Lancia Delta
A small family car that dominated World Rally Championship in the late 1980s.
The Lancia Delta, often written as Lancia δ, is a small family car from Italian manufacturer Lancia, built across three distinct generations. The first generation ran from 1979 to 1994 and was first shown at the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show. The second generation, produced from 1993 to 1999, debuted at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show, while the third generation, made from 2008 to 2014, launched at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.
The first-generation Delta became a dominant force in the World Rally Championship during the late 1980s and early 1990s. To meet Group A homologation rules, Lancia produced road-going versions of its rally cars: the Delta HF 4WD and the HF Integrale. A total of 44,296 Integrales were built, and overall first-generation production reached 478,645 units.
The first Delta (Tipo 831) was a five-door hatchback designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and released in 1979. From 1980 to 1982, Saab Automobile sold it in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway as the Saab-Lancia 600, replacing the retired Saab 96. The Delta won the 1980 European Car of the Year award.
The Delta HF Integrale was a four-wheel-drive hot hatch with a turbocharged petrol engine. Modified versions of the HF won 46 World Rally Championship events and secured the Constructors' Championship six times in a row from 1987 to 1992, a record. Drivers Juha Kankkunen (1987 and 1991) and Miki Biasion (1988 and 1989) also won Drivers' Championship titles in the car. The Lancia Delta S4, though sharing the name and appearance, was a purpose-built Group B racecar, entirely different from the consumer models. The works team used the Delta S4 from the 1985 RAC Rally through the end of the 1986 season, just before the HF 4WD and Integrale models began their championship runs.
Development of the first generation began under the project codename "Y 5." It was conceived as an upmarket front-wheel-drive small family car, positioned below the larger Beta, filling a gap left by the Fulvia Berlina, which ended production in 1973. The platform was derived from the Fiat Ritmo but used different suspension and more welding points for a stiffer chassis. Design was handled by Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign. The suspension, MacPherson struts developed for the Beta, was paired with four-cylinder SOHC engines from the Fiat Ritmo.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Fiat Auto (1979–1986; 1991–1999) / Alfa-Lancia Industriale (1987–1991) / Fiat Group Automobiles (2008–2014)
- Production
- 1979–1999 / 2008–2014
- Class
- Small family car (C)
- Layout
- Transverse front-engine, front-wheel-drive / Transverse four-wheel-drive
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The first generation Delta (Tipo 831) was a five-door hatchback designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and released in 1979. Between 1980 and 1982, it was sold in Sweden, Denmark and Norway by Saab Automobile, badged as the Saab-Lancia 600. The Delta was voted the 1980 European Car of the Year. Its platform was derived from the Fiat Ritmo, with different suspension and more welding points for a stiffer chassis. The heating and ventilation were developed with help from Saab, who also contributed to rust proofing and the split-folding rear seats.
The first true performance-oriented Delta was the front-wheel drive Delta HF, introduced in July 1983, powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine. A special limited edition, the HF Martini, was launched at the March 1984 Geneva Motor Show, with only 150 produced. In October 1985, the Delta HF turbo was unveiled. The Delta HF Integrale was a four-wheel drive hot hatch with a turbocharged petrol engine; modified versions of the HF dominated the World Rally Championship, scoring 46 victories overall and winning the Constructors' Championship a record six times in a row from 1987 to 1992, in addition to Drivers' Championship titles for Juha Kankkunen (1987 and 1991) and Miki Biasion (1988 and 1989). The Lancia Delta S4 was a purpose-built racecar under Group B regulations, entirely different from the mass-produced consumer versions, and ran from the 1985 RAC Rally until the end of the 1986 season.
Reader's Guide
The Lancia Delta's significance lies in its dual identity as a practical family car and a dominant force in rallying. The first generation's design by Giorgetto Giugiaro and its European Car of the Year award in 1980 established it as a notable small car. However, its legacy is defined by the HF Integrale and its World Rally Championship success: 46 victories, six consecutive Constructors' Championships from 1987 to 1992, and Drivers' titles for Juha Kankkunen and Miki Biasion. The homologation requirements of Group A regulations forced Lancia to produce road-going versions of the competition cars, resulting in 44,296 HF Integrales. The Delta S4, a Group B car, shared the name but was a fundamentally different machine. The first generation's total production of 478,645 cars underscores its commercial success alongside its motorsport achievements. The Delta's platform, derived from the Fiat Ritmo but with a stiffer chassis, and its collaboration with Saab on features like rust proofing and rear seats, reflect its engineering development. The car's rally dominance cemented Lancia's reputation in motorsport history.
Did You Know?
- Between 1980 and 1982, the Delta was sold in Scandinavia as the Saab-Lancia 600.
- The Delta HF Integrale won the World Rally Championship Constructors' title six times in a row from 1987 to 1992.
- Only 150 HF Martini limited editions were produced between 1984 and 1985.
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