Your options for an “affordable” homologation car are getting more limited by the day. With the collector car market paying a lot of attention to those limited-production models meant to satisfy the requirements of various racing bodies that deemed a certain number of road-going versions of competition vehicles be produced, the horse has already left the barn in many cases. The E30 BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth are the ones we chat about most often here, but the seller of this 1989 Lancia Delta Integrale 16V listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $55,000 has gone a step further and snagged one of the hottest rally cars ever built for road-going use from overseas.
Which does make you wonder why he’s already considering selling it. Regardless, it may simply be time for something equally as exciting or, potentially, less of a pain to buy parts for. The Lancia Delta HF Integrale was one of the most significant Group A cars built for the World Rally Championship (WRC) and it continued to evolve into an increasingly more powerful and competitive vehicle. The first versions were front-wheel drive and a small turbocharged engine, followed shortly thereafter by the HF Integrale 8V and 16V, the latter of which is shown here. With AWD and a rear Torsen limited-slip differential, it was suddenly packing the hardware to back up those racy box flares.
The most desirable version is the Delta Evo, which is the crown jewel in the company’s lineup of limited-production road cars. Sadly, you missed the last train out of Saigon in that instance since you can’t touch cars for under six figures. In the case of the seller’s 16V, this is likely the next best thing to an Evo that is still available at a somewhat attainable price. The 16V cars produced around 200 horsepower, and interestingly. the bias of the AWD system also shifted more power to the rear. So, all told, you have a more powerful car with a highly engaging drivetrain that handles and steers the way a rally car should. Oh, and 0-60 happens in under 6 seconds.
There are times when I look at a car like this and think I should sell off a few vehicles to experience a truly iconic vehicle that will soon be as unobtainable as the Evo. Then, I start doing the math and the machinations of selling a few vehicles, and then having to understand a whole new language as it relates to a brand I’ve never owned before, and – well, you get tired. It’s a ridiculously cool car that my heavily 80s-addicted brain desperately wants to put in the pole barn that also doesn’t exist yet in my backyard, so for now, enjoy this slice of rally history, available for a short time on U.S. shores.
What’s not to love? For my taste, the “rally” livery, for one. Too many decals and add-on lights in front scream “boy racer,” and my days as a boy are long over.
But the car underneath all that? Terrific! I drove a standard Delta in Europe years ago, and it was a decent little sedan. I can only imagine how much the engine/suspension upgrades and AWD made it.
Assuming the mechanical condition matches the exterior (“A few small issues” is a bit off-putting), 55 Large is not so bad. I’d love to put some miles on this!
Got that right Ray ✅️ 👍