Lancia Delta History
History
The first-generation Delta (Tipo 831), designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and launched in 1979, was a conventional five-door front-wheel-drive hatchback. It won the European Car of the Year award for 1980 and was a solid if unremarkable family car.
The Delta's legend came from its transformation into a rally weapon. The HF 4WD arrived for the 1987 WRC season, followed by the HF Integrale 8v (1988), HF Integrale 16v (1989), and the Integrale Evoluzione I and II (1991–1993). Each iteration extracted more power from the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder while refining the all-wheel-drive system. The result was six consecutive manufacturers' championships (1987–1992) — an unmatched record in WRC history. Total road-car Delta production across both generations ran from 1979 to 1994.
A road-going Integrale Evoluzione II remained on sale for homologation and enthusiast demand into 1994, even after Lancia officially withdrew from WRC competition following the 1992 season. The Integrale remains one of the most collectible Italian performance cars of the era.
Generations
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First generation (Tipo 831) · Tipo 831
Photo: “1982 Lancia Delta 1500 LX - Beige Chiaro Metallizzato, front left” by Mr.choppers / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
The Giugiaro-designed hatchback — 1980 Car of the Year, and the base for the HF Integrale rally dynasty (1987–1992 WRC champions).
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1982 Photo: “1982 Lancia Delta 1500 LX - Beige Chiaro Metallizzato, front left” by Mr.choppers / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
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1984 Photo: “1984 Lancia Delta LX 1300 front” by Rutger van der Maar / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY 2.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
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1989 Photo: “1989 Lancia Delta 1.3 LX (14402642167)” by Charlie from United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY 2.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
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1992 Photo: “1992 Lancia Delta EVO 2 Final Edition” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
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Body styles
- Hatchback
Notable special editions & performance variants
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HF 4WD
The first all-wheel-drive Delta rally homologation car; won the 1987 WRC Manufacturers' Championship in its debut season.
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HF Integrale 8v / 16v
Successive widebody evolution; the 16v version debuted for 1989 with 200 hp and wider arches, winning manufacturers' titles in 1989, 1990, and 1991.
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HF Integrale Evoluzione
The final, ultimate road Integrale — Evo I and Evo II, up to 215 hp, 'the most successful Group A car in WRC history'; Evo II available in limited Edizione Finale trim.
Related models