From Thursday 14 March everyone at the cinema to see “Race for Glory – Audi vs Lancia”, the film that tells the story of the Lancia Team led by Cesare Fiorio and the German driver Walter Röhrl on board the iconic Lancia Rally 037 that won the Championship of the 1983 World Championship, the last victory in the competition for a rear-wheel drive car, against rivals already equipped with all-wheel drive. The protagonists of the film are Riccardo Scamarcio, Volker Bruch and Daniel Brühl, for a cast that also includes Katie Clarkson-Hill, Esther Garrel, Giorgio Montanini, Gianmaria Martini, Haley Bennett.
Directed by Stefano Mordini, “Race for Glory – Audi vs Lancia” began filming last year in Italy, involving iconic locations in Turin, the city where the Lancia brand was born in 1906, collaborating with Film Commission Torino Piemonte. Among these places are the Lancia skyscraper, the Mirafiori offices and other Stellantis locations including the Balocco Proving Ground. Some historic cars from the Stellantis Heritage Hub fleet were also used, including obviously the Lancia Rally 037, one of the 9 cars that inspired the design of the brand's future cars.
“It is with great pride that thanks to the film “Race for Glory – Audi vs Lancia” we celebrate the success of the Lancia Rally 037 at the 1983 World Rally Championship which gave rise to one of the greatest challenges in sport, winning over fans all over the world and becoming a milestone in Lancia's sporting history”, says Luca Napolitano, CEO of the Lancia brand. “The feat, in fact, marked the beginning of a golden period for Lancia, still today the brand with the greatest number of victories in the world of rallying.”
“I am happy to be able to celebrate the history of the Lancia Corse team, a strong team made up of drivers, engineers and designers who with so much passion have accomplished epic feats together with me, achieving unforgettable successes over the years,” replies Cesare Fiorio. “Fifteen World Rally Championships, three World Endurance Manufacturers' Championships, one 1000 mile race, two Targa Florios and one Carrera Panamericano. And today it is even more important to celebrate this story in the year in which the Lancia brand restarts, thanks to Stellantis”.
Lancia Rally 037, a pure sports car with an aggressive and minimalist style
Better known by the project acronym “037”, the model was born on the basis of the Beta Montecarlo and fully represents the soul of the brand, made up of radical geometric shapes, combined with an elegant and exclusive design, which give life to a car that is always ready to overcome every obstacle. The official debut took place at the 1982 Turin Motor Show with the road version, with 200 examples produced in preparation for entry into the world of Rally. Characterized by “functional” and angular shapes, both at the front and at the rear, the Lancia Rally 037 has a mixed structure, monocoque and tubular, which is “dressed” with an aggressive and elegant bodywork at the same time, signed by the Pininfarina atelier. To achieve maximum efficiency, it is made of polyester with fiberglass reinforcements, while the two bonnets, engine and trunk, can be completely dismantled, as can some aerodynamic “appendages” on the pillar and on the tail, including a striking rear spoiler, the make it even more performing. The sporting nature of the exterior is also reflected in the interior, minimalist and rational, which represents the quintessence of competition.
The feat of the 1983 World Rally Championship
The Lancia Rally 037 is a pure sports car that embodies the famous victory of David against Goliath: it is no coincidence that, forty years later, it is still the last two-wheel drive car that was able to win the World Rally Championship . A real feat, which consecrated the model in the Olympus of immortal cars, achieved by beating more powerful opponents and, above all, equipped with all-wheel drive. On 7 October 1983, an indelible date in the hearts of all racing fans, the Lancia Rally 037 triumphed at the Sanremo Rally, winning, with two races to spare, the fifth World Manufacturers' Championship in its history. An amazing result for a stage entirely “signed” by the Italian brand, which had four cars in the top five final positions. In a very short time, the Lancia Rally 037 also took second place in the Drivers' World Championship with Walter Röhrl and the European and Italian Championship with Miki Biasion.
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