Page 141 - Cool Britannia

141My friends and I would watch the World Rally on TV and as often as we could from behind hay bails in the forests or crewing for my friend who ran a MK 1 BDA Escort. Nothing ever came close to the Stratos concept, until maybe the Metro 6R4 and obviously the Audi Quattro. Time change, technology is ever developing and a modern rally car is a complex machine. 40 years ago when the Stratos dominated, life was very different, you actually met your friends and idles and we often talked face to face. So it was quite poignant, when my friend, whom I had never actually met, Mark Ketchum from California, happened to mention he had bought a Stratos… this sparked enthusiastic conversation, I think I was the only one who shared his passion for the car.Then it got much better; Mark had been invited to take part in the 40th Anniversary Stratos in Biella Italy, sponsored by Zenith Watches (one of the original liveries seen on the Rally cars). I immediately went on line to book Chris and I a hotel as Mark had invited us to join him. Many emails and phone calls followed, as Marks Stratos was in Germany in the hands of Udo Sparwald known as the Stratos Guru, having a wheels up nut and bolt rebuild. Mark in not as he would say, “Price sensitive” when it comes to having things done right.The Ferrari Dino, which the Stratos borrowed its drive train from, was phased out of production in 1974, so it is thought that the 500 engine units for the Stratos were the last of the crop. The road going car, Stratos HF Stradale, was capable of 144mph and 0-60 in 6.8 seconds (not exactly impressive by todays standards), however the Group 4 version, weighing in between 900 and 950 kg had 275hp using the original 12 valve heads and with the modifed 24 valve heads it achieved 320hp.In the hands of Munari the Stratos’ works team dominated, winning the World Championship in 1975, 1975 and 1976 and if it were not for world rally politics resulting in rule changes it could have won more. Sandro Munari took his Stratos to victory in the 1977 Monte Carlo Rally and success came to private teams running the car as well. The private Chardonnet Team won the Monte Carlo as late as 1979, it s thought that the latest victory for a privately run Stratos was in 1981.I can remember watching these cars on the TV as a teenager, I loved them then, the styling looked purposeful. The bowing on the doors allows the door bin to carry a helmet; rally cars were always road legal as most rallies had road stages.