Lancia Integrale: The Complete Story - Hardcover

Collins, Peter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1861265433 ISBN 13: 9781861265432

Publisher: The Crowood Press UK, 2004

Synopsis

The Lancia Delta Integrale is one of the best known and most successful rally cars there has ever been. Dominating the sport after the demise of Group B, the Integrale led the field from the mid-eighties to the early nineties. But these potent rally machines weren't just available to professional rally drivers. Because of the homologation rules that demanded that all Group A cars be taken from a production run of at least 1000 cars intended for sale to the general public, every new incarnation of the rally machine made another batch of road-going clones available. These cars - every bit as exciting as their off-road sisters - were and still are highly sought-after.

About this title

About the Author:

Born in London, Peter Collins has been a motoring journalist and photographer for fifteen years. He has a lifelong interest in motorsport and racing history and has been attending events worldwide since 1965. Co-founder and editor-at-large of Auto Italia magazine, he also contributes to American and other European magazines, as well as websites. Peter now lives in South London and travels extensively throughout the year covering motoring events of all disciplines and maintaining his close ties with racing people of all persuasions.

Review:

On of the country's leading automotive publishers, Veloce, has developed a sound reputation for the quality of its books and list of first-rate authors. Peter Collins is a case in point and his role as editor-at-large of Auto Italia Magazine certainly qualifies him as a solid resource for one of the more charismatics and now collectable Lancia models ever sold. Although the car's primary aim, when it was introduced in the early-1980s, was to contest the World Rally Championship, a specific number of road-going examples of the Delta Integrale had to be produced to satisfy the demands of vehicle homologation, which made it legal to rally. Although its design originated int he early-1970s, competition success eluded it until almost twenty years later. As a compact hatchback, it packed a powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and 4WD into its tightly blistered dimensions. Fortunately, the book highlights the development of Lancia and the Delta, from initial Ital Design concept, to ultimate hot hatch development, reflecting on the personalities and drivers that gave the car its marketplace. Although conceived initially as an Italian rival to the VW Golf, it is clear that Latin passions, ignited invariably by competition suddens, would carry the Delta Integrale to fresh peaks. Today, the car is a collector's delight and mint originals fetch strong money, while competition alternatives continue to set higher bars on the value front. Highly sought after and recognisable, the Lancia Delta Integrale is a worthy subject and this excellent book is sure to get support from dedicated brand fans, as well as broader motorsport enthusiasts. - Iain P W Robertson. Author Peter Collins and I go back a long way and over the years, as well as enjoying the odd drink together, have visited most European race tracks in each others company, and have even rallied to Monte Carlo in the same car, my Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF. You soon learn that Peter is not only passionate about Italian cars, but through his frequent trips to Turin and Milan, interviewing the good and the famous, has also become an acknowledged, if not leading, expert on the Lancia Integrale. The book itself is a gem, 160 pages crammed with facts, supported by informative illustrations, mostly colour images from the author's own collection. And by keeping peripheral early Lancia history to a minimum, maximum space is available to expanding the Delta story, from mundane family hatch-back and all the bits in between, before becoming six-time World Champion rally car. Good value and the ideal present. - Retro Speed. And so the Lancia story continues ... Veloce have released this new title covering the Lancia Delta Integrale (and HF4WD), again by author Peter Collins. And it very much follows in the same vein, with technical documents giving full technical specifications, cut-away diagrams of engines, suspensions, transmissions, many pictures, and descriptions of all the rallies entered. Exactly what you want. There are differences - the book is not attempting to be a pure rallying story. The Lancia Delta did not start out intended for rallying, but the 4WD version was the right car at the right time when Group B was abolished, and it was rallying requirements which then drove the development of the car, doing so much to change the perception of Lancia in the UK. So as well as pictures of rallying machines, there are plenty of pictures of road cars, as well as an interesting section detailing what to look for is you are looking to buy one (what faults might happen, what sounds to listen out for, what a particular rattle means), together with guide prices for the different versions from good to less good condition. Concept cars based on the same chassis are also covered. It is a great addition to the story of the Lancia, and a great record of these spectacular cars which defined an era of rallying. - www.silhouet.com. Lancia Delta that passion, not only in Italy. The umpteenth volume on the mythical Integrale comes from Great Britain. Written by an expert, Peter Collins, and with a foreword by Giorgio Pianta (reported in the first edition, dated 2003), this book represents an appointment not to be missed. - Autosprint. Italophile Peter Collins relates the development of the iconic Delta Integrale in some detail, both in competition and as a road car. He also covers a number of interesting one-offs and concepts that you may never have heard of, such as the cabrio built for the Agnelli family. The first edition was published 14 years ago, and it has been heavily updated with full colour images - many from the author's personal collection, which is a nice touch. - Classic & Sports Car. Peter Collins has put together a marvellous in-depth history of both the road car development and life story of the competition variants, the latter most memorable in the Martini colours. - Fleet Car Magazine. It's a capable thing, the Integrale, and this newly revised and updated book from Peter Collins, records the car's complete history including its creation and the background, covering both road and rally versions, and even the special editions of which there were more than a few. After dipping in value a few years ago they are now highly sought after again and continue to turn heads and this book is a fitting tribute. - tkc.

About this edition

• Publisher: The Crowood Press UK
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1861265433
• ISBN 13: 9781861265432
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192