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If I requested you who probably the most profitable producer within the World Rally Championship was, what would your guess be?
Toyota? Incorrect. 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 By the point Lancia had withdrawn from the World Rally Championship, the Italian automaker had amassed 11 producer titles and 4 drivers titles from 46 WRC occasion wins.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 due to the relaxed ruleset on the time. Group A got here into impact to try to quell the ever-increasing speeds and half-hearted approaches to security, whereas making an attempt 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, which means producers needed to forgo unique supplies and time-consuming building strategies.
The pair of Delta Integrales on show at Rally Replay want Goodwood within the UK symbolize the final 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 could 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 adjustments. 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 present employees. Lancia nonetheless wrote the cheques.
In 1993, some employees had been moved over to the Alfa Romeo Touring Automotive 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 the direction of the tip of 1991, this automotive was assigned the registration TO 35378S and served as a check mule for the works staff to develop Lancia’s 1992 WRC entry. Among the adjustments included new Brembo callipers permitting the usage of 332mm discs on tarmac (313mm for gravel) and revised magnesium-cased Abarth gearbox and differentials.
The automotive additionally acquired 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 staff in reaching victory on eight rounds and profitable 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 profitable 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 price range to work with, the automobiles had been frequently improved. A rule change mandated the usage of 8-inch-wide (reasonably than 9-inch) wheels, which vastly upset the Delta’s dealing with traits.
TO 13721T was solely 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 closing spherical held within the UK by a mere two factors, owing to terminal engine injury.
See that little adjustable pot tucked down out of view? That allowed the co-driver to decrease enhance ranges for extra difficult circumstances, finally making the automotive extra drivable.
The Fiat 242 van parked alongside is a devoted recreation of the service car used within the 1983 season through the Group B period. By the point Group A got here round, the staff 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 outdoors of Italy. ‘The brightest stars burn the quickest’ could be an apt description of the success Lancia had within the WRC. With Toyota being the subsequent closest OEM at the moment competing with seven WRC Producers’ Championship titles to its identify, the Lancia report will stay for a minimum of a short time longer.
A particular due to Adam Midghall, Supervisor at Rally Replay for sharing his huge Lancia information for this story.
Chaydon Ford
Instagram: chaycore
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