Tag Archives: lancia

The S4 Was A Beast

A while back I posted some shots of a Lancia Delta Integrale.  The Integrale was the road homologous on version of the rally car that came about when the Group B rally cars were closed out.  However, the Group B cars were the really crazy ones.  The S4 was the Lancia that competed in Group B.  It replaced the Lancia 037 and, at Chateau Ste. Michelle, the two were on show together.  Both were road versions for homologous on but they were both beasts.

The S4 was the pinnacle of crazy rally cars.  A huge engine and four wheel drive in what was really not a road car.  They built some to meet the rules and this was one of them.  It was surprisingly nicely finished on the interior given what type of car it was.  However, the way in which the body looked like it was different pieces bolted together made you know this was not a car designed for consumers.  I was designed with a single purpose in mind.  However, it looked like it could eat anything else on the road.  What as absolute monster.

One of My Dream Rally Cars

The 80s was a time of some crazy cars in the rally world.  Rallying was a big deal in those days and the impact it had on car sales was significant.  The hot hatches were heavily influenced by rally based marketing.  One car that was a big success in WRC was the Lancia Delta Integrale.  The road cars that came from homologation of rally cars were hot property.  Coming across one now is even more exciting than it was back then.  This Integrale was part of Exotics @ RTC.  It wasn’t getting a whole lot of attention (plenty of supercars on display to attract the visitors) but there were probably a few guys my age that recognized it and appreciated what it was.