Great comment, as pure a driving expierence as you get but you dab that throttle at the wrong time and she'll make you shit your pants. Pay her respect or else and Jonny was sure on edge haha.
I wanted to cry watching this. You see, I bought my own Lancia Stratos in 1979, and owned it for nearly 15 years, selling it because I'd moved to Sydney and could only drive it on return trips to the UK. Even so, I drove the wheels off it and drove it all over Europe, to Le Mans, over the Dolomites, to work in Chelsea and to the supermarket! I concur with Kevin's comment that you can take a Stratos anywhere and it's always huge fun. On long trips I'd always say 'it's not that noisy, is it?' My passenger would always reply, 'what was that?' If only I never sold it...
I had a chat with a bunch of Hawk Stratos replica owners many years ago. They said there are two types of Stratos's's's's's's. The ones that have been off the road backwards through a hedge and those that will be going off the road backwards through a hedge. I want one.
Lancia really hit out of the park with their rally car designs from that era. The 037 is another amazing design. I was lucky enough to see one giving it the beans up a country road on Corsica a few years back. Gorgeous design as well.
When I was a young lad I was fortunate enough to see the real deal in its natural habitat which I will never forget and to this day it still remains one of my all time favourites.
Yeah, the Stratos is the definition of "Too pretty to be going sideways on gravel roads" and yet it was purpose built just for that, old Lancia execs (If they existed, or whoever was in charge) were nuts.
@@iglooproductions No, even though they share a lot of similarities in their forms ( they were both designed by the greatest Marcello Gandini, who also designed the Miura and the Fiat X/19) they are different cars. The Stratos was born because Cesare Fiorio and Lancia wanted to replace the Fulvia HF, and when they saw the Stratos Zero Prototype designed by Gandini for Bertone at the 1970 Turin Motor Show, they asked him a more compact version for the new rally car they wanted to build, and after lots of struggles and issues ( they begged Ferrari for the Dino engine just for example, because they were in a hurry and couldn't create an engine from scratch) they did it. Some years later Lamborghini asked Gandini to design a new car for them (after the Miura) and he decided to reuse his Stratos Zero design, but without the compromises he was forced to accept from Lancia, and the Countach (From the word Contacc! , an exclamation in piedmontese language, that you can translate as wth... more or less) was born. You can see an interview to Gandini made by an italian journalist, Davide Cironi, on his youtube channel where the designer explain how he designed all those beautiful cars.
Fantastic car, one of my favourites and still is big time. I built a Hawk version whey I was in my 20's. Five years to finish and £24,000. I added everything which included professional paint and interior trim. Sold it 24 years ago for £17,000. One at the moment for sale on eBay, wants £79,000. I think they are a bit optimistic. One geek point, sorry can't help myself, the centre tub was steel. Front and back clam shell were fibre glass. Great car. Wish I still had it.
No one saw the bonkers increase of classics and classic kit cars. I sold my skyline r32 gtr for £13,950 & I spent 16k on the engine, gear box and bear mental re-paint 😢🤦♂️😱 one as good as mine is a min of 45k now
@@edwilko8819 hindsight would be an amazing thing. Unfortunately I needed the money to move on to the next project. I bet you loved the GTR. Worth it just for the experience 🙂
This channel is like going to my favourite old Uncle's house. Everything is old but still usable, you're reminded at every turn of your youth. It's a warm, comfortable feeling.
I fell in love with the Stratos when , as a school kid, I saw it rallying on TV. I've only ever seen one one the road, but Jesus, it really did make my day!
I saw a wonderful wonderful car and when you said and showed the Busso V6 i nearly wet myself. This car has loads of everything needed in a performance car and nothing you don't need. I really do think I'd sacrifice five years off my life if I could have that car.
