Forgotten prototypes: Lancia Stratos Sibilo (1978)

Unique design and a futuristic interior from the pen of Bertone

By: Alberto Carmone

Jan 16, 2024 at 7:07am ET

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Futuristic design and success in rallying made the Lancia Stratos a true legend of its time. But few people today are likely to remember the history of the Sibilo. A very strange concept, designed by Marcello Gandini, stylistically revised by Bertone, derived from the Stratos and presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1978. Let's take a look back together.

A monolith from the future

The Lancia, which was simply called the "Sibilo" in reference to the sound of an object launched at high speed, adopted both the mechanics and the proportions of the Stratos, while the wheelbase was extended by ten centimetres.

The styling was truly futuristic and monolithic, with polycarbonate windows that were flush-mounted and appeared to merge with the bodywork. As with the original Lancia, there were folding headlights and a virtually flat windscreen with a single wiper running horizontally across it. The name of the model was displayed in the centre of the rear between the two tail lights and appeared to reproduce the graphics of a digital display.

Gallery: Lancia Stratos Sibilo (1978)

The interior was something completely new for the time. Minimalist and designed for maximum comfort, the interior of the Lancia anticipated some of the most modern solutions, such as a steering wheel that adapted to the ergonomics of the hand, while all the vehicle's functions were located in the centre of the dashboard.

Also in the centre was a digital display tilted towards the driver, showing the most important information about the vehicle, just like today's infotainment systems.

Competitions and cinema

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The Lancia remained in Bertone's possession until 2011, when it went to the collector Corrado Lopresto at a public auction. Since then the Sibilo has taken part in numerous concours events, such as the Goodwood Concours 2013, where it took first place in the prototype category. The car was also present at the 2012 Ludwigsburg Concours, the 2014 Spa Italia and the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

Lancia Stratos Sibilo (1978)

We also saw it at "The Ice" event in St. Moritz in 2023, where the Sibilo competed with its still original and perfectly preserved mechanics, and if its lines remind you of anything, it's that you've probably also seen it in films: The car in the 1990 film"Total Recall" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was deliberately inspired by the Lancia prototype.