{"id":47023,"date":"2026-03-01T09:40:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T08:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.italpassion.fr\/?p=47023"},"modified":"2026-03-01T09:40:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T08:40:41","slug":"he-built-the-legend-of-the-lancia-stratos-and-won-monte-carlo-three-times-in-a-row-sandro-munari-has-died-aged-85","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.italpassion.fr\/en\/lancia\/il-a-construit-la-legende-de-la-lancia-stratos-et-remporte-monte-carlo-trois-fois-de-suite-sandro-munari-nous-a-quittes-a-85-ans\/","title":{"rendered":"He built the legend of the Lancia Stratos and won Monte Carlo three times in a row: Sandro Munari has died aged 85."},"content":{"rendered":"
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He was one of the fathers of the Stratos and the first \u201creal\u201d world rally champion: Sandro Munari has passed away.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Known as the \u201cDrago di Cavarzere\u201d, the village where he was born in 1940, Sandro Munari has won most of his titles and trophies with Lancia<\/a>. It was he who gave Lancia its first laurels and laid the foundations of its rally success story. Like a strange sign of fate, the Italian has just left us, in the same year that his favourite brand returns to WRC<\/a> after an absence of over thirty years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First laurels with the Fulvia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

He made his debut in 1964, winning the Sardinia Rally and the San Martino di Castrozza Rally, aboard an Alfa Romeo Giulia TI Super for the Jolly Club stable. A team which then accompanied the Lancia adventure all the way to the top. With the Fulvia, he became Italian champion in 1967 and 1969. On the international scene, his first European Championship victory came in 1973.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the heart of the Stratos project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Next came the Stratos, a revolutionary car in which he was involved as a test driver. Munari can be considered one of the \u201cfathers\u201d of the Stratos, having contributed for many years to its development. The long and sometimes tense negotiations between Lancia and Ferrari for the supply of the Dino's V6 culminated in an agreement that included a clause allowing Sandro Munari to be loaned to Ferrari for the 1972 Targa Florio: a good move, since the dragon won the race with Merzario in the Ferrari 312 P!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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