Six Constructor's Championships, four Driver's Championships. This is what the Lancia Delta HF Integrale Group A Rally car had achieved in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. That six title record still stands to this day. It was unbeatable even against much newer cars like the then new ST185 Toyota Celica (1989-1993), the Sierra RS Cosworth (1990-1993)and the Ford Escort Cosworth (1992-1996). When you state the fact that the Delta Integrale actually first appeared in 1979 it is why the Delta HF will forever hold a place in my heart as one of the giants of fast road and rally cars.
So imagine this. In 1986, Group B rallying was halted due to lots of accidents and deaths as a result. The WRC decided to run with Group A rallying and somehow, Lancia drafted in the HF 4WD and made it into its competition car. The Delta HF4WD with its two-litre turbocharged engine and four-wheel-drive even though based on a chassis launched in 1979 was actually better than the underpowered Mazda 323 1.8 turbos and the heavy and large Ford Sierra XR4x4. Toyota had just entered rallying with the ST165 Celica GT-Four and weren't competitive. The other cars were all either front wheel drive or rear wheel drive and were basically slower than the Lancia.
But Lancia upgraded the Delta HF 4WD (pic above) throughout its lifespan and the cars became the Delta Intergrale 8v, then the Integrale 16v, the Integrale Evoluzione and finally, the Evoluzione II in 1993-1994. There were a whole raft of changes. But I shall just state a few. With the Integrale 8v, the Delta received wider arches which allowed larger wheels as well as larger brake discs and clipers. With the Integrale Evoluzione series, the Delta HF had a bonnet bulge to clear the new 16 valve cylinder head, the Evoluzione cars had wider track front and rear too. Somehow, everything about this little hatchback looked just right when the Evoluzione models appeared. All were Left hand drive too.
What I love about the Delta Integrale is not just because of what it had become but more on how the engineers at Lancia overcame such a lowly small hatchback chassis and made it into a monster. It did not have anything really going for it in standard Lancia Delta trim. A very normal small hatch that one would not bother taking another glance at. It is the single mindedness of the engineers that made it what it is and how they interpreted the Group A rules and regulations in order to achieve what they have done.
Aside from the fat arches, bonnet hump and those Speedline alloys, it is the whole front end that amazes me. Everything that surrounds the lights, signals, chrome trim and slats is actually mesh and lets air through the front end in order to keep the engine and brakes cool. Every thing in black was a darn hole to let air through. What a marvelllous piece of engineering. This, folks, it the ultimate front end when it comes to slats, wire mesh, holes, vents, scoops and whatever thing that lets air go through is called. And it belongs on a Lancia Delta Integrale.
It is so sad that Lancia is what is it today, selling a few cars in Europe and as a Chrysler in the UK. Crap indeed as here in the region, there was never any Lancia presence in Malaysia. There was some in Singapore as I have seen a few HF Turbos like the one below in the mid 1990s. I remember one in canary yellow. And what a sight it was for a rally fan at the time.
Stock HF Turbo
Lancia Delta Integrale Martini edition
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