The Lancia Delta (stylized Lancia δ) is a small family car produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Lancia in three generations. The first generation (1979–1994) debuted at the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show, the second generation (1993–1999) debuted at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show, and the third generation (2008–2014) debuted at 2008 Geneva Motor Show.
The first generation Delta dominated the World Rally Championship during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The homologation requirements of Group A regulations meant marketing road-going versions of these competition cars — the Lancia Delta HF 4WD and HF Integrale. A total of 44,296 Integrales were produced. Total production number of the Delta first generation was 478,645 cars.
First generation
The first Delta (Tipo 831) was a five-door hatchback, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and released in 1979. Between 1980 and 1982, it was also sold in Sweden, Denmark and Norway by Saab Automobile, badged as the "Saab-Lancia 600" to replace the retired 96 model. The Delta was voted the 1980 European Car of the Year.
A special Delta HF Integrale version was a four-wheel drive hot hatch with a turbocharged petrol engine. Modified versions of the HF dominated the World Rally Championship, scoring 46 victories overall and winning the Constructors' Championship a record six times in a row from 1987 to 1992, in addition to Drivers' Championship titles for Juha Kankkunen (1987 and 1991) and Miki Biasion (1988 and 1989).
The Lancia Delta S4, while sharing the same name and appearance, was a purpose-built racecar under Group B regulations, and was entirely different from the mass-produced consumer versions. The works team ran the Delta S4 immediately prior to the HF 4WD and Integrale models' world championship careers from the season-ending 1985 RAC Rally until the end of the 1986 season.
History
Development The car that would become the Delta during its development went by the project codename "Y 5", was conceived as an upmarket front-wheel drive small family car positioned below the larger Beta; an offering around four metres in length had been absent from Lancia's lineup since the demise of the Fulvia Berlina in 1973. This platform, derived from the platform of the Fiat Ritmo, with different suspension and more welding points, for a stiffer chassis.
Design was by Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign. Its platform put together MacPherson suspension developed for the Beta with four-cylinder, SOHC engines derived from the Fiat Ritmo. The Fiat engines were revised by Lancia engineers with Weber twin-choke carburettors, new inlet manifolds, exhaust systems and electronic ignitions, changes that combined to produce , ten more horsepower than the same engines did in the Ritmos. To achieve its market positioning the Delta offered features uncommon in the segment, as fully independent suspension, rack and pinion steering, available air conditioning, an optional split-folding rear seat, a height-adjustable steering wheel, and a defogger. Its three-piece body-coloured bumpers made from polyester resin sheet moulding compound were claimed by Lancia to be a first in the industry. The heating and ventilation were developed with help from Saab, experts in the field, who also claimed to have had a hand in the rust proofing of the Delta.Pirotte, p. 43 It was also thanks to Saab that the split-folding rear seats were developed and the bootlid was extended all the way down to the bumper, simplifying loading and unloading.
Debut While details about the car were known since the spring, the Lancia Delta was unveiled to the public at the September 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show, At launch three models were offered: the base Delta 1300 four-speed, with a 1,301 cc 75 PS (55 kW) engine and simplified equipment, Delta 1300 five-speed, which added more features and an overdrive fifth gear for cruising, and Delta 1500, with a 1,498 cc 85 PS (62.6 kW) engine and a five-speed gearbox. The Delta was met with a warm reception at the Frankfurt unveiling by the Italian and German press; in December it was awarded the European Car of the Year for 1980 recognition by a jury of 53 automotive journalists from 16 European countries.
Sales started in October 1979; 43,000 were sold in 1980, and by the end of 1981 production had exceeded 100,000. At the beginning of 1982 as an automatic transmission option was added, the 1500 Automatica; its three-speed was built by Lancia in the Verrone plant and was already being installed on Betas. In March the top-of-the-line 1500 LX trim level joined the lineup; it featured extended convenience equipment, metallic paint, 14-inch alloy wheels designed by Giugiaro and wool cloth upholstery in a chequered fabric specially designed by Italian fashion house Zegna. Two months after, the trim level was extended to the 1.3-litre engine, which simultaneously increased its output to 78 PS thanks to a raised compression ratio and electronic ignition.
1982 facelift
November 1982 brought the first facelift for the Delta. The bumpers were changed from three-piece sheet moulded compound to one-piece thermoplastic polymer, the front one was redesigned with a more prominent lower spoiler; another aerodynamic addition was a flat body-colour spoiler applied to the rear part of the roof. Other changes included the deletion of the anodised fascia between the rear tail lights and a 40 kg weight reduction on all models. Inside there were new seats and, on the range-topping model, an optional digital trip computer. Concurrently the Delta GT 1600 was launched, the car's first sporting variant. It was powered by a 1,585 cc, 105 PS DOHC engine with Marelli Digiplex ignition; lower profile tyres, retuned suspension and disk brakes on all four wheels completed the package. Standard equipment was the richest available and some optionals like air conditioning were exclusive to the GT; the cabin was upholstered in Zegna cloth. Outside details like a "GT" badge on the right side of the grille, matte black door handles and window trim distinguished it from other Deltas. As the five-speed 1500, four-speed 1300 and LX versions were dropped, the latter only to be reintroduced in April 1984 on the 1300 LX, with revised equipment, the range was now composed of three models. On 9 March 1984 the 200,000th Delta left the Chivasso factory.