Fantastic stuff Jonny. We used to watch the works (and Chequered Flag) Stratos's in period on the International rally scene in the 70's. It was (and still is) the most exciting thing to ever hit Rallying. The sound of a Stratos at full chat in the Welsh forest at night is other wordly....you could hear it coming for miles until it burst into view. I lusted after a Gp 4 Stratos (still do), and of course, the Alitalia colours are the ultimate iteration....have to say that the Darniche colours on this example are a close second. I very nearly bought a genuine Gp 4 back around 2003 from a classic dealer in a Kensington Mews. It was a rare 24v too. I had just sold my old AC at the time, and I got beaten to the post by another buyer. The engine blew up within a year so maybe he did me a favour, but looking at todays values for a genuine 24v Gp 4 Stratos today ( I think it was up for sale around £90k at the time), maybe I should have moved quicker!!
I "dated" an Italian Au Pair here in the UK some years ago, whilst walking to the sea front one day we walked by a Laanseeaah, she screamed at me and in a fit of anger soon corrected me and since that day i have always called them [correctly] as LANCHA!
WOW!!! What an excellent and honest interview and car review. I have wanted a LB Stratos for the last 15 years, in the gorgeous blue colour owned by Kevin Johnson. Kevin is a lucky, and happy and proud owner, and I hope to join the LB Stratos owners club as soon as I can. Love that engine and sound too. I hear the Toyota V6 also makes a good pairing with this car. Thanks again for making these videos.
Kevin definitely has my sense of humour .....Jonny "l'm going to lift the flap " .......Kevin trying his hardest not to burst into tears of laughter ..."You're going to lift the flap ?" You wouldn't get this on "Top Gear " 😂😂😂😂 Thanks Jonny and a huge thanks to Kevin for allowing us into his inner sanctum .
Lombard RAC Rally 1976. I was a marshal at parc fermé in Bath making sure that the cars were safely stored over night. The Stratos wasn’t locked so I had a cheeky photo of myself stood in the open drivers doorway looking like I was about to get in. That was as far as I went as they didn’t leave the keys in the ignition. Amazing to think that Lancia were rallying, for all intents and purposes, a concept car. Nothing else like it at the time.
That just has to be amazing. A car that light with rose/heim joints and because it's a modern Alfa engine you can get an a/c system to work on it which is a nice added extra.
I love he describes it as a Tonka toy. I grew up/live in Minnesota in the US. Our grade schools would go to the factory for field day trips. At the end we were given little models as souvenirs. Tonka is shortened for Lake Minnetonka.
Another great episode but… …when there are Miura and Stratos standing next to each other the legendary designer of both of those and other automotive icons maybe deserves to be mentioned. Long live maestro Marcello Gandini and all of his legendary designs!
A chap local to me owns one of these, with the Busso. It truly is a sight to behold out on the road and it sounds incredible when driving past my house on a fast b-road.
In my mechanic days I worked for a guy who was a known Lancia , Alfa , Ferrari and fiat specialist which we also did a lot of work on classic cars , anyway one day we had a genuine Lancia Stratos come in for maintenance it was left hand drive and orange in colour, my boss gave it to me to do the maintenance work a 21 year old lad at the time And boy did I take my time on the compulsory test drive !! I remember it being very Spartan and all business interior . I remember being pretty nervous though terrified of stacking it but an amazing car and that engine 😍
Mr Smith! This channel keeps getting better. Car caves, barn finds, EVs, projects, great car people etc etc. Can't wait to get back to working and to be able to buy merch and becoming a patreon. Seán from Ireland
I sub for the content but first of all because I really appreciate people like Mr Kevin a very cool person (that was my impression) and Good bless him so he can get those really special cars and drive them so for the rest of us can also appreciate them👍🏼
I was once in tha Abbots well hotel car park in Chester when Sandra munari came in for service on the RAC rally he revved the car while right next to me and my intestines shook !!!! The engine cover had come off in the Welsh forest somewhere
You’re right, these are cars you don’t ever see on the roads. Except I have, about three weeks ago on the A59 near Skipton when I saw two in a mini convoy. No idea if they were reps but they were still ultra cool to see.
Great video. Love his passion for the car and your description when driving it. Great to see love for a replica, most channels would be snobby about it.
Just a phenomenal car and Jonny seems such a nice bloke. Saw his reply on renmure's LB stratos topic @PH a while ago. I knew he fancied a Alitalia livery, again what a car!
