The Lancia Stratos is coming back as an electric concept car

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Lancia late March released the first teaser images of its new Lancia Concept – the marque’s first electric concept car, and, from what we can gather, one very much inspired by the iconic Lancia Stratos – ahead of its debut on April 15. “The Lancia Concept is the brand manifesto for the next ten years,” Luca Napolitano, Lancia brand CEO, said in a statement.

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“It is a 100-per-cent electric concept car which represents the evolution of the Lancia Pu+Ra Zero, the three-dimensional sculpture presented last November during the Lancia Design Day. The concept is the first vehicle of Lancia’s new era that includes features which will be present on future models in terms of design, sustainability, technology, and electrification.”

The description of the car, included in the teaser press release, reinforces what we can see from the teaser itself, namely that the concept will be heavily influenced by the Stratos rally car of the 1970s. Lancia says the EV will feature a unique circular roof for “panoramic views,” and that its design is personified by geometric shapes, much like the wedge-shaped Stratos. Of course, we can see from the image that the car will also feature Stratos’ iconic round lights, with “Lancia” lettering between them.

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Moreover, the Lancia Concept will employ exterior designs that mirror influences from Italian homes in the 1970s. For instance, the rear glass has a Venetian-blind-inspired motif, first worn by the Disco-era Lancia Beta HPE.

Stellantis-owned Lancia, which currently doesn’t offer any products in North America, is known for models like the Aurelia B24 Spider, Delta, 037, and Fulvia, though the Stratos is far and away its most iconic vehicle. It’s unclear if the marque has plans to plumb its heritage for even more inspiration, but we do know this announcement regarding its first concept electric car is part of a 10-year strategic plan that will see its brand image reinvented entirely.

The Lancia Stratos was already sort of recently reborn, in 2019, when firm MAT began offering its Stratos car, a rebodied Ferrari F430. Its production run was limited to 25 examples.