Lancia, a once dominant force in the rally world, has fallen from grace. Founded in 1986 by Fiat racing drivers Vincenzo Lancia and Claudio Fogolin, the Italian automaker’s legacy is intertwined with the history of Italian automotive excellence. Lancia pioneered innovations like the V4 and V6 engines, contributing significantly to the evolution of the automotive industry.
The brand’s greatest achievements came from rallying. With ten constructors’ titles in the Rally Championship, Lancia’s dominance in the sport was unparalleled. Their iconic Delta S4, a homologation special designed for both competition and road use, remains one of the most legendary rally cars ever created.
However, Lancia’s glory days faded in the early 1990s. The brand’s focus shifted away from motorsport, and its product lineup dwindled. Today, Lancia offers a single production model, the Ypsilon, a far cry from the exhilarating performance cars of their past.
Despite their current state, Lancia’s recent announcement of a return to rallying with an electric Ypsilon hints at a potential resurgence. While the challenge of recapturing their former glory is significant, Lancia’s storied history and passionate fanbase offer hope for a brighter future.
Following their narrow defeat in the 1985 WRC constructor’s title, Lancia and Abarth started on a mission to create a new Group B contender that would dominate the series. The result was the Delta S4, a radical departure from its predecessor, the 037.
The S4 featured a lightweight carbon fiber chassis, advanced suspension, and a powerful 4WD system developed in collaboration with English experts Hewland. Unlike the road-going Delta, the S4 was a two door, fiberglass bodied machine designed solely for performance.
To meet homologation requirements, Abarth produced a limited run of 200 street-legal Stradale versions. While the Stradale shared the S4’s striking exterior, its interior was more refined, featuring amenities like air conditioning and power steering to make it suitable for daily driving.
The dashboard, bucket seats, and Abarth three spoke steering wheel were all unique to the S4 Stradale, and most of the interior was upholstered in Alcantara. The majority of Stradales received tan upholstery, but in several examples, red Alcantara was used.
The Delta S4 Stradale’s dual-boost setup was a groundbreaking solution to the limitations of traditional superchargers and turbochargers. Superchargers provide instant boosts, but their efficiency drops at higher RPMs. Turbochargers, on the other hand, offer substantial power gains at higher RPMs but suffer from lag at lower RPMs. By combining both systems, Abarth engineers created a powertrain that provided exceptional performance across the entire rev range.
The Delta S4 Stradale’s engine was initially tuned to produce a staggering 1,000 horsepower during testing. However, to ensure reliability and meet emissions standards, the rally version was limited to 480 horsepower, while the street legal Stradale model delivered 250 horsepower.
Despite this power reduction, the Delta S4 Stradale still offered impressive performance figures. It could accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just six seconds and reach a top speed of 140 mph.
Beyond its powerful engine, the Delta S4 Stradale also featured a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. This system, which included front and rear limited-slip differentials and a central viscous coupling, sent 30% of the power to the front wheels and 70% to the rear.
This setup provided excellent traction and handling, making the Delta S4 Stradale feel more agile and responsive than its raw power figures might suggest. The Delta S4 Stradale’s rarity and performance have made it a highly sought after collector’s car. Only 200 units were produced, and pristine examples are now extremely valuable.
While the Delta S4 Stradale may not be as well-known as some of its more iconic contemporaries, it undoubtedly deserves a place among the greatest homologation specials ever created. Its innovative engineering, exceptional performance, and timeless design make it a true automotive masterpiece.