Really like this guy is not just a rich boy with toys he's a petrol Head Like many of us, he appreciates function not flaunting his wealth, a petrol heads car right there would love to drive that Jonny's the perfect person to tell us what it's all about👍
Jonny another great vid you seemingly were made for CZcams easily the right decision you made congratulations. That Stratos is too die for and I’m sure probably better put together than a real one which was touched on,totally understand why it’s his favourite.
Kevin’s a cool humble guy. Let’s hear Kevin’s story of how he became to be able to afford these cars and his previous car history from humble beginnings.
First rule of car shows/ talking to car guys - we dont ask how much, or how they came to have how much. Its about the cars. Plus I'm sure its easy enough to find out.
@@K666_ANB Yeah, I was always taught not to ask how much money people have or how much they spent on X. Its rude. If they want to share they will do so of their own accord.
Took me 2 minutes or so on google. Very smart bloke made some good choices using his expertise in a field from what I can gather. Good on him. I’d shake his hand 👍🏼
I've never seen you concentrate so much while driving!
Great comment, as pure a driving expierence as you get but you dab that throttle at the wrong time and she'll make you shit your pants. Pay her respect or else and Jonny was sure on edge haha.
All you need to know about Lancia Stratos: czcams.com/video/uxYdqT4unkU/video.html
I wanted to cry watching this. You see, I bought my own Lancia Stratos in 1979, and owned it for nearly 15 years, selling it because I'd moved to Sydney and could only drive it on return trips to the UK. Even so, I drove the wheels off it and drove it all over Europe, to Le Mans, over the Dolomites, to work in Chelsea and to the supermarket! I concur with Kevin's comment that you can take a Stratos anywhere and it's always huge fun. On long trips I'd always say 'it's not that noisy, is it?' My passenger would always reply, 'what was that?' If only I never sold it...
I hear what you are saying Brother. I hope in the future you find something to take its place. Regret is a hard thing to deal with. Good luck
completely understand .. As a kid watching these rally on TV they look so special. Like a space ship. I'm in love all over again
I had a chat with a bunch of Hawk Stratos replica owners many years ago. They said there are two types of Stratos's's's's's's. The ones that have been off the road backwards through a hedge and those that will be going off the road backwards through a hedge.
I want one.
Lancia really hit out of the park with their rally car designs from that era. The 037 is another amazing design. I was lucky enough to see one giving it the beans up a country road on Corsica a few years back. Gorgeous design as well.
When I was a young lad I was fortunate enough to see the real deal in its natural habitat which I will never forget and to this day it still remains one of my all time favourites.
Yeah, the Stratos is the definition of "Too pretty to be going sideways on gravel roads" and yet it was purpose built just for that, old Lancia execs (If they existed, or whoever was in charge) were nuts.
I think they had the Lamborghini Countach in mind when they were designing it, but it’s just my opinion.
@@iglooproductions No, even though they share a lot of similarities in their forms ( they were both designed by the greatest Marcello Gandini, who also designed the Miura and the Fiat X/19) they are different cars.
The Stratos was born because Cesare Fiorio and Lancia wanted to replace the Fulvia HF, and when they saw the Stratos Zero Prototype designed by Gandini for Bertone at the 1970 Turin Motor Show, they asked him a more compact version for the new rally car they wanted to build, and after lots of struggles and issues ( they begged Ferrari for the Dino engine just for example, because they were in a hurry and couldn't create an engine from scratch) they did it.
Some years later Lamborghini asked Gandini to design a new car for them (after the Miura) and he decided to reuse his Stratos Zero design, but without the compromises he was forced to accept from Lancia, and the Countach (From the word Contacc! , an exclamation in piedmontese language, that you can translate as wth... more or less) was born.
You can see an interview to Gandini made by an italian journalist, Davide Cironi, on his youtube channel where the designer explain how he designed all those beautiful cars.
For sure , they were Car Nuts . Logic holds no sway on passion .
@@iglooproductions Gandini was designing the Dino GT4 when he was tasked to design the production/rally Stratos. The affinity is quite evident.
