes a ZF five-speed manual transaxle with a 40% locking differential, front and rear tubular spaceframes, Abarth-Brembo ventilated disc brakes, a hydraulic handbrake system, Bilstein gas shock absorbers that are in duplicate at each rear wheel, multipiece staggered-width 16” alloy wheels, a roll cage, and Sparco racing seats. This 037 is now offered in New Hampshire with an FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Form, ownership records and invoices dating back to 1992, and a clean Arizona title in the seller’s name. Under the project name SE037, Fiat Group began the development of a replacement for the 131 in 1980 in anticipation of forthcoming Group B regulations requiring the production of only 200 cars for homologation. Construction utilized the central frame cell of the Lancia Beta Montecarlo adapted to carry front and rear spaceframes formed from a combination of round and square steel tubing, with the substructure wrapped in Pininfarina-styled fiberglass-reinforced Kevlar or polyester resin body panels. The Rally 037 model was produced in both Stradale and rally variants, with the latter becoming the last rear-wheel-drive model to win a World Rally Championship constructor’s title in 1983. Design features include front and rear clamshells, a double-bubble roof, a front air dam, a hood bulge, air scoops on each sail panel, a rear spoiler, quad headlights, and round taillamps. This example is finished in red and is absent a rear bumper, a characteristic of the Evolution II models that were introduced in 1984. Multipiece forged alloy wheels were fitted in 2016 and are wrapped in BFGoodrich g-Force Sport Comp-2 tires measuring 225/50ZR16 up front and 245/50ZR16 at the rear. Braking is handled by ventilated and slotted discs acted upon by alloy Abarth-Brembo calipers with four pistons each up front and two pistons at each rear wheel. The dual master cylinders were replaced in 2014 during a refresh by Classic Performance Engineering in Banbury, UK. A hydraulic handbrake actuates designated calipers on the rear wheels. The cockpit houses a pair of Sparco racing seats trimmed in black cloth, while black carpeting lines the floors and rear firewall. Additional features include a red-painted roll cage, matte-black painted dash and door panels, drilled pedals, and a fire extinguisher mounted on the center tunnel. The three-spoke MOMO steering wheel sits ahead of Veglia Borletti instrumentation including a 260-km/h speedometer, a 10k-rpm tachometer, and gauges monitoring coolant temperature and oil pressure. Gauges monitoring fuel level, boost pressure, and oil temperature are situated at the center of the dash. The five-digit odometer shows 39k kilometers (~24k miles), approximately 800 of which have been added by the seller. The Fiat-Abarth DOHC inline-four is said to be an Evo II-specification replacement that displaces 2,111cc and was rebuilt in 1998 by MRH Engineering in Kent, UK. Features include a Volumex Roots-type supercharger, a water injection system, Bosch Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication with a front-mounted oil cooler, and Magneti Marelli electronic ignition. Work performed by Motor Craft in Noblesville, Indiana, in 2015 included the fabrication of replacement dual fuel tanks. An oil change is said to have been performed in preparation for the sale. The ZF five-speed manual gearbox combines with a 40% locking differential to drive the rear wheels. Gearbox repairs were performed by Sweep Motorsport in Banbury, UK, in 2008, at which time the CV joints were replaced. The suspension was overhauled at that time, with work including replacement of the spherical joints and various other linkage ends as well as powder-coating of the springs and rebuilds of the six Bilstein shock absorbers. The car’s FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Form is shown above, and additional pages in the photo gallery below list previous ownership in Switzerland, Belgium, and the UK. The car’s entry in Lancia 037: The Development & Rally History of a World Champion by Peter Collins consists of “Red Evo – Switzerland, Belgium, last recorded UK 1998.” Also included are registration documents from Switzerland, Belgium, and the UK, invoices from the 1998 engine rebuild, other invoices dating back to the 1990s, and photographs of the car from previous ownership. VIN ZLA151AR000000029 is shown above and is also photographed stamped on the door jamb tag, rear frame, and center frame shell in the gallery below.