Friday 18th December 2009

Pic Of The Week: Stratos In The Snow

Sandro Munari's final assault on the Monte with the Stratos HF

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We don't get much of the white stuff at PH Towers, so the threat of a dusting from the weatherman always gets us ridiculously over-excited. Sadly the reality of snow in London is usually a layer of filthy grey and horribly wet sludge that makes the lunchtime trudge to the sandwich shop even more of a chore, and then of course there's all that salt on the roads...

So here's a picture to evoke memories of a proper snow-driving challenge, with 1970s Italian rally star Sandro Munari scrabbling up the mountainous 46ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo at the wheel of the fabulous Lancia Stratos HF.

The image from 1978 is courtesy of our chums at the LAT photo archive, and according to the official record Munari and navigator Piero Sodano didn't finish the event - being forced into retirement when the car's engine went pop.

Having said that, Munari had already won the Monte-Carlo with Lancia and the Stratos in 1975, 1976 and 1977, so his name is indelibly linked to the car and the event - with great pictures like this to prove it!

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[nsmith1180]

Nice, love that. I shall be having that as soon as I get home.

[traffman]

Weve more of a dusting up here in scotland.

However when it reaches london im sure it will cause major distruptions , ya southern softies heh he get it up ya.

[L100NYY]

traffman said:

ya southern softies heh he get it up ya.

even babelfish was flummoxed.

[WMP]

Lovely pic, great car & great driver.

Interesting to see P'heads looking to TG for content, hopefully we won't get any "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" type features any time soon...

[300bhp/ton]

Very nice, thanks PH

[Oily Nails]

Christ! I bet that TR7 was a pile of rusty flakes by the time it got to the top!

[joz8968]

Cue Kylie:

...#I'm, spinnin' around#

Edited by joz8968 on Friday 18th December 15:34

[Nickellarse]

I want one. Brilliant picture. I'll be enjoying that all week.

[hornetrider]

Great car, great location, average picture

Now, if he had been applying a smidgeon of oppo whilst throwing a load of snow out the back...

[sprinter1050]

^ Quite- I was thinking he doesn't even look to be trying !


Still a nice pic though. Makes me want to book a ski hol.

[L100NYY]

hornetrider said:

Great car, great location, average picture

Now, if he had been applying a smidgeon of oppo whilst throwing a load of snow out the back...

[evenflow]

Ah, cars in the snow...

[Garlick]

Prefer the Stratos to that Vette

[Mr Croker]

Must be a real hero not to be spinning around around around...

Lambo looks good - moments before impact

[h4muf]

blib !

Great pic

[soad]

Awesome photo, only started snowing here last night too!

[tubbystu]

WMP said:

Interesting to see P'heads looking to TG for content, hopefully we won't get any "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" type features any time soon...

[McAndy]

Oh that's special! Thanks chaps! I'm driving from Wiltshire to East Sussex tomorrow, hopefully by the backroads...just found my inspiration if the roads are as people say they are!

[RedexR]

Car's in the snow eh ? reminds me of that day in February

[CooperD]

What a cracking picture that is. All the more topical with the current UK weather.