Lot 118: 1983 Lancia 037

Group B world championship coup�

The Lancia 037 Rally Coupe was absolutely tailor-made for Group B competition at World Championship level. While the model would emerge Lancia-badged and branded, its concept and development owed much to the Abarth development and competition departments, and the engine in particular became a showpiece of the quality of their work. Lancia had to construct a minimum 200 road going versions to ensure acceptance by the FIA governing body of the full specification rally cars. We understand that a total of some 260 Lancia 037s were produced overall.
The concept for this car evolved in 1980, and the 037 model consisted, in effect, of the Lancia Montecarlo central section , with front and rear sub-assemblies constructed by the specialist Dallara company. The early Montecarlo/Dallara circuit racing cars, built to Group 5 Silhouette rules were powered by a 16-valve, turbocharged twin-cam engine, and they were successful in the World Sportscar championship in 1980, and 1981. Lancia decided to develop this platform for rallying, but were unhappy with the turbocharged engine�s unpredictable power delivery on loose-surfaced roads.
Abarth Engineers began developing a supercharged concept for the new design, greatly improving instantaneous throttle response, and borrowed some ideas from the 1974 Abarth 030, which had a similar layout to the 037. The Lancia 037 was finally made ready for competition in mid-982.
As equipped with the �Volumex� supercharged engine, this fine example offered here is understood to have been completed new on January 1, 1983, as a car assigned to Fiat Auto s.p.a Torino. Two of the new works Lancia 037s had been completed in Martini sponsorship livery, and two more in Totip sponsor colours.

We are advised that the car offered here was the Totip-liveried machine crewed by Capone/Pirollo to finish 1st in the Rally della Lana (around Biella) on June 3-4, 1983 � entered by the ever-enthusiastic Jolly Club organisation and wearing the road registration �TOY70772�. Star driver Miki
Biason then handled the car with navigator Siviero in finishing 5th in the international San Remo Rally of October 2-7, 1983.

Subsequently this car passed into the ownership of Angelo Chiapparini of Milano and after his death it was then registered under the name of his wife, Signora Gianna Luigia Croce . It was then sold to the current owner. At the time of his acquisition it was liveried in Martini colours, but when subsequent historical research established that this had been one of the parallel series of Totip-lettered cars, he took the entirely correct and historically accurate decision to repaint it in its original colors.

The car is currently registered in the Principality of Monaco with full ownership title, and we are advised that it is ready to run. This history has been authorised by the ACI and the 037�s relevant Certificato Cronologico will accompany this rare, potent and most attractive historic Lancia rally car, a machine with good continuous history and competition laurels.




�quip� du moteur � compresseur Volumex, ce bel exemplaire aurait �t� achev� le 1er janvier 1983 sous la forme d�une voiture destin�e � Fiat Auto s.p.a. Torino. Deux de ces Lancia 037 d�usine avaient �t� finies sous les couleurs du Team Martini et deux autres sous celles du sponsor Totip.

Nous savons que cette voiture fut la machine aux couleurs de Totip conduite par l��quipage Capone/Pirollo qui finit premier au Rally della Lana (pr�s de Biella) les 3 et 4 juin 1983, voiture engag�e par le Jolly Club et immatricul�e � TOY 70772 �. Le pilote bien connu Miki Biason la conduisit ensuite avec le navigateur Siviero pour prendre la 5e place du Rallye International de San Remo couru du 2 � 7 octobre 1983.

Par la suite, la voiture passa aux mains d�Angelo Chiapparini de Milan puis fut immatricul�e au nom de sa veuve, la Signora Gianna Luigi Croce avant d��tre achet�e par l�actuel propri�taire. A l��poque de cette transaction, elle �tait aux couleurs de Martini, mais � la suite de recherches historiques qui �tablirent qu�elle avait couru avec l��quipe Totip, il fut d�cid� de la remettre dans les couleurs historiquement exactes de cette �curie.

La voiture actuellement immatricul�e dans la Principaut� de Monaco est pr�te � prendre la route. Son historique a �t� garanti par l�ACI et le Certificato Cronologico relatif � cette 037 sera remis avec cette rare, efficace et tr�s belle Lancia de rallye � l�historique bien document�.