If I requested you who probably the most profitable producer within the World Rally Championship was, what would your guess be?
Toyota? Unsuitable. Audi? Not even shut. By the point Lancia had withdrawn from the World Rally Championship, the Italian automaker had amassed 11 producer titles and 4 drivers titles from 46 WRC occasion wins.
Whereas the 037 and Delta S4 which predate the Delta Integrale had been extra outrageous, this artistic freedom happened because of the relaxed ruleset on the time. Group A got here into impact to attempt to quell the ever-increasing speeds and half-hearted approaches to security, whereas attempting to maintain the automobiles extra akin to their road-going counterparts. Group B dictated that 200 road-going automobiles wanted to be created, whereas for Group A it was 5,000 in 1993, that means producers needed to forgo unique supplies and time-consuming development strategies.
The pair of Delta Integrales on show at Rally Replay want Goodwood within the UK symbolize the last word incarnations of Lancia’s WRC effort. Known as the Deltonas – which interprets as ‘huge Delta’ – these two automobiles had been constructed for consecutive years. However whereas they might seem largely the identical, there are a myriad of variations between the 2, highlighting the fixed improvement and relentless pursuit of efficiency that the Abarth workshop the place they had been constructed employed.
However these weren’t the one huge modifications. Jolly Membership (suppose Prodrive in Subaru phrases) took over Lancia’s WRC effort and improvement program from the beginning of 1992, albeit nonetheless figuring out of the Abarth workshop with all the prevailing workers. Lancia nonetheless wrote the cheques.
In 1993, some workers had been moved over to the Alfa Romeo Touring Automobile programme, however Lancia nonetheless funded the WRC effort, as evidenced by the automobiles carrying ‘TO’ prefixed licence plate for Turin – the place they had been primarily based – versus ‘MI’ plates for Milan, Jolly Membership’s base.
1991 Repsol Lancia Delta HF Integrale Group A – TO 35378S
Constructed in direction of the top of 1991, this automobile was assigned the registration TO 35378S and served as a check mule for the works crew to develop Lancia’s 1992 WRC entry. Among the modifications included new Brembo callipers permitting using 332mm discs on tarmac (313mm for gravel) and revised magnesium-cased Abarth gearbox and differentials.
The automobile additionally obtained a extra superior ECU and digital dashboard equipped by Magneti Marelli.
The 1991 improvement automobiles had been the primary to obtain the broader physique panels, which allowed for up to date Bilstein suspension and prime mounts, and a wider monitor. That is what gave them the Deltona nickname.
TO 35378S was pivotal within the 1992 season, with the developments carried out instantly supporting the crew in attaining victory on eight rounds and successful that yr’s WRC Producers’ Championship.
In December 1992, Carlos Sainz got here onboard, bringing his title sponsor Repsol with him.
Sadly, Sainz’ season was plagued with quite a few points, and though he got here near successful rounds within the Lancia on a number of events, it by no means occurred. After one yr, Sainz moved to Subaru, final driving a Delta within the 1993 Race Of Champions (the place he completed second behind Didier Auriol, who had left Lancia on the finish of the ’92 season for Toyota) earlier than testing in an Impreza simply two days later.
1992 Martini Lancia Delta HF Integrale – TO 13721T
TO 13721T debuted in gravel specification for the 1000 Lakes Rally in August 1992, to proceed the success Lancia was having that yr.
Regardless of solely having a small finances to work with, the automobiles had been frequently improved. A rule change mandated using 8-inch-wide (reasonably than 9-inch) wheels, which vastly upset the Delta’s dealing with traits.
TO 13721T was completely pushed by Auriol in 1992, who had an extremely eventful season, with victories in Monte Carlo, France, Greece, Argentina, Finland and Australia. The French driver narrowly missed out on the WRC Drivers’ Championship title on the remaining spherical held within the UK by a mere two factors, owing to terminal engine harm.
See that little adjustable pot tucked down out of view? That allowed the co-driver to decrease increase ranges for extra difficult situations, finally making the automobile extra drivable.
The Fiat 242 van parked alongside is a trustworthy recreation of the service automobile used within the 1983 season through the Group B period. By the point Group A got here round, the crew started utilizing larger Iveco vans.
There’s no debating the success that Lancia had within the World Rally Championship, however the firm in the present day is unfortunately a shadow of its former self, promoting only a few fashions with restricted success exterior of Italy. ‘The brightest stars burn the quickest’ can be an apt description of the success Lancia had within the WRC. With Toyota being the subsequent closest OEM at present competing with seven WRC Producers’ Championship titles to its identify, the Lancia document will stay for not less than a short while longer.
A particular because of Adam Midghall, Supervisor at Rally Replay for sharing his huge Lancia data for this story.
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