1984 Lancia 037 Evolution 2 Group B Heads to Auction at Le Mans
Images via Artcurial
This mighty Group B Lancia 037 Evolution 2 will head to auction at Artcurial’s Le Mans Classic 2016 sale.
The car, 0410, is a genuine factory machine originally registered in Italy by the Fiat-Abarth competition department. It debuted in 1984 when it was driven for the Jolly Club team by Adartico Vudafieri and Gigi Pirollo in the ‘Totip’ livery.
Vudafieri and Pirollo would compete in the Italian Rally Championship as well as rounds of the European Rally Championship and World Rally Championship. They had a rough start to 1984, scoring DNFs in the Targa Florio Rally and Rally Costa Smeralda. Things would pick up in Rally Elba, in which they came fourth, and they went on to win the Rally della Lana and Rally Piancavalo to eventually secure the 1984 Italian Rally Championship.
0410’s validated rally history goes a little dark during 1985, but picks up again in 1986 when it was raced in Martini Racing colours. Vic Preston Jr. and John Lyall were in the car for the 1986 Marlboro Safari Rally, although they unfortunately dropped out after suffering suspension damage.
The car was then returned to tarmac configuration by the factory and sold to Tre Gazzelle. Tre Gazelle ran it in a special event for Lancia Rally 037s during the Bologne Motor Show. The team saw some success with Mauro Panontin taking it all the way through to the quarter finals.
Tre Gazzelle would give it a few last competition runs in the European Rally Championship during 1987 with Mario Panontin and Mario Ferfoglia on board.
Following its period career Tre Gazzelle fully restored it with the support of Abarth. Its body was repainted by the same company used by the factory, Nitro, in its 1986 Martini Racing livery.
Its current owner bought the car direct from one of Tre Gazzelle’s co-owners not long after, in late 1989, put it in a temperature controlled garage and that how it’s stayed for nearly three decades.
It’s fitted with the full suite of the Evolution 2 specification, including the unique Safari Rally configuration of the starter button. The button was originally set by the handbrake, but that saw it exposed to humidity damage, so for the Safari Rally it was moved up onto the dashboard.
Original registration plates and factory registration document are included, as are its 1987 technical passport and current registration documents demonstrating its excellent ownership history.
This exceptionally-original car is in great shape, and we hope its sale will see it out of the garage and back into the world! It will head to auction at Artcurial’s Le Mans Classic 2016 sale at Le Mans on the 9th of July. See the official Artcurial website for more information.
Images via Artcurial
