Model Info
The Lancia Delta was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign. While the design was new, it re-used the floor pan of the Fiat Ritmo. It was introduced in 1979 and won Car of the Year in 1980.Lancia Delta Turbo 4x4
In 1982 the Delta got all-wheel drive and a turbocharged engine of 1585cc to deliver 130 hp.
Lancia Delta HF4WD
By the middle of 1986 came the new model, a slightly redesigned Delta, called the Delta HF4WD. Cosmetically only small side skirts were added and a small hood scoop. The 4WD system of the early cars was replaced by a more advanced all-wheel drive system derived from knowledge built up in the Delta S4 rally car. Key to this system was a Torsen (torque sensing) diff at the rear, an open diff at the front and a Ferguson viscous-coupling connecting them to the engine. The front/rear split was fixed at 56 front/ 44 rear. To complete the important mechanical changes a 1995 cc turbo-charged engine with intercooler was now used delivering 165 hp. This car won the 1987 World Rally Championship in its inaugural season and was the first of the next wave of rally-winning champions for Lancia !
Lancia Delta HF Integrale
With the demise of Group B and Lancia placing its rallying efforts on the road-going Delta, then came in 1987, changes in the car driven by the needs of rally competition; wider flared wheel arches all around with taller tires - now 15" and additional cooling intakes at the front. Some mechanical changes resulted in an increase in power to 185 hp and somewhat larger brakes. This car is often called the Integrale 8v. Early in 1988 sufficient quantity of the the HF Integrale was built to allow it to be used in competition. The 8v Integrale won the 1988 World Rally Championship for Lancia again.
Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16v
Lancia could see the pace of performance increasing so needed an upgraded power option for the HF Integrale. It was not to be ready for the beginning of the 1989 season. In fact it wasn't homologated until August of '89. Although the changes were minor they were focused around the needs of rallying; 16 valve engine with improved intercooler and turbo raising power to 200 hp, taller front hood to deal with the larger engine, suspension changes targeted at increased robustness and a new torque split of 47 front / 53 rear. A specially designed (for AWD cars) ABS system was created for the Delta and was available as an option for road cars. A special model for strict emission countries was built using the 8v engine with the 16v improvements. More importantly Lancia again won the World Rally Championship in 1989 split between the 8v and 16v cars. It won again with the 16v car in 1990 and 1991.
Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evolution
In order to stay ahead of the competition another upgrade was being engineered for 1992. A noticeably modified car (nicknamed Deltona or large Delta) was designed. Changes included; increased front and rear track, new suspension, further upgraded braking, more front cooling and a rear spoiler. A slight increase in power to 210 hp. Lancia won the World Rally Championship again in 1982 with the Integrale Evo model and once again retired from Rallying ! An as yet unrepeated feat of winning 6 consecutive World Rally championships.
Lancia Delta HF Integrale Specials
Several limited run special models were made along the way to celebrate various championships and car clubs. In addition a final evolution model (Evo 2) was created though this time not driven by competition needs but rather marketing reasons. The last of these cars were built in 1994 and the Delta Integrale was officially replaced by the new (nuova) Delta in 1993, but without the all-wheel drive.
The end of an era !