Ralph Gilles, the designer behind muscle cars at Stellantis, acquired his 1992 Lancia Delta Integrale Evoluzione from Japan in 2018 after spotting it on a car website. This marked the beginning of a six-year love affair with the vehicle.
Manufactured in Europe in the final year of homologation rally cars, the Lancia Delta was designed by the renowned Giorgetto Giugaro and had a significant rally pedigree, with Lancia halting rally development after winning the World Rally Championship in 1991, marking their 6th success.
Gilles, known for his role as the Chief Design Officer at Stellantis, recognized the uniqueness of the Lancia Delta Integrale Evoluzione. Seeking a departure from the HEMI V8 engines he worked with professionally, Gilles sought out a heritage car, ultimately choosing the Lancia for its rally-bred DNA and impressive racing history.
Upon acquiring the vehicle, Gilles embarked on a project to enhance its performance, focusing on rebuilding the turbocharged 2.0-liter DOHC inline-four engine.
Upgrades included Colombo & Bariani camshafts, an Eprom Fast Road ECU chip, a Walker Garage exhaust manifold, and a high-flow catalytic converter, aiming to maximize the car’s capabilities.
Maintaining its rally-inspired features, the Lancia Delta Integrale Evoluzione boasted all-wheel-drive functionality through a five-speed manual transaxle, Ferguson viscous coupling center lock differential, and Torsen limited-slip rear differential. Gilles also replaced the clutch kit to ensure optimal performance.
Externally, the car sported striking Rosso Monza paint and Evo-specific bodywork, including boxed fender flares and an adjustable spoiler. The interior featured Recaro seats, a MOMO Corse steering wheel, and a Veglia instrument cluster displaying essential metrics.
With less than 63,000 miles traveled over 32 years, the Lancia Delta Integrale Evoluzione was listed for sale on Bring a Trailer, accompanied by manufacturer literature, service records, and spare parts.
With bidding reaching $40,000 and three days remaining in the auction, the car had the potential to reach the $100,000 mark, reflecting its sought-after status on the used car market.