Lancia Delta HF Integrale

The story

Beneath the flared arches sits a Giorgetto Giugiaro 5-door that won European Car of the Year in 1980 and was mostly bought by ordinary families. When Group B was banned at the end of 1986, Lancia already had a compact, turbocharged, all-wheel-drive Delta on sale, and Group A's demand for 5,000 road cars did the rest. Every new version, from the 8-valve to the Evoluzione II, was the rally team asking for wider tracks, bigger brakes and more cooling, and the showroom car swelling to match.

The surprise is how civilized it feels. The upright glass gives superb visibility, the Recaro seats hold on like a handshake that never lets go, and the ride is firm rather than punishing. Below 2,500 rpm the engine is ordinary; above it the boost arrives in a rush, and a 47:53 front-to-rear torque split lets the rear axle help drive the car out of corners. There is no computer in the driveline, only gears, a viscous coupling and a Torsen rear, so it rewards anyone who slows early and squeezes the power on. Lancia built 44,296, and modern rules will never allow another.