Skip advert
Advertisement

Lancia rally heroes storm America

Quartet of championship-winning Lancia rally cars to grace Amelia concours

Four of the roughest, toughest, most pugnacious but unexpectedly graceful rally cars ever built are set to cause something of a disturbance at this year’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.

The Florida event usually plays host to manicured classics, however the historic Lancia marque will hog the limelight with championship-winning cars from the comparatively exotic world of rally.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The dramatic quartet of cars is owned by Irish-American collector John Campion and belongs to a motorsport breed that’s a rare sight in the States – a place where rallying has historically been met with disinterest.

But vivid liveries, flared arches, light pods, extensive roll-cages and questionable build-quality should impress on visitors the nature of a sport that sees man and machine racing against the clock whatever the conditions. In this instance, all four cars are of the highest pedigree too, with each holding at least one championship win to its nameplate.

The earliest car is a 1969 Fulvia 1.6 HF, built during a time when the Turin marque was making its first foray into rallying. Works cars sent 132bhp developed by a 1584cc narrow-angle V4 to the front wheels, with wishbone suspension helping maximise grip.

Next up is the Stratos, which barely needs an introduction. After the Alpine-Renault A110 took overall victory in 1973, Lancia’s Ferrari-engined wedge dominated the World Rally Championship for four years before Fiat’s 131 Abarth started to come to the fore. ‘Stradale’ versions of the Stratos currently fetch upwards of £400,000 at auction.

It’s difficult to pick a jewel in this crown of race cars, but the supercharged Lancia Rally 037 may be it. Arguably no other rally car has looked better while airborne, and in Group B trim the 980kg coupe developed roughly 350bhp. Campion’s car won the 1985 Targa Florio Rally at the hands of Dario Cerrato and looks superb dressed up in Martini livery.

Lancia’s final WRC involvement as a works team came in the form of the Delta HF Integrale. From humble origins as a Giugiaro-designed family hatchback in the late ’70s, four-wheel drive, a wider-track, turbocharging and astonishing manoeuverability helped transform it into the most successful rally car of all time.

Over its lifespan, the Group A-spec Integrale became wider and more powerful, spawning homologation monsters such as the second Evoluzione. Campion’s machine, however, represents the purest rally-going Interale, which was based on the original eight-valve road car. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

2024 Dakar Rally preview: cars, teams, routes and full details
Prodrive Hunter – front
Features

2024 Dakar Rally preview: cars, teams, routes and full details

The 2024 Dakar rally roars into life on 5 January. Here’s all the key information, plus an inside look at Prodrive’s Dakar preparations
2 Jan 2024
Prodrive P25 review – this £552,000 Subaru Impreza is worth every penny
Prodrive P25
Reviews

Prodrive P25 review – this £552,000 Subaru Impreza is worth every penny

The P25 is Prodrive’s dazzling tribute to the iconic Subaru Impreza 22B STI. But can it possibly justify its eye-watering £552,000 price tag? There’s …
28 Oct 2023
2023 British Rally Championship: Trackrod Rally results
British Rally Championship Trackrod Yorkshire
News

2023 British Rally Championship: Trackrod Rally results

The 65th Motorsport UK British Rally Championship season continued with the Trackrod Rally in Yorkshire
25 Sep 2023
What’s it like inside a WRC service area? 
WRC service area
Features

What’s it like inside a WRC service area? 

evo is a fly on the wall inside the Toyota Gazoo Racing team at the 2023 Acropolis Rally Greece
11 Sep 2023
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?
Toyota GR Yaris Gen 2 – front
News

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?

Our early impressions of the Gen 2 GR Yaris suggest that it’s an improvement in every area that counts, but can it be worth £18k more than an i20 N?
27 Mar 2024
The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8
Mercedes-AMG G63
News

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8

Some of Affalterbach’s range-toppers are swapping eight cylinders for four, but the AMG G-class retains its V8 for 2024
26 Mar 2024
Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader
Land Rover Defender OCTA – front
News

Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader

The OCTA promises to be the fastest, toughest and most capable Defender yet when it launches later this year
26 Mar 2024