The legendary Lancia 037: the ultimate Group B rally car

Group B success

The Group B rally class, held from 1982 to 1986, was notorious for its high speeds and dangerous roads. To race in this class, car manufacturers had to build a limited number of production cars to homologate. The Lancia 037 was Lancia’s answer to this challenge. The car was based on the Lancia Beta Montecarlo, a small mid-engine sports car produced from 1975 to 1981.

What made the Lancia 037 so successful?

The Lancia 037 featured a host of innovative technologies, including a double camshaft, four valves per cylinder and a mechanical injection system. The car also had rear-wheel drive and a five-speed transmission. One of the most impressive features of the Lancia 037 was its advanced suspension system, which consisted of special suspension and a central spring that improved the car’s stability at high speeds. This is what made the car so successful during the period when Group B was the king class of rallying.

Specifications of the Lancia 037

The most striking thing about the Lancia 037 is that, relative to competing brands (such as Audi), it did not have all-wheel drive. In fact, the car featured rear-wheel drive and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produced up to 205 horsepower. Other specifications of the Lancia 037 included a weight of 980 kg, a top speed of about 220 km/h and acceleration from 0-100 km/h in about 6.5 seconds. So the 037 was a tremendously light kart for the rally trails (or the asphalt, of course).