---
title: "Jay Leno Proves That the Lancia Stratos HF Is Italy’s Greatest Hit"
description: "According to Leno, it's quicker and better handling than a Miura, smaller than a Countach, and more exciting to drive than an F40."
date: "2021-01-26"
modified: "2021-01-26"
authors:
  - name: "Máté Petrány"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/mate-petrany"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/38926/jay-leno-proves-that-the-lancia-stratos-hf-is-italys-greatest-hit"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "News"
  - "People"
tags:
  - "1975 Lancia Stratos HF"
  - "Lancia"
  - "Lancia Stratos"
---

# Jay Leno Proves That the Lancia Stratos HF Is Italy’s Greatest Hit

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2021/01/1975-Lancia-Stratos-HF-Jay-Lenos-Garage-1-0-screenshot.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

If there's one car [Jay Leno](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/37680/its-crazy-how-many-cars-jay-leno-is-restoring-at-any-given-moment>) is likely to be adding to his ever-changing collection soon, it's the original Lancia Stratos—especially after a brief drive in one around Lost Angeles. With its short wheelbase, mid-mounted Ferrari V6, short gearing, and Marcello Gandini's purposeful rally design, Lancia's combination was unbeatable as a tool built for the World Rally Championship. Yet, it remains a delightful road car that's still capable of turning on a dime and taking punches like no other mid-engine car would.

This red 1975 Lancia Stratos HF used to belong to John Campion, a lifelong Lancia fan and friend of Jay Leno, who sadly passed away recently from leukemia. After being delivered new as a road model, it was soon turned into a racing car, which led to this [Stratos](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/16968/holy-cow-theres-a-lancia-stratos-for-sale-in-texas>) "High Fidelity" retaining its synchromesh gearbox, leather seats, as well as the 2.6-liter Dino V6 in road tune that produces 190 horsepower. The rest, however, is pretty much pure WRC specification, with dual fuel fillers, a full-length skid plate, and a set of rally clocks for your co-driver.

![message-editor%2F1611666884867-lha083\_stratosrallyversion1972\_1975c\_1024.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611666884867-lha083_stratosrallyversion1972_1975c_1024.jpg>)
**Lancia**

Back in the early seventies, Lancia got lucky with its Stratos project. After the already successful, yet front-wheel-drive Fulvia HF, the Bertone-designed, rear-drive Stratos was a major game-changer built to win rallies. Powered by Ferrari, it raced to three WRC championships as well as a Targa Florio win in 1974 by the likes of Sandro Munari, Björn Waldegård and Bernard Darniche.

Built around a tubular spaceframe like the Lamborghini Miura and Countach, the Stratos uses a much beefier chassis, wrapped in an iconic fiberglass wedge body shaped by Marcello Gandini, whose design evolved from the [V4-powered Stratos Zero](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/21165/watch-the-wedge-shaped-lancia-stratos-hf-zero-concept-in-action>) and Stratos HF Prototype concepts, only to keep waiting for Enzo Ferrari to give Lancia a proper performance engine for series production.

![message-editor%2F1611667951866-lha084\_stratos1973\_1974\_1024.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611667951866-lha084_stratos1973_1974_1024.jpg>)
*Lancia*

![message-editor%2F1611668021187-lha084\_stratos1973\_1975b\_1024.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611668021187-lha084_stratos1973_1975b_1024.jpg>)
*Lancia*

![message-editor%2F1611667975077-lha083\_stratosrallyversion1972\_1975\_1024.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611667975077-lha083_stratosrallyversion1972_1975_1024.jpg>)
*Lancia*

![message-editor%2F1611668048011-2-3-394.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611668048011-2-3-394.jpg>)
*Lancia*

![message-editor%2F1611668075129-2-3-396.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611668075129-2-3-396.jpg>)
*Lancia*

![message-editor%2F1611668095498-2-3-397.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611668095498-2-3-397.jpg>)
*Lancia*

![message-editor%2F1611668109785-2-3-395.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611668109785-2-3-395.jpg>)
*Lancia*

Ferrari blessed Fiat with its 2.6-liter [Dino V6](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/21915/ferrari-celebrates-the-dinos-50th-anniversary>) only to achieve sufficient volumes for homologation through the resulting Fiat Dino road cars. However, Lancia could only receive a batch of 500 Ferrari engines once the V6-powered Ferrari Dino's production run was set to end in 1974. Between 1973 and 1978, Lancia ended up building 492 of its road-going supercars, featuring dogleg five-speed gearboxes, a usable trunk, and the lightest window mechanism this side of a traditional slider.

With its massive fiberglass airbox protecting the Weber carburetors, the Ferrari engine's 190 horses propelled the 2,160-pound road cars to a red line near 7,200 rpm. The sub-2,000-pound Group 4 version was tuned much higher, hoping that its standard Carello light set would bring clarity to the fast-approaching curves ahead.

![message-editor%2F1611668843967-1975lanciastratoshf-jaylenosgarage5-25screenshot.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611668843967-1975lanciastratoshf-jaylenosgarage5-25screenshot.png>)
*Youtube | Jay Leno's Garage*

![message-editor%2F1611668863961-1975lanciastratoshf-jaylenosgarage1-15screenshot.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611668863961-1975lanciastratoshf-jaylenosgarage1-15screenshot.png>)
*Youtube | Jay Leno's Garage*

![message-editor%2F1611668894254-1975lanciastratoshf-jaylenosgarage1-6screenshot.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611668894254-1975lanciastratoshf-jaylenosgarage1-6screenshot.png>)
*Youtube | Jay Leno's Garage*

![message-editor%2F1611668918016-1975lanciastratoshf-jaylenosgarage1-10screenshot.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1611668918016-1975lanciastratoshf-jaylenosgarage1-10screenshot.png>)
*Youtube | Jay Leno's Garage*

Quicker and better handling than a Miura, considerably smaller than a Countach, and more fun to drive than a Ferrari F40 according to Jay Leno himself, the Lancia Stratos is a testament to Italian engineering, pioneering design, and the superiority of a balanced short-wheelbase mid-engine chassis.

The perfect performance car for two in the '70s, and perhaps for all eternity. Good luck finding the one, Mr. Leno!

https://youtube.com/embed/47sjRyCj6pA

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## Author
As a fan of old cars, new cars, trains, planes, buses, and you-name-it, Máté can sometimes be seen driving an Autobianchi around Budapest, much to the amusement of the children, mostly. When not time-traveling, he continues to report from the future to his American colleagues, often talking about Lotus, Ozzy Osbourne, or both.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/mpetrany>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/petrany>)