Gran Turismo series creator Kazunori Yamauchi has selected a one-off Lancia concept car to win the Gran Turismo Trophy at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, giving it the right to appear in the game series in the future.

The partnership between Pebble Beach and Gran Turismo dates back to 2008, with Yamauchi being an honorary judge for the extremely prestigious Best in Show award as well as selecting a vehicle for the Gran Turismo Trophy under his own criteria.

Each car chosen by Yamauchi becomes eligible for an appearance in Gran Turismo too, with the team scanning and capturing all aspects of the vehicle in order to create its digital twin. Thus far nine of the previous 15 award winners have made an appearance in the game, and appear as high-value vehicles in the “Legends Cars” dealership in GT7, fronted by fellow honorary judge McKeel Hagerty.

The Stratos was a concept car created at Bertone, almost entirely in secret. Designed by Marcello Gandini — to whom Yamauchi paid tribute earlier this year — it was based on the mechanicals of a crashed Lancia Fulvia that Giusepper “Nuccio” Bertone acquired.

Seemingly with a goal of making a car as low as possible, perhaps as a response to the Pininfarina — later Ferrari — Modulo unveiled at Geneva in 1970, the Bertone machine came in at just 33 inches tall. Access to the two-seat cabin comes through an upward-opening glass hatch, with the steering wheel tilting forwards to allow you to get in and out… although not entirely gracefully.

At the back there’s a large, triangular engine cover which hinges to the side to reveal the 1.6-liter V4 engine, straight from the Fulvia and good for around 115hp. Top speed is somewhere around 120mph, while the pretty lightweight machine should hit 60mph in around ten seconds.

When completed, Bertone drove the Stratos Zero Concept on the public roads, right up to Lancia’s front gate and straight underneath the security barriers. Lancia must have been impressed, as it commissioned Bertone for the production Lancia Stratos.

Bertone retained ownership of the Stratos Zero, and in 2000 the car was restored to full working order and its original bronze color scheme — having been repainted in silver in 1971, and appearing in that color in the Michael Jackson movie Moonwalker. It was sold at auction in 2011 as part of a lot of six vehicles by the administrators following the company’s financial difficulties, reaching €761,600 ($1.1m).

The current owner is Phillip Sarofim, who also owns the Aston Martin Bulldog concept and received the special “Lorin Tryon” award at Pebble Beach to recognize his contributions over the years and efforts in bringing the wedge concept category to the event.

In fact the Bulldog won best in class for the V2-O1 Late Wedge category, and the Stratos the V1-O6 Early Wedge first in class as well as making it to the final four, losing out to a preservation-class Bugatti Type 59 from 1934.

It’s now a fifth victory in a row for an Italian manufacturer in the Gran Turismo Trophy, but the first for Lancia — and also the newest car ever to take the award. Hopefully we’ll see it coming to Gran Turismo sooner rather than later!

Gran Turismo Trophy Winners

2008: Lamborghini Miura P400 Bertone Prototype ’67
2009: Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 carrozzata da Zagato ’65
2010: Abarth 1500 Biposto Bertone B.A.T 1 ’52
2011: Plymouth XNR Ghia Roadster ’60
2012: Ferrari 500 Mondial Pininfarina Coupe ’54
2013: Aston Martin DB3S ’53
2014: Maserati A6GCS Spider ’54
2015: Cunningham C-4R Competition Roadster ’52
2016: Ferrari 330 P4 Drogo Spyder ’66
2017: Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer ’29
2018: AAR Eagle Indy Car ’66
2019: Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato ’31
2021: Ferrari 512 S Berlinetta ’69
2022: Autobianchi A112 Bertone Concept ’69
2023: Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Figoni Coupe ’33
2024: Lancia Stratos HF Zero Bertone Coupe ’70

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