By page 11, a real Lancia fan is already in danger of shedding the first tears, although we have only just made it to the foreword, after the wonderful pictures on the previous pages have whetted our appetite for the book.
In the last paragraph, the authors write: "We sincerely hope that one day Lancia will remember the importance of the successes achieved in motorsport and use them for the benefit of the traditional Turin brand ...".
Today we know that this hope was not fulfilled. The brand was dropped; it no longer had a proper place in the FCA Group, which was geared towards mass production. However, Lancia celebrated its centenary in 2006 and was able to look back on a large number of revolutionary and successful cars. These included the Lambda, the Aurelia, the Fulvia, the Stratos and the Lancia Delta.
The fact that the authors have so much hope in the foreword shows that it has not been modified for the second edition, the first of which was published in 2005. What would one have wanted to write ...
The continuation of a successful rally tradition
With the Lancia Delta, the Turin-based car brand picked up where it had left off with the Fulvia, but above all with the Stratos and the 037 Rally, demonstrating how to build successful rally cars. The Delta, however, was to overshadow all its predecessors, because between 1987 and 1992 the Lancia Delta integrale dominated the World Rally Championship almost at will and this with a car that was not actually created for this purpose.
From the S4 to the Hyena
Blaettel and Wagner cover enough ground to deal with the subject of the "Delta Integrale" in full. They talk about the production car that became Car of the Year in 1980, explain the strengths of the Abarth sports department and also devote a chapter to the S4, a car that looked like a Delta but was a thoroughbred racing car underneath, which had more in common with the 037 Rally than with the Delta.
Group B, in which the S4 took part, was short-lived, however; it ended in 1986 and the expensively developed S4 was already a museum piece. The Group S planned as its successor never even got off the ground, but the ECV2 prototype developed for it is still worth a chapter to the authors.
From front-wheel drive to all-wheel drive rally winner
However, Lancia recognized the signs of the times and developed an all-wheel drive version of the Lancia Delta, called the HF 4 WD, in good time.
The Group A version was then derived from this, which helped Juha Kankkunen to the drivers' world championship in 1987 and Lancia to the brand title. The World Rally Championship was won every year until 1992. And until the end of the 1990s, variations of the Delta Integrale were still seen taking part in many rallies.
Road and rally vehicles
In the book, the authors take you through all the evolutionary stages, starting with the HF 4 WD, through HF Integrale, HF Integrale 16V, HF Integrale 8V Cat, HF Integrale Evo 1, to HF Integrale Evo 2. The road and rally versions are explained and illustrated for each year. Information on production quantities is also included.
The limited special versions
Among collectors, the special versions produced in limited numbers are particularly important.
Blaettel and Wagner also meticulously document these on 24 pages, whether they were called "Martini 5" or "Dealers Collection".
And then there are the prototypes and special editions
But that's not all. In addition to the aforementioned ECV 2, one-offs and prototypes are also featured in the book, in particular the one and only Evo 3 (Viola) and the Zagato Hyena, a sports coupé built in 24 units with the technology of the Delta HF Integrale.
Contemporary witnesses and memorabilia
The statements of Ninni Russo, who was one of the main protagonists of the Delta's success and still remembers many details, such as why the use of a helicopter in the rallies was also financially worthwhile, are fascinating.
And Delta fans will certainly also be interested in the model cars and accessories of the time.
Generous appendix
The 200-page work is rounded off with an extensive appendix that lists the rally successes of the Lancia Delta Integrale in minute detail, including the chassis numbers and drivers involved. The production figures are also neatly compiled and a type overview helps to shed light on the jungle of versions.
Unfortunately, the keyword index, which we always like to see, is also missing here, but this is a forgivable mishap given the specific nature of the topic.
Conclusion recommended, not only for Delta owners
Of course, a Delta owner, especially if it is the HF version, must have one of these books on the shelf. But the book is also recommended for general Lancia enthusiasts and fans of rallying with a broader interest, as it has a clean layout, great photos and a beautiful layout. The occasional confusion of tenses (presence/imperfect tense) is not a particularly negative factor.
EUR 49.90 is not exactly a penny, but four movie tickets cost roughly the same and the fun is over after just two hours, whereas the Lancia Integrale book has a much longer appeal.
Bibliographical details
- Title: Lancia Delta HF Integrale - the story of a champion
- Authors: Werner Blaettel and Gerhard D. Wagner
- Language: German
- Publisher: Heel Verlag
- Edition: 2nd edition 2018 (first edition 2005)
- Format: Hardcover with dust jacket, 252 x 276 mm
- Scope: 200 pages, 268 color illustrations
- ISBN: 978-3-89880-268-0
- Price: EUR 49,90
- Buy/order: Online at Heel-Verlag, online at amazon.de or in relevant bookstores
