The twenty-fifth edition of the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, the historical re-enactment of the oldest road rally in the world, was won by a 1970 Lancia Fulvia Coupè Rallye 1.3 S that belonged to the Kessel team and was driven by Claudio Enz and Cristina Seeberger of Switzerland. The event was held in Monte Carlo.
Lancia is still today the most successful brand in the history of rallies, with as many as 15 world titles, between Drivers and Manufacturers with legendary models, such as Lancia Fulvia, Lancia Stratos, Lancia Rally 037, and Lancia Delta, which dominated international rallies in the 1970s and 1980s. Lancia is the most successful brand in the history of rallies, with as many as 15 world titles.
The history of the Lancia Fulvia Coupé is fascinating. It is one of the most iconic cars produced by the brand, and its design continues to serve as an inspiration for the creation of new models. This is due, in large part, to its eclecticism, which allows it to be both an aggressive and successful model in its racing configuration, as well as an elegant road coupé with comfortable interiors.
The story of the Lancia Fulvia began in 1965 when the vehicle made its debut as an elegant compact car at the Geneva Motor Show. Compared to the sedan introduced in 1963, the Fulvia has a more agile and sporty line, a 2 plus 2 seat configuration, a bright passenger compartment, large sloping glazing, and windshield and rear window. Additionally, the rear window is larger than the windshield.
The Lancia Fulvia Coupé's slim front and cleanly cut rear end are reminiscent of the sleek lines of Riva motorboats, which were the source of the car's design inspiration. At the time of its introduction, it won over both the public and the critics' thanks to its traditional passenger compartment, distinguished by its vast glass area and thin pillars, which contributed to the vehicle's excellent visibility from the outside. The cabin features a wooden dashboard and steering wheel, and it also has full instrumentation, the highlights of which are the round odometer and the rev counter. The cabin manages to be both athletic and incredibly elegant at the same time.
Lancia Fulvia made its debut in the racing world at the Tour de Corse in 1965, the same year it was founded. It was the beginning of a long sports journey, culminating in 1966 with the debut of the Lancia Fulvia in its High Fidelity (HF) variant, which was the designation given to the Lancia Corse Squadra. In 1967, the new version 1.3 was introduced, and the following year, in 1968, 1.6 was released, finally establishing Lancia Fulvia as a prominent participant in the world sports scene. In 1972, the Lancia Fulvia HF 1600, with race number 14, won the Monte Carlo Rally with the Munari-Mannucci crew, besting the stiff competition. This achievement propelled Lancia into the annals of motorsports lore.
During the 25th running of the Rallye Historique de Monte-Carlo, which took place from the 27th of January to the 1st of February, 19 Lancia cars that belonged to private customers competed. As is customary, the edition is restricted to classic automobiles that debuted in 1983 or earlier and competed in at least one Monte Carlo Rally Automobile event. Over 200 vehicles took part in the rally, which began in several cities, including Oslo, London, Bad Homburg, and Reims, as well as Turin, which hosted an exhibition of an iconic Lancia Rally 037 from the historic Stellantis collection specifically for the event.
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