Jonny and Kevin, thank you both for highlighting just how amazing Lancia's rally history truly is. Wonderful video.
The Stratos is my all time favourite car. From the first l saw a photo in the 70's 'til now
Thank you
This is my next Top Gear channel. Jonny you have come far and it’s brilliant. Thank you 😊
Always loved the Stratos, amazing design , brilliant
Fantastic car, one of my favourites and still is big time. I built a Hawk version whey I was in my 20's. Five years to finish and £24,000. I added everything which included professional paint and interior trim. Sold it 24 years ago for £17,000. One at the moment for sale on eBay, wants £79,000. I think they are a bit optimistic. One geek point, sorry can't help myself, the centre tub was steel. Front and back clam shell were fibre glass. Great car. Wish I still had it.
No one saw the bonkers increase of classics and classic kit cars. I sold my skyline r32 gtr for £13,950 & I spent 16k on the engine, gear box and bear mental re-paint 😢🤦♂️😱 one as good as mine is a min of 45k now
@@edwilko8819 hindsight would be an amazing thing. Unfortunately I needed the money to move on to the next project. I bet you loved the GTR. Worth it just for the experience 🙂
It looks like science fiction even today. If Batman did rallying he'd use a black painted Stratos.
Ha ha yeah!
Double clutch with a blip on the downshifts.... Just like how my dad taught me to drive years ago. Loving these videos Johnny 👌
What a stunner! And I love that it’s got an Alfa drive train. Perfect!
Finally a Stratos Review that is more than 2 minutes long!
Kevin is rather cool, thanks to Kevin showing his stuff much appreciated.
Brilliant and as I have said before what a nice guy the owner is thanks for sharing
This car is just so beautiful and the sound, my god.
italian greatness
This channel is like going to my favourite old Uncle's house. Everything is old but still usable, you're reminded at every turn of your youth. It's a warm, comfortable feeling.
Always has been and always will be my favourite car of all time.
Didn’t even buy her a drink , just went in and lifted her flap 🤣
What a beautiful car you can always tell if a car has a great design it gets replicated
I bloody adore the noise of a busso. It's even better when it's clothed in Bertone brilliance.
Love the show. Next time I am in England, I want to meet this guy and shake his hand. What an amazing collection!
My dream car 😍😍😍.. .thank you for the vt
One day I shall be driving one of these. But in the meantime I'll just keep watching your great show.
I fell in love with the Stratos when , as a school kid, I saw it rallying on TV. I've only ever seen one one the road, but Jesus, it really did make my day!
That induction sound is epic.
Loved those cars since I was a kid and I've never seen one.
That look so much fun to drive.
I've wanted a replica of a Stratos for many years and now, after watching this................. I have to start saving more!!!!!! I need one!!
Always loved the Stratos👌🏻
Enjoyed this vlog too. Great variety of cars in the caves. Great production.
I saw a wonderful wonderful car and when you said and showed the Busso V6 i nearly wet myself. This car has loads of everything needed in a performance car and nothing you don't need. I really do think I'd sacrifice five years off my life if I could have that car.
Glad for companies such as LB recreating cars like this, it must be immense to see this stratos on the road. Wowser
Fantastic stuff Jonny.
We used to watch the works (and Chequered Flag) Stratos's in period on the International rally scene in the 70's. It was (and still is) the most exciting thing to ever hit Rallying.
The sound of a Stratos at full chat in the Welsh forest at night is other wordly....you could hear it coming for miles until it burst into view.
I lusted after a Gp 4 Stratos (still do), and of course, the Alitalia colours are the ultimate iteration....have to say that the Darniche colours on this example are a close second.
I very nearly bought a genuine Gp 4 back around 2003 from a classic dealer in a Kensington Mews. It was a rare 24v too. I had just sold my old AC at the time, and I got beaten to the post by another buyer. The engine blew up within a year so maybe he did me a favour, but looking at todays values for a genuine 24v Gp 4 Stratos today ( I think it was up for sale around £90k at the time), maybe I should have moved quicker!!
Hey Jonny. Great vid. BTW - its LanCHA. The Brits have always mangled the name of this exceptional marque.
