1972 Lancia Fulvia 1.3s on 2040-cars

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Lancia teases new concept inspired by the legendary Stratos HF

The once-storied Italian marque Lancia currently sells only one car, an underwhelming hatchback called the Ypsilon that was launched way back in 2011. However, there are signs of life at the Stellantis-owned brand. They've teased a new concept, and from what we can see it looks to be inspired by the legendary Lancia Stratos HF. So far all we have is a name, the Emozione Pu+Ra. However, the rendering that came with the announcement shows the back half of the concept with some unmistakable Stratos cues – dual round taillights, the flat and wide black spoiler, rear glass with striped shading that evokes the original's rear window louvers.  Some of those cues, like the suspended taillight rings, stem from the Pu+Ra concept unveiled at November's Lancia Design Day conference. There, the company laid out its broad plans to restore the moribund brand to its former glory with — you guessed it — a full EV lineup. It unveiled the Pu+Ra Zero concept that was more sculpture than car, lacking what some would argue to be critical components such as doors, windows, and wheels.  Lancia said the Pu+Ra name was an abbreviation of "pure" and "radical" (not plutonium and radium), and the Zero is a callback to the 1970 Stratos Zero concept. That particular Marcello Gandini wedge made a splash at the Turin Motor Show and remains to this day the most extreme of the many doorstop-shaped cars from the era.  So if the speed form is analogous to the Stratos Zero, then this next evolution in the teaser should be analogous to the Stratos HF production car. Built for Lancia's rally efforts, the singular design won three consecutive World Rally Championships from 1974-76. Obviously the mid-engined layout of the Stratos HF is irrelevant to an EV, but Gandini's brutal blade was as unprecedented as the Miura he had designed for Lamborghini. In other words, the Emozione Pu+Ra should be a distilled and purposeful looker. Lancia CEO Luca Napolitano calls the upcoming concept the company's "brand manifesto for the next 10 years." We shall see what that looks like when it's unveiled on April 15.

Bonhams auction at Quail Lodge led by 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Competizione

It doesn't take too much knowledge of the classic car market to figure out that, when it comes to values, Ferrari leads the pack. Bonhams 2015 Quail Lodge Auction did absolutely nothing to buck that trend with four of the five top sellers bearing the Prancing Horse. While none came near the auction house's sale of a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO for $38.115 million last year, there were still beauties in the bunch. The leader among these thoroughbreds was a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Competizione Alloy Berlinetta (pictured above) that went for $8.525 million, including the buyer's premium. It was one of just seven vehicles made to this specification and raced extensively when new, scoring a win in competition at Watkins Glen. A classic 1971 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider brought $2.64 million, and a somewhat more modern 1985 288 GTO had the hammer drop at $2.365 million. The final Prancing Horse in the top five was a 1951 212 Inter Cabriolet with a body by Vignale for $2.2 million. It scored second-in-class at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Overturning the Ferrari trend, a 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America rounded out the top five with a sale price of $1,952,500. While these are the most expensive vehicles to cross the block, you can check Bonhams' website for the results on all 111 lots. It's a wonderful array of largely European sports cars that are all in top shape.

Lancia Ypsilon HF gets back to brand's rally racer heritage

At the end of 1992, Lancia walked away from the Martini-sponsored Delta HF Integrale 8V race car and the World Rally Championship a winner, drivers Juha Kankkunen and Didier Auriol delivering the Constructor's Championship. We haven't seen a racy factory-backed Lancia since, nor one that races. The dry spell is over, the Italians unveiling their new Ypsilon HF, the hot-hatch version of the standard Ypsilon, and a motorsports version for FIA Group Rally4. Starting with the street car, it gets the powertrain shared with the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, a single electric motor turning the front axle. Instead of the e-motor making 154 horsepower as in the standard Ypsilon, the Ypsilon HF makes 237 hp, shortening the dash to 62 miles per hour to 5.8 seconds, which is 2.9 seconds quicker than the plain Ypsilon.  Handling credentials get upgraded with a wider track and lowered suspension. The package is made to look the part with a sharper front fascia, the much larger lower intake bearing the HF logo and the side intakes getting black underlining. We haven't been given a view of the rear, but we expect there are flourishes there as well, perhaps even the large black bumper seen on the rally racer. A set of six-spoke wheels complete the attitude adjustment.     Because the World Rally Championship hasn't gone electric yet — and gave up on hybrids after just three years — the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF slides a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gas-powered mill up front. That engine sends 209 hp to the front wheels through a five-speed transmission and a limited-slip differential. A pair of hood scoops aid engine cooling, a roof scoop at the top of the windshield does the same for driver and co-driver. The white, 15-spoke wheels look back to the multi-spoke wheels on the Delta Integrale, and we'll be looking to the start line next year to see if the real racer gets Martini sponsorship. The way Lancia worded its press release, we suspect the Rally 4 car will also be pitched to privateers as "a serious candidate for drivers aspiring to victory in the R4 class and in the two-wheel drive championships." These two cars set the template for future HF makeovers already promised for the eventual Gamma crossover and reborn electric Delta. Another question we have, especially now that hybrids are taking the fore, is whether the Ypsilon with the mild-hybrid powertrain has a chance of getting the HF treatment.