Description
This car is Lot 148 to be auctioned by Bonhams|Cars at Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris Sale on 6 February, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Public Viewing:
Available Tuesday 4 February from 08:00 until 18:00 and Wednesday 5 February from 9 AM - 6 PM, at The Grand Palais Historique, Paris.
Lot 148
Remarkably low mileage
1985 Lancia Delta S4 Stradale
Registration no.
Chassis no. ZLA038AR0. 00000017
One of 71 examples believed to have been built
Sold new by Coombs of Guildford (UK)
Rare Nero Metallizato paintwork and Alcantara Verde
Same owner for 25 years
Complete with its original set of accessories
The fight for the Group B crown raged from the introduction of the class in 1982 until it was dropped, not much later, at the end of the 1986 season. Nonetheless, the carmakers Audi, Citroën, Fiat, Ford, Lancia, Opel, Peugeot and Rover invested massively in this practically unlimited category. Encouraged by the lack of restrictions in other rally classes, innovative automobile technologies, such as all-wheel drive, "twincharging" and the use of space-age materials like Kevlar found their place in some homologation and racing vehicles that remain legendary to this day.
Riding high on the success of the 037, Lancia's directors launched a project for its replacement for the 1986 season, in order to retire the rear drive vehicle in favour of a four-wheel drive. Competition was indeed stiff, Audi and Peugeot made life difficult for the 037 in the 1984 and 1985 seasons; it was urgent to launch the new Delta S4.
The goal: build the lightest but also most powerful car possible, and Lancia's and Abarth's engineers' inventiveness deftly met this need. First, the choice was made to race under regulations for engines with turbocompressors, while engine capacity was limited to 1, 785cm3, the weight could be as low as 890kg. The chassis was therefore designed based on a CroMoly tubular frame. Reinforced with an aluminium alloy, the steel frame was then covered in epoxy and carbon-kevlar body panels. The suspension pivot points were welded directly to sections of the tubular frame, simplifying maintenance and repairs during rallies. In the same way, this tubular solution offered easier access to the powertrain, again with the purpose of saving time during race assistance.
In mechanical terms, Lancia opted for a rear mid-mounted four-cylinder oversquare engine of 1, 759cc. The S4's great innovation was to have combined two very different forced induction technologies to obtain combined benefits. The turbo allowed for high power at high engine speeds but suffered from a response time that was too long to boost performance at low engine speeds. The choice was therefore made to add a volumetric supercharger to smooth power and torque across the engine's range.
The result, an extremely high-performance car that won its first official race, the RAC Rally, in 1985, before winning the 1986 Monte Carlo, then having its career cut short by the fatal accident that befell Toivonen and Cresto at the Tour de Corse that same year. Group B would not continue after that, as it was judged to be too dangerous.
With a stated output of 450hp for Group B versions, the engines of the homologation versions were set to produce 247hp at 6, 750rpm and with torque of 292Nm at 4, 500rpm. All this was transmitted to all four wheels via a five-speed mechanical gearbox, with a front/ rear torque distribution of 30/ 70. While the racing and homologation versions were intended to be as similar as possible, the Delta S4 Stradale was endowed with a more soundproof, almost luxurious, cockpit! Two seats designed by Zagato were upholstered in Alcantara, as were the door panels and headliner. The road-going S4 also had power steering and air conditioning.
Although 200 models were to be homologated based on the Group B car, the prohibitive price ended up limiting the S4 Stradale's commercial success, and only 71 cars appear to have been sold, between 1985 and 1990. For economic reasons, the rest of the cars produced were likely destroyed, or sold for parts, to avoid high guarantee costs.
Produced in 1985, this Lancia Delta S4 Stradale, chassis 0017, engine 0059 and Savio number 3032, was sold new in London by Coombs of Guildford on 4 August 1987 to one Paul Dawson. Priced at £44, 442, as confirmed by the original invoice from the file, the Delta was painted Nero Metallizzato with Alcantara Verde upholstery. It was acquired by Mr Jean-Christian G. and imported to France in 1990, when it had 2, 420km on the clock. It then took two years to homologate the S4, as the model was unknown to the Service des Mines (French homologation service). As such, the file includes much correspondence between Mr G., the Service des Mines and the various Lancia/ Fiat offices, all to register the car in France. In the end, it was the DGM 51831 OM homologation document, included in the file, that allowed the Delta to be registered in France on 26 October 1992. The current owner, a friend of Mr G., has had the car since 2000 and keeps it in a heated garage, continuing to run and maintain it regularly, ensuring its conservation over the years. Although it only has 5, 600km on the clock today, it is up to date with its services and was driven for the photo shoot for our catalogue.
Accompanied by a weighty file on its history, it will also be sold with its French registration document (carte grise) and all its original accessories, including its two keys, user manual, wallet, spare parts catalogue, and its tool kit, spare wheel and jack.
This is a rare opportunity to acquire a homologated model, one that has never been modified, or even repainted, during its life. Cosseted by a loving owner, this model is exceptionally well-preserved, including its underbody, photos of which are available in the condition report.
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams|Cars website for all pertinent auction information.
