Lancia Motor Club

Hi All

I wonder if anyone has knowledge of the Stratos for sale in Australia and can offer any independent comments on its state/history etc?

The thing that I was most curious about was that it was RHD and I had thought they were only offered as LHD when produced?

See

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C249560#

Thanks

Peter

I saw that too. The reference to original running gear made me think it was implied that the body etc were not original.

So far as RHD is concerned, is it the case that LHD cars can't be imported to Australia? Or am I confusing it with something.

If indeed it is original it is competitively priced.

My comments are independent, but I don't know anything about it!

Well I think that I can answer this for you. It is a Transformer HF2400, a replica built in the UK by one Peter Ashdown using a kit from Gerry Hawkridge and a Ferrari Dino engine he had laying around in his workshop. I understand that Peter sold it after a nasty accident, it was built with Aeroquip hosing throughout and this included the central spine of the car, against Gerrys instructions in the build manual. Needless to say the pipes chafed and one burst causing scalding to Peters' left leg before he could roll out of the car. Last I heard it had been exported to Australia which REALLY annoyed me.
The only time I ever saw the car was on Gerrys stand at the Stafford Kit Car Show, must be back in 1991, as I'd just acquired my Beta donor car for my own build, a very rusty and structurally unsound (but with an MOT certificate!) 1978 Coupe PFY3T, which was kind of spooky as my daily car at the time was a Beta HPE PFY2T! Anyway, Peters car was on the stand, front and rear panel open to show off the Dino engine to best effect plus the plumbing and wiring and suspension at the front, with both doors open so the interior could be seen. We chatted for a while before he decided to shut the doors and front and back panels for another view of the car for customers and there was the registration - PFY1T. Really really spooky! I asked him to let me buy the plate if he ever sold the car but I guess he just plain forgot.... PFY2T passed on after a long period of ownership and many miles courtesy of an errant trucker. It was by far the best Beta I ever owned. The plate stayed with me and has sat on two HPE VXs, A Clio (sorry!) and Alfa 145 Cloverleaf and now a Fiat Grande Punto 1.9 Sporting. PFY3T remains with me to this day on my Stratos replica, difficult to beleive I've had it 23 years now... If anyone in the UK were to buy this one and repatriate it it's possible it might get reissued with it's original plate and I'd be interested in acquiring that to complete the sequence.
Guy

Thanks Guy

Well I guess that clears up the mystery, personally I would have hoped the seller would be a bit more open about its origins and not effectively try to pass it off simply as a 'Stratos', which does imply an original, not a later replica. Even with the Dino engine, looks like an expensive way to buy one in my books.

Peter

FYI and so I do not appear biased about the issue I am posting this reply to my query about the car from the vendor

"thank you for your enquiry, this car is not one of the original 500 built. following the original 500 the moulds were sold to a company called Transformer who made 200 cars from those moulds, mine is one of those. my car was built up as an original and has a genuine dino engine and lancia gearbox."

Peter

I recollect from recent posts, that our erstwhile Press Officer, one Chris Owen, is about to 'do a runner' down under and what's more, is looking for a car for daily use. Is this 'nearly a Stratos' not the answer ??

Maybe we could have a vote as to whether or not Chris should buy the car !!

                           Andy

Actually Gerry made his own moulds from an original Stratos owned by Roger Perry who got a colour change thrown in from green to blue if I remember correctly.
If it were an original then the price is a little on the low side, for a replica, that's up to the buyer to decide but it would be one of the more expensive ones! Having said that they rarely come up for sale and, if it has an historic rally passport it may be worth that so someone who wants to compete in it?
Gerry tells me that he's produced around 600 replicas now and that they are dotted all around the world!
Guy