Far from being merely an item of protective headgear, safety helmets are intimate to wear and, one can safely assume, purchased on the merits of their design and image as well as for the level of protection they provide. A mask, a glossy and imposing technical facade that represents our outward ‘face’ whilst riding a motorcycle or driving a racing car; Daft Punk have cultivated much of their image based on headgear that affords anonymity and projects a futuristic, humanoid aesthetic.

A forgotten member of the Stratos family, the eponymous 1970’s safety helmet was not a Lancia product but is intrinsically linked to the legendary rally car. Its highest profile roles in period were being donned by Italian Formula One and Sports Car racing driver Arturo Merzario and Italian Motorcycle racer Guido Mandracci (racing for the Vitaloni Racing Team). Created in an era before composites were widely used, what the injection-moulded outer shell lacked in ultimate protection, it made up for in style and in its association with the universally lauded Lancia.

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Just like the car, it was conceived by Bertone whilst Marcello Gandini was the general manager and chief designer, its aesthetic being rooted in that of the dramatic championship-winning rally car, the first to be designed specifically for winning races. This approach led to a car with a unique appearance with slender ‘A’ pillars and a windscreen that seems to wrap around into the side windows to form a defined ‘visor’ through which the driver and co-driver could clearly see the road ahead even when the car was not pointing in the direction of travel. This feature is the most obvious stylistic inspiration informing the design of the helmet. The overall shape of the helmet was apparently formed not only to look modern and distinctive but to be easily stowed in the ample door pockets of the Lancia Stratos itself. The subtle front to rear longitudinal creases lend the design an air of faceted modernity and ensure it doesn’t appear an amorphous sphere like many of its contemporaries. The adhesive stripes over the top and down the rear echo the car’s horizontal rear window louvres. Although not exclusive to Bertone, these repetitive graphical elements were a period trend that were also employed on the rear of the Lamborghini Miura and to form the characteristic side air intakes and outlets of the Alfa Romeo Montreal and Fiat X1/9.

Produced by Vitaloni in their Beinasco works just outside Turin the helmet’s futuristic looks and moulded plastic shell incorporated frontal air intakes to avoid the visor misting up. The visor itself introduced a ratchet mechanism that allowed it to be clicked into various fixed positions making it more stable at speed when partially open. Vitaloni, essentially a specialist in plastic mouldings, was well known for after-market and motorsport accessories, especially their rear-view mirrors; what self-respecting Italian homologation special didn’t have Vitaloni mirrors in the 1970s and 80s?

Period articles in Italy’s Quattroruote accompanied the launch of this lesser-known item of safety gear and mild interest seems to have been rekindled in the early 2000s thanks to articles in the UK press covering Christian Hrabalek’s family collection of Lancia Stratos cars and automobilia. The anecdote that springs to mind was the suggestion that Mr Hrabalek had flagged down bustling Italian motorcyclists and scooterists to buy examples of the Stratos helmet on the spot!

Ahead of its time in design terms, the Vitaloni Stratos helmet is now relatively rare. In terms of safety it’s moulded plastic construction has now been superceded by more modern materials and so it’s destiny now seems certain to be as a coffee table oggetto d’arte.

Some images have been sourced from public websites and are credited in the image captions. All rights remain with the original authors.