The Lancia Stratos Zero, shown with its engine cover and windscreen/door both in the 'open' position. (source: Double Red Cars museum)
One of the latest additions to a unique museum in the Low Tatras looks as if it just flew in from another galaxy.
Even car connoisseurs talk about this model as 'science fiction on wheels'. The Lancia Stratos Zero concept sports car, which was presented in 1970 at the Turin Motor Show, Italy, is still breathtaking after more than half a century, reports My Novohrad.
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The legendary King of Pop was also interested
The unique car, which has one of the strangest car interiors in the world, can be admired by visitors to the Double Red Cars museum in Brezno, after museum owner Marcel Kolenička managed to acquire it.
The distinctive copper-coloured model bears the signature of the "Pope of Design": Bertone designer Marcello Gandini. It once impressed the creators of the American film Moonwalker, starring the legendary Michael Jackson. They had a replica built, into which the King of Pop transforms after a shootout with gangsters and escapes in a flash.
The futuristic sports car stuns not only thanks to its unusual shape, but also with its incredibly low profile: at 84 centimetres in height, it is 19 centimetres lower than even the original Ford GT40.
"The Bertone design studio wanted to prove that even at such a height, a car can be fully functional. And they succeeded, although to be honest there is not much to say about driving comfort," Kolenička pointed out.
A car without doors
Getting into the Lancia Stratos Zero is not easy, as it has no doors.
"Entering the car is difficult. You have to climb in through the tilting windshield. Driving it is equally demanding. The visibility is also not ideal, because the side mirrors are built inside, due to the futuristic shape. The steering column is foldable. When the driver sits down, he pulls the steering wheel towards him," said Kolenička, whose museum is of one of Europe's largest for sports and exotic cars, and also houses five gems that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world except Brezno.
He also pointed out another quirky feature: the unusual opening of the engine cover. It is made up of overlapping metal triangles. It is unusual, but functional, as it directs more air to the V4 engine, located in the rear of the car. The unprecedented appearance is enhanced by the ultra-thin headlights across the entire leading edge of the vehicle.
This is something you rarely see
The Double Red Cars museum is attracting more and more visitors from Slovakia and abroad. Across five floors, they can admire design classics and futuristics prototypes. The museum is open every day, including weekends and holidays, from 08:00 to 20:00.
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