Delta HF
The first true performance-oriented Delta was the Delta HF, which was introduced in July 1983 and went on sale in September after a first appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The HF acronym—last used on the Stratos—stands for "high fidelity", and had been applied to sports and racing variants of Lancia cars since 1966.Pirotte, p. 36 It is front-wheel drive and powered by a turbocharged version of the 1.6-litre engine from the Delta GT; the system consists of a Garrett TBO-225 turbocharger with wastegate valve, an air-to-air heat exchanger, a blow-through twin-choke Weber carburetor and Marelli Microplex ignition with pre-ignition control. To withstand the additional stress deriving from turbocharging, upgrades were made to the oil system, with increased capacity and an oil cooler, and to the cylinder heads with sodium-filled valves. The gearbox is a ZF five-speed unit. Dampers, springs and steering were retuned, and the tyres are wide 175/65 Michelin TRX on R 340 alloy wheels.
The exterior of the HF is relatively understated: changes were limited to silver "HF" badging on the grille, a deeper chin spoiler, black trim as on the GT, black roof drip rail mouldings, black side skirts with small silver "turbo" badges in front of the rear wheels, the 1982 roof spoiler painted in black, air intake cowls on the bonnet grilles, bronze-tinted glass and eight-spoke alloy wheels. The cabin features a leather-covered steering wheel and supplementary digital instrumentation with bar indicators; the upholstery material is the usual beige Zegna fabric, and Recaro sport seats covered in the same cloth were optional. About ten-thousand Delta HFs were made, in a two-year production period.
A special limited edition of the HF, named "HF Martini", was launched at the March 1984 Geneva Motor Show. To celebrate the rally victories of the Lancia-Martini Rally 037 it was painted white with a Martini stripe on the sides below the door handles, and carried Martini-coloured badging; Recaro sport seats were standard. Only 150 were produced between 1984 and 1985.
Delta HF turbo In October 1985 Lancia unveiled, alongside the road-going Delta S4, a new version of the HF, renamed Delta HF turbo in advance of the four-wheel-drive awaited coming in summer 1986. To address some criticisms the car was given less subdued styling features and more generous equipment to differentiate: red "HF turbo" scripts on the grille, the side skirts and the rear hatch, a three-spoke sport steering wheel, dual wing mirrors, a two-colour pinstripe along the mid-bodyside character line and Pirelli P6 tyres on 14-inch Cromodora alloy wheels with a new eight-hole design. Price, technical specifications, and performance remained mostly unchanged. The HF Turbo remained on sale alongside the more powerful four-wheel-drive HF models when they were introduced.
1986 facelift
The HF turbo soon lost its crown as top-of-the-range Delta, as the turbocharged 2.0-litre and four-wheel drive Delta HF 4WD was unveiled at the April 1986 Turin Motor Show. Some of the features of the HF 4WD previewed a major mid-cycle refresh for the entire Delta range, announced in May 1986 and put on sale in June. New enveloping bumpers—the front one with provisions for integrated fog lights—gave the car a more modern look; the entire front end was changed with a new grille and new headlight covers, which were slanted forward and protruded from the bodywork in an effort to make the car more aerodynamic. The roof spoiler introduced in 1982 was removed.
Seven models composed the 1986 range: 1.3, LX 1.3, 1.5 Automatica, GT i.e., HF turbo, HF 4WD and turbo ds. The entry-level model was the 1.3; the 1,301 cc engine had revised intake and exhaust system, fuel cut-off, a new carburettor and breakerless ignition. It was also available on the more upscale Delta LX 1.3. Similar changes were made to the powertrain of the Delta 1.5 Automatica.
The Delta GT and HF turbo were each given Weber IAW integrated electronic ignition and fuel injection system to become the Delta GT i.e. and the Delta HF turbo i.e., with 108 PS and 140 PS respectively. Deeper changes had been made to the GT i.e. engine: the cylinder head had been rotated 180°, bringing the exhaust side to the front for better cooling, and the whole engine was canted forward 18° to lower its centre of mass height.
The Delta HF turbo was updated to HF 4WD looks and interior, from which it differed mainly for the square headlights and single exhaust.
The Delta turbo ds marked the introduction of the first diesel engine on the Delta. This was a 1,929 cc eight-valve four-cylinder from the Prisma, with an output of 80 PS; it used a KKK turbocharger with wastegate valve, an intercooler and an oil cooler. Lancia positioned the turbo ds as an elegant-sporting model like the GT i.e., giving it similar option availability, the same grey-beige chequered Zegna cloth upholstery and complete instrumentation—which included oil pressure and boost pressure gauges. If not in performance, the turbo ds surpassed its petrol sibling in equipment, with side skirts from the HF turbo and standard power steering.
In September 1987 the HF 4WD was replaced by the more capable Delta HF integrale, which in turn evolved into the 16-valve Delta HF integrale 16v in March 1989.
A new sporty trim level for the 1.3 was added in May 1990, the Delta Personalizzata, available in red or white with contrasting twin pinstripe and electric blue cloth upholstery; standard equipment comprised body-colour wing mirrors, tachometer, clock and sport steering wheel.