1993 Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II

This car, Lot 361, sold for $52,797 including buyer’s premium, at Silverstone Auctions’ The May Sale in Silverstone, Northamptonshire, U.K., on May 13, 2017.

Sport compact cars came into full flower in the 1990s, and the Europeans enjoyed several brands and models that never made it over to the United States.

Now that the requisite 25 years have passed since these cars were new, importing them to the United States has become dramatically easier. Thus, the Lancia Delta Integrale Evo —and its much-less-expensive cousin Alfa Romeo 155 Q4 — are about to become quite collectible.

The main factor working on the Lancia’s behalf is its status as an FIA homologation model. For those who might not be familiar with this concept, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile is the governing body for most motorsports in Europe and America.

To enter a production car in racing events such as the World Rally Championship, the FIA demands that car be produced in sufficient numbers to be considered a publicly available model.

In the case of the Lancia Delta Integrale Evoluzione II, there were about 2,481 cars built in 1993 and 1994. That’s far more than the 214 cars produced to homologate the similar Audi Quattro Sport rally car a decade earlier. That difference in production numbers accounts for some of the price gap between the sky-high Audis and the affordable Lancias.

But what you’re getting here is the real road-going version of the car Lancia was using to win rallies in the early ’90s.

Some serious kit

The specs on the Evo II are impressive. The engine displaces 1,995 cc and has a native compression ratio of just 8:1, designed to be supplemented with about