The Lancia, built in 1972, was originally delivered to a German client. Around 10 years later it was exported to the USA and then purchased by a British ex-pat, who saw the car in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He still remembers the 1000-mile drive home to San Francisco, a trip that saw the Stratos passing over snowy mountain passes and through the two driest valleys in the Mojave Desert.

It was then used as an everyday car, handy for the commute down Highway 1 from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. As time went on, the family grew and the Stratos was used less. Eventually, in 1998, it was decided to lay the exotic Italian car up in a container.

With just 50,116 believed-to-be-genuine miles on the clock, this is the car you see now, in ‘container-find’ condition. Needless to say, some reconditioning work is essential before the punchy 2.4-litre Ferrari V6 is fired up again.

The car is just one fine lot in a catalogue of collectors’ cars to be offered by Bonhams at its 16 August 2013, Quail Lodge Carmel Valley auction. Estimate: USD 250,000 – 300,000.

Photos: Bonhams