1:24 Lancia Stratos HF

Lancia Stratos HF, an accessory for a model in 1:24 scale

The 1:24 Lancia Stratos HF accessory belongs among the detail parts for car models and is intended for the Lancia Stratos HF in 1:24 scale. It is not a kit of the car but an accessory that is fitted to a model already built. The title gives only the scale and the designation of the car; the full contents of the package are given on the packaging of the set.

The real subject

The Stratos was the first car designed from the outset as a competition machine rather than as a modified production sedan. The wedge body was drawn at the Italian Bertone studio, a six-cylinder engine taken from Ferrari's sports program sits amidships, and the wheelbase is so short that the machine answered the wheel at once and without warning. Lancia took the world manufacturers' title with it in three consecutive seasons, in 1974, 1975 and 1976, and added a win in the Monte Carlo Rally. The curved panoramic windshield, the massive rear fenders and the unusually tall rear end make the car one of the most easily recognized competition machines there has ever been.

Building tips

• Check the fit dry before you reach for anything permanent.
• A short body will take only a little filler, so sand the seams down to fine abrasive instead.
• Deep competition colors show best over a smooth base, so do not skimp on time for the primer.
• Fit the accessory only once the paint has cured, or you risk a fingerprint in the soft surface.
• Keep the weathering within limits; the works cars were washed and polished between tests.

Who the set is useful for

It will be appreciated by builders of Italian competition cars in 1:24 scale and by collectors of the golden era of the world championship in the 1970s. It suits anywhere a finished model is meant to be a notch more accurate than an ordinary kit makes it.