Lancia Stratos Zero: The Eternal Futurist

Some have dubbed it the “most extraordinary concept car ever”. The Lancia Stratos zero remains one of the greatest concept cars, with design ramifications that are so vast that it deserves a book for itself. Not only did it influence almost every Lamborghini since the Countach LP500, and give birth indirectly to the greatest rally weapon, the similarly named Lancia Stratos HF Rally, but its impact was far and wide at every level of design, automotive or otherwise. The use of LEDs, sequential indicators and flat digital screens – all commonplace today – were first suggested in this time machine. Even more astounding was the fact that the Stratos Zero was a drivable device unlike many other flights of fancy from then (or, for that matter, today).