I "dated" an Italian Au Pair here in the UK some years ago, whilst walking to the sea front one day we walked by a Laanseeaah, she screamed at me and in a fit of anger soon corrected me and since that day i have always called them [correctly] as LANCHA!
WOW!!! What an excellent and honest interview and car review. I have wanted a LB Stratos for the last 15 years, in the gorgeous blue colour owned by Kevin Johnson. Kevin is a lucky, and happy and proud owner, and I hope to join the LB Stratos owners club as soon as I can. Love that engine and sound too. I hear the Toyota V6 also makes a good pairing with this car. Thanks again for making these videos.
best looking car ever made!
Such a great looking machine , great colour combo ... absolutely love it
You have the best job!!
I absolutely love the stratos, and this kit/replica is as close as you get, but better.
The engine choice for it is a match made in heaven.
I grew up with and partly in a 246 Dino and I must admit, id does sound very similar! Love it !
Stratos and Busso, match made in heaven. Rebuilt a Busso a few years ago, absolutely fantastic engine. 🎶
One of the most fantastic cars ever put on the road. Never made it to the USA. Would love a luster.
Absolutely love this car, this and a classic GT40.
Masterpiece and a symphony all in one...
I'll get first comment one day
Brilliant as always, Johnny. One of my favorite matchbox cars as a child. Just love the looks of it.
cheers Johnny - you just bring out the best in p-heads.
keep your supercars, i'll take this, in this colour, with those wheels any day.
And suddenly you are Sandro Munari. Epic and iconic car. Great review
Kevin definitely has my sense of humour .....Jonny "l'm going to lift the flap " .......Kevin trying his hardest not to burst into tears of laughter ..."You're going to lift the flap ?" You wouldn't get this on "Top Gear " 😂😂😂😂 Thanks Jonny and a huge thanks to Kevin for allowing us into his inner sanctum .
Lombard RAC Rally 1976. I was a marshal at parc fermé in Bath making sure that the cars were safely stored over night. The Stratos wasn’t locked so I had a cheeky photo of myself stood in the open drivers doorway looking like I was about to get in. That was as far as I went as they didn’t leave the keys in the ignition.
Amazing to think that Lancia were rallying, for all intents and purposes, a concept car. Nothing else like it at the time.
Another Brilliant Video All The Best To Everyone In The Team.
Has to be one of the best YT channels out there Johnny, proud of you mate!
That in a Martini livery 🥵
Don't know if the Stratos was ever rallied in Martini colours? I know that the Lancia 037 certainly was.
That just has to be amazing. A car that light with rose/heim joints and because it's a modern Alfa engine you can get an a/c system to work on it which is a nice added extra.
I'd buy one, if I could afford it! Full-on fun!
EV's for daily and this work of art for weekend and evening fun 👏👍😎
Hmmm, I need one of those. Great episode 👍😃
I would love one of those. Probably will never happen but one can dream.
Lancia Stratos is my absolute favorite car of all time! The Porsche 917 of Rally Racing!
I love he describes it as a Tonka toy. I grew up/live in Minnesota in the US. Our grade schools would go to the factory for field day trips. At the end we were given little models as souvenirs. Tonka is shortened for Lake Minnetonka.
Another great episode but…
…when there are Miura and Stratos standing next to each other the legendary designer of both of those and other automotive icons maybe deserves to be mentioned. Long live maestro Marcello Gandini and all of his legendary designs!
So much fun, and so happy you are doing this line of car reviews
Was always my dream car, I wish I wish I had one, brilliant I love it.
What a noise 🥰 Lovely piece of kit and another great video.. Thanks Jonny...!!!
Ahh the good old layed in a bathtub position, my favourite,, good lad jonny. Had to be done my mate👍
What a great car. The Alfa 3ltr V6 is a honey engine. I have great memories of an Alfa 75 3lr V6 I once owned. Big 👍🏻s for your YT video.
A chap local to me owns one of these, with the Busso. It truly is a sight to behold out on the road and it sounds incredible when driving past my house on a fast b-road.
