The 1970s are commonly known for the oil crisis and stringent emissions and fuel economy regulations. The decade also marked the end of the golden muscle car era in the US. In Europe, however, it spawned the “wedge design era” and some of the wildest concept cars ever built.
The wedge trend actually goes back to the 1967 Lamborghini Marzal, but the styling became increasingly more angular and aggressive toward the early 1970s. The 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo is a notable example, as is the not-so-famous but equally radical 1969 Autobianchi Runabout.
In 1970, more Italian carmakers joined the trend. Ferrari commissioned Pininfarina to create the 512S Modulo, and Porsche built the Tapiro with help from Giorgetto Giugiaro. Finally, Lancia introduced the Stratos Zero at the 1970 Turin Auto Show.
Penned by Nuccio Bertone and Marcello Gandini, the latter is one of the most aggressive wedge-shaped designs from the era. Built on the chassis of a Lancia Fulvia HF1600 rally car, the Stratos Zero was only 84 cm (33 inches) tall and featured an ultra-futuristic, trapezoidal body made of fiberglass. The car was simply too low to allow ingress and egress through traditional doors, so Bertone also designed it with a flip-open windshield and a retractable steering wheel.
Like many concepts from the era, the Stratos Zero inspired many production cars, including the Lamborghini Countach, DeTomaso Pantera, and the Fiat X1/9.
More importantly, it was followed by the Lancia Stratos HF in 1973. While not quite as radical as the concept vehicle, the production Stratos took the sports car market by storm with its aggressive wedge design and the Ferrari-sourced V6 engine. The Stratos also became a successful race car, dominating the World Rally Championship from 1974 to 1977 and winning races until as late as 1981.
Unlike some concept cars from the era that got wrecked or scrapped, the Stratos Zero soldiered on into the 21st century to parade its still-futuristic appearance. After many years on display at the Bertone museum near Turin, Italy, the concept was sold at auction in 2011 when it found a new home for €761,600 (about $832,300).
Come 2023, and the Stratos Zero is spending most of its life indoors, but it continues to be showcased at various car shows or exhibited in museums around the world. Its most recent public appearance took place at the 2023 EyesOn Design in Michigan, where visitors not only got a chance to see its outlandish styling but also got to hear its mid-mounted, 1.6-liter V4 engine. Taken from a rally-spec Lancia Fulvia, the mill isn’t spectacularly powerful at 113 horsepower, but it sounds pretty spectacular.