It all began in 1979 when Giorgetto Giugiaro designed the Lancia Delta. The commission came from the parent company FIAT, which wanted a competitive car to take a slice of the compact car market away from its major competitor in Wolfsburg. Launched as a rival to the Golf, the Delta was voted ‘Car of the Year’ by journalists in 1980, the very next year. Another six years passed in which the Delta served as a reliable family car and Golf competitor. Until 1987, when necessity became a virtue: the mid-1980s was the era of Group B monsters in the World Rally Championship, and Lancia battled it out with Audi for the world championship crown with the Delta S2 and S4. The only thing the Lancia Delta S4 had in common with the production Delta was its name. This was, of course, due to the FIA's generous regulations at the time. The cars produced up to 500 hp – some even more – and that with a vehicle weight of 890 kilograms! This brutal performance also led to the demise of Group B: accidents became increasingly frequent, and rally drivers were hardly able to control these monsters. The tragic climax came in 1986 at the Corsica Rally, when Lancia drivers Toivonen/Cresto veered off the track and were killed. Group B was subsequently banned from rallying by the FIA and a production-based Group A was introduced. In October 1986, Lancia unveiled the Delta HF 4WD, which was ideal for this new class. According to the regulations of the motorsport authority, Lancia had to build 5’000 units of the Delta HF 4WD in order to participate in Group A. This was no problem, and so the Delta HF 4WD was able to compete in its first rally in 1987. What was intended as a stopgap solution turned out to be ideal – while its opponents took to the starting line with converted front-wheel drive cars, Lancia left the competition behind with its Delta models. At the opening rally in Monte Carlo, it took the first two places and the HF 4WD went from victory to victory. Lancia ended the season with its factory Delta in first to third place in the overall standings. This was the beginning of a glorious era. Despite this superiority, the Italians developed a successor during the 1987 season that was to be much more geared towards rallying. The new Delta HF came with a number of improvements. The drive concept remained the same except for a few changes, but a larger turbocharger was used on the engine. The fenders were widened to accommodate the wide rims, and modified engine electronics were used. All that remained was to find a suitable name for the Delta. Originally, they wanted to use the name ‘quattro’, but this was protected by Audi. So, they came up with the name ‘integrale’ from integrazione, which stood for integrated drive (four-wheel drive). With incredible dominance, this Delta also ruled the rally scene, and Lancia once again took the top three places in the overall standings with its drivers. At the IAA in Frankfurt at the end of 1991, Lancia presented the next stage of development of the HF Integrale. The Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16V Evoluzione not only thrilled the audience there, but also the racing teams. The vehicle was once again considerably wider, the track was wider, and the car was given a new suspension. In addition, there was a roof spoiler that was variably adjustable. For the so-called ‘green countries’, the Evo was only delivered as an 8V because the 16V was not yet available as a catalytic converter variant. The Evo I offered here comes from a Swiss delivery and is one of the 8V models with a catalytic converter. According to the available documentation, the Delta was built in 1991, sold by Fiat Auto (Suisse) S.A. in Geneva on 23 April 1992 and first registered on 29 April. In 2006, with 131’000 km on the clock, the Lancia was acquired from its first owner by an enthusiast from the canton of Vaud. Over the following years, he ensured that it was regularly serviced before selling the Delta in February 2019 to the consignor – a collector with Italian roots. With a love of detail, the latter set about restoring the Lancia to its former glory – the last available square meters of the original material for the seat covers were purchased and the seats were restored. Original parts such as the steering wheel, sun visors and covers for the glove compartment and ashtray were procured and installed, and the car underwent technical refurbishment. As the owner was still not satisfied with the result, he decided to have the Delta completely rebuilt by FCA Heritage in Italy in June 2019, with 167’000 kilometers on the clock. The engine was completely overhauled, the entire mechanics and suspension were refurbished, the electrical system was renewed, and the body was restored and repainted in its original colour, ‘Blu madras’. More than two years and around CHF 100’000 later, the Evo I was brought back to Switzerland in almost mint condition and registered as a veteran car. Of course, the restoration was extensively documented – since then, only 4’500 kilometres have been covered and the little speedster still has an FCA HERITAGE STELLANTIS Manufacturer warranty until mid-2026. The FCA Heritage department, based in Turin at the Mirafiori Abarth factory, is also expecting the vehicle in spring 2026 for maintenance and fine-tuning, including polishing after the restoration. The Delta comes with many invoices dating back to 2007, Lancia Classiche ‘Certificato di autenticità’, the ‘Certificazione di autenticità’ folder, a complete set of rare original spare wheels with winter tyres, a brand-new ski rack from old stock, several rare spare parts, the last remaining original spare fabric for the interior, original Lancia keys and much more. With 171’900 kilometers on the clock and its last MOT as a veteran vehicle in October 2022, this fantastic Delta HF Integrale is in excellent condition and is a must-have for any well-stocked Lancia collection.