This is an espresso type of car. I'm going to remember that sentence. Such a great way to describe this car.
In my mechanic days I worked for a guy who was a known Lancia , Alfa , Ferrari and fiat specialist which we also did a lot of work on classic cars , anyway one day we had a genuine Lancia Stratos come in for maintenance it was left hand drive and orange in colour, my boss gave it to me to do the maintenance work a 21 year old lad at the time
And boy did I take my time on the compulsory test drive !! I remember it being very Spartan and all business interior . I remember being pretty nervous though terrified of stacking it but an amazing car and that engine 😍
One of the most beautiful cars ever created.
What can we say in one word, awesome 👍👍👍
What a car.
My favourite car of all time, I had an Alitalia model as a kid, it looks fast without even moving, real or replica, I would sell my soul for one!😲😍
Mr Smith! This channel keeps getting better. Car caves, barn finds, EVs, projects, great car people etc etc. Can't wait to get back to working and to be able to buy merch and becoming a patreon. Seán from Ireland
Thank you so much Sean, really glad you are enjoying the channel.
Best episode ever! Well, so far...
Thank you. There's another rally legend episode coming soon...
Stratos is the ultimate.
My favorite of all cars.
the most beautiful car of all time !!!
A childhood dream, doubt I'll see one in the flesh in Australia but good to know kits are available - thx Johnny and Kevin!
There are two or three already in Australia. Engineering and ADR interpretation are the problems (at least in NSW).
Awesome sports rally car. A personal favorite as a young man as I owned a lancia scorpion turbo. Always wanted a stratos
This car was definitely out of this STRATOSphere!!!
I sub for the content but first of all because I really appreciate people like Mr Kevin a very cool person (that was my impression) and Good bless him so he can get those really special cars and drive them so for the rest of us can also appreciate them👍🏼
Lancia were bonkers, Stratos is gorgeous
Beautiful, beautiful car.
I was once in tha Abbots well hotel car park in Chester when Sandra munari came in for service on the RAC rally he revved the car while right next to me and my intestines shook !!!! The engine cover had come off in the Welsh forest somewhere
You’re right, these are cars you don’t ever see on the roads. Except I have, about three weeks ago on the A59 near Skipton when I saw two in a mini convoy. No idea if they were reps but they were still ultra cool to see.
Guilty as charged!
Stunning car!!
Great video. Love his passion for the car and your description when driving it. Great to see love for a replica, most channels would be snobby about it.
What a cool car this is
Just a phenomenal car and Jonny seems such a nice bloke. Saw his reply on renmure's LB stratos topic @PH a while ago. I knew he fancied a Alitalia livery, again what a car!
... and I should be getting that car in a week or so. :D
Really like this guy is not just a rich boy with toys he's a petrol Head Like many of us, he appreciates function not flaunting his wealth, a petrol heads car right there would love to drive that Jonny's the perfect person to tell us what it's all about👍
If I was wealthy enough to buy anything I wanted, this would be it
Jonny another great vid you seemingly were made for CZcams easily the right decision you made congratulations.
That Stratos is too die for and I’m sure probably better put together than a real one which was touched on,totally understand why it’s his favourite.
Kevin’s a cool humble guy. Let’s hear Kevin’s story of how he became to be able to afford these cars and his previous car history from humble beginnings.
First rule of car shows/ talking to car guys - we dont ask how much, or how they came to have how much. Its about the cars. Plus I'm sure its easy enough to find out.
@@iainbagnall4825 you on the same planet? Asking for a mate!
@@K666_ANB Yeah, I was always taught not to ask how much money people have or how much they spent on X. Its rude. If they want to share they will do so of their own accord.
Took me 2 minutes or so on google. Very smart bloke made some good choices using his expertise in a field from what I can gather. Good on him. I’d shake his hand 👍🏼
@@iainbagnall4825 some people just dont get it.
Another great product from Jonny 🙌 I have noticed Late Brake Show logo displayed during Bugatti Rimac event, good and well deserved publicity 👏
Thanks. Was a lovely surprise.
That car makes my heart race, I really really really want it
A real driver's car! The height of fun, nothing comes close!