In the world of racing, this Lancia is almost the last one of its kind. This is Italy’s answer to cars like the Subaru WRX. It has a four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Ralph Gilles, who is in charge of design at Stellantis, has carefully changed this one; it’s clear that he’s interested in more than just V-8 muscle cars. Ralph Gilles, the main creator at Stellantis, loves Detroit muscle, which is not a secret. He built the Chrysler 300C and was in charge of the SRT performance and motorsports business. He is said to race a Viper ACR and drive around town in a 1968 Dodge Charger with 1000 horsepower from Hellephant. But Gilles’ love of speed goes far beyond flashy, big Dodges. This 1990 Lancia Delta Integrale from the almost-forgotten Stellantis sub-brand is up for sale on Bring a Trailer, which is owned by Hearst Autos and also has invoice pricing. It’s a blast of crazy gathering on steroids. In Italy, it’s called the box-flared Mitsubishi Lancer Evo or Subaru STI. It has an all-wheel drive. The fact that Gilles used to own this strong little shoebox shows how much he loves cars. It’s rough, slippery, and ready to destroy any backroad. At first, Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Delta looked like any other small family car, with a squared-off shape. Lancia turned the Delta into a rally-bred speed machine by giving the Integrale model a boost and all-wheel-drive grip, similar to what Subaru and Mitsubishi did later. The result was a huge success, building on the work of the great Stratos and 037 by winning six straight WRC manufacturers’ championships. This model from 1992 is a Delta Integrale Evoluzione. This is the last year of homologation rally cars because Lancia stopped working on rally cars after winning the WRC in 1992. The engine is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged unit that made just under 210 horsepower when it was first made. A rebuild, new camshafts, an updated ECU, and a high-flow exhaust have since been added to make it better. Box flares are a great way to make any car look better, and in this case, they make Giugiaro’s original design a lot better. A set of 15-inch Speedline wheels in the rally-style and 225-series Kumho ultra-high performance summer tires finish off the look. Because the coil-over suspension can be adjusted, this car has a great look. The odometer reads 63,000 kilometers, which are metric units. The car comes with repair records and a number of spare parts. After getting a new look and a new clutch, this little Italian terrier is almost ready to be let off the leash. Since the 1960s, all of Lancia’s most sporty cars have had a small elephant logo on their grilles. This Delta Integrale has the same logo, which is a great connection to Gilles’ Hellephant-powered Charger. Gianni Lancia once said, “Once an elephant starts running, no one can stop it.” This elephant is the company’s success mascot. You will be able to catch one, though. You can bid on a restored rallying history car at Bring a Trailer. The creator is a true gearhead and has done a great job of keeping the car in great shape. March 13 is the last day to bid in the sale.
