These Screws Revived a Rally Icon: The Lancia 037 (So Perfectly Even Italian Journalists Were Fooled)

Reviving a Group B Icon: The Precision Engineering Behind a Lancia 037 Reborn

Few rally cars carry the same aura in motorsport as the Lancia 037 — the last rear-wheel-drive car to win the World Rally Championship.

Recreating one from the ground up isn’t restoration; it’s resurrection. For J-P Lihou, a lifelong Lancia devotee with a background spanning motorsport engineering, EV charging and sustainable design, it became a 14-year mission rooted in passion, precision and relentless attention to detail.

The result? A recreation so authentic that Italian journalists — famed for spotting even the smallest deviation from factory spec — couldn’t tell it wasn’t original. Achieving that level of authenticity demanded the right people, the right materials, and crucially, the right fasteners.

That’s where Accu came in.

Precision Hardware for an Uncompromising Build

The Lancia 037 is a masterpiece of specialist engineering. Its exposed double-wishbone suspension, tubular spaceframe rear end, and composite bodywork leave no room for approximation. Every fixing - every nut, bolt, washer and captive nut - plays a structural role and must match the original specification to the millimetre.

“You can’t build a 037 with off-the-shelf parts. You need specialist fixings, weird sizes, old standards — things most suppliers don’t even stock. Accu had every unusual part I needed, and crucially, they could deliver it the next day.”

J-P Lihou

Before discovering Accu, sourcing hardware was a slow and fragmented process. J-P relied on multiple suppliers, eBay listings, and whatever he could find during late-night searches — all of which held the build back.

Accu changed that.

With next-day delivery on everything from square captive nuts for bodywork to high-strength fasteners for suspension mounts, Accu quickly became the backbone of the project.

“If I’d found Accu earlier, the whole project would have moved twice as fast. Anyone building a car should start there — nine times out of ten, they’ve got exactly what you need.”

Behind the scenes, Accu components now hold together everything from chassis pick-up points to powertrain brackets. They’re invisible to the eye — but essential to the integrity of the build.

Engineering an Icon from the Ground Up

Recreating a car from the early 1980s meant reverse-engineering every millimetre. The suspension was designed by specialists R53 in Leamington Spa, the chassis modified to match the 1981/82 Group B original, and the carbon-Kevlar bodywork shaped to mirror the rally car’s silhouette.

“Details matter. If you get it wrong by a few millimetres, you’re not recreating a Lancia 037 - you’re making a pastiche.  Recognition by the Registro Storico Lancia Rally 037 (Italian register of original cars) was just amazing”

J-P Lihou

Much like the official Kimera EVO37 project, this restoration began with a Monte Carlo chassis and evolved through precise fabrication. The flywheel including trigger was machined from a single piece for strength, and every decision, measurement and fastener had to be mechanically and visually accurate to the original spec.

“Precision engineering is what prototype race cars are all about”

This process wasn’t smooth. Parts fouled. Brackets didn’t clear. Assemblies vibrated loose. That’s the nature of building a prototype - and it’s why iteration speed was everything.

“If something didn’t fit or vibrated loose, I could redesign, reprint, and get the right bolts from Accu the very next morning. That momentum kept the whole build alive.”

The result is a car that doesn’t just look right — it feels right. Balanced. Communicative. Mechanical. Alive.

A true 037.

Authenticity Proven on Road and Track

When J-P began showing the car at events, the reaction was instant.

Experts examined the stance, the wheel arch profiles, the body lines, the suspension geometry, the engine bay layout — all the areas where replicas usually fall short.

None of them noticed a discrepancy.

In fact - Auto Italia Magazine even produced a feature on J-P's Lancia 037 recreation, such was the enthusiasm for how his rally car remained meticulously faithful to the original.

“They couldn’t tell it wasn’t an original Lancia 037 - that’s the best endorsement you can get!”

J-P Lihou

And the drive matches the look. With its lightweight chassis, supercharged engine and razor-sharp suspension, the car exhibits the signature balance the 037 is known for.

Accu’s precision hardware plays a key role here — fasteners remain tight, assemblies stay aligned, and structural fixings hold firm under load.

Now on the road, the next phase includes:

• original supercharger rebuild

• boost increase

• engine remapping following energising water methanol injection

• preparing for hill-climb events like Shelsey Walsh
  
  

“It’s such an easy car to drive! With mapping and supercharger tweaks, it’ll be around 950kg and 250–280bhp. The car will be ready - whether I am is another question!”

The Modern Engineering Mindset Behind A Retro Icon

Though the 037 is a purely analogue machine, J-P approached the build with a modern, sustainability-driven mindset shaped by years working in EV charging, leading projects at Bosch Motorsport, contributing to Top Gear and even designing recycled 3D-printed trophies for Extreme E.

“I’ve worked with recycled materials and alternative composites for years. Even with a car like the 037, which is rooted in history, you can still make conscious design choices.”

J-P Lihou

He manufactured as many components as possible locally, used alternative composites where they made sense and sourced original panels from Italy only when absolutely essential.

Accu helped reinforce this philosophy — enabling a highly localised, low-impact supply chain.

“Accu supports a Made in Britain approach. It keeps sourcing local, reduces shipping, and supports the wider engineering community.”

A Project Built on Speed, Precision and Passion

Looking back, J-P is clear that Accu played a pivotal supporting role.

“When you’re trying to get a prototype on the road, you need reliability from your suppliers as much as from your components. Accu’s speed, quality, and the sheer range of parts make them a natural fit for projects like this.”

J-P Lihou

“Without Accu, I’d have wasted so much time trying random suppliers. Their quality is excellent, the CAD models save hours and next-day delivery keeps momentum going. It’s exactly what you need in a prototype environment.”

He plans to bring the car to Accu HQ, showcasing his Lancia 037 in all its glory - a celebration of engineering craft, creativity and a respect for detail.

“Building a 037 isn’t something you do alone. It’s a collaboration between specialists, fabricators and suppliers who understand precision. Accu has absolutely been part of that story.”

What’s Next: Engineering the Final Details of a Group B Masterpiece

Although the car is already turning heads at shows across Europe, J-P’s work on the 037 is far from over.

The next phase focuses on one of the most visually striking and technically significant elements of the entire engine bay: a pair of CNC-milled 16-valve Abarth-style cam covers, proudly engraved with “Testa Abarth Quattrovalvole” - an Italian phrase that translates to "Abarth Four-Valve Head" in English. It refers to an engine feature developed by the Italian tuning company Abarth.

These covers were iconic in period - a statement of intent from Abarth’s engineering division. Recreating them to that standard requires a blend of CAD precision, rapid prototyping and meticulous machining.

J-P is currently deep into the design work, using 3D printing to refine fit and geometry before committing to billet aluminium. If everything goes to plan, the final CNC covers should begin machining within the next 2–3 weeks.

And when they’re ready to fit?

“I’ll need the shiniest box of A2 M6 x 20mm cap screws you’ve ever seen,” J-P laughs. “It’s the most prominent feature in the entire engine room — the fasteners have to look every bit as good as the covers themselves.”

J-P Lihou

It’s another perfect example of how prototype race-car engineering is never “finished” — it evolves, improves, and iterates.

With every refinement, Accu remains part of the process, supplying the precision hardware needed to help complete one of the most faithful Lancia 037 recreations in the UK.

A huge thanks to J-P Lihou for sharing the story of his Lancia 037 restoration project with us and credit to Tony Harrison for the fantastic photos of the car.