Lancia has announced that the top-level HF Integrale will be revived, bringing back a rally legend. Lancia’s best rally-inspired cars, such as the Delta HF Integrale, haven’t featured the logo on them for a long time. Even though new models are still a long way off, this could give Lancia the boost it needs to return to its best, potentially leading to a new Delta model. Lancia is one of the stars in Stellantis that has lost a lot of its past beauty. Lancia used to make only the Ypsilon, a small car similar to the Fiat 500. It had enough power to win 11 WRC Manufacturers’ Championships and was home to the world’s first production V-6 and the stunning Aurelia B20GT. There are definitely signs that things are heating up, and the Ypsilon is still being made, though on a different platform. Shortly after reentering the rally scene, thrilling news has emerged that honors the brand’s heritage. Lancia is bringing back the iconic large HF elephant logo on both its road vehicles and racing versions of the Ypsilon, named the Rally4 HF and, more recently, the Rally6 HF. These rally models, powered by combustion engines, feature compact, high-performance engines tailored specifically for motorsport. It has more power than the other car, with 278 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque in the Ypsilon HF. Both the Peugeot e-208 GTi and the Abarth 600e share the same foundation, as they are constructed using the e-CMP electric vehicle platform. “High Fidelity,” or HF, was first used in a Lancia owner’s club and then on cars for the factory race team and for everyday use. There is also a group above HF called Integrale, which shows how quickly Lancias can homologate. Lancia has announced that the Integrale name is set to return. The Lancia Delta Integrale was a compact car with all-wheel drive and a turbocharged engine, produced from 1987 to 1995. It was an Italian warm-up for the upcoming rally battles between the Subaru WRX and the Mitsubishi EVO, and it did just as well in both. Although these Lancias were never sold in the US, they are now highly sought after and old enough to be imported. Lancia said that an HF Integrale name is on the way, but she didn’t specify whether a Delta-sized car would be returning. The company plans to release a new main car, called Gamma, next year. It will be approximately the same size as a BMW 3 Series. Luca Napolitano, CEO of Lancia, told the reporters at the Ypsilon HF event last week that an Integrale version of the Gamma would be available later. It sounds like a third Lancia model is being planned, but he didn’t say for sure. It would be easy to dismiss the idea entirely, assuming that an HF Integrale version would revive a legend and that a Delta model could bridge the size gap between the Ypsilon and Gamma. Although there isn’t much evidence, the fact that Lancia is considering further progress is a positive sign. For now, acquiring a genuine Delta Integrale or one of Lancia’s other HF cars, such as the Fulvia or Stratos, remains the best way to demonstrate that the name will endure. That company made some of the best hobbyist computers. People always think it will happen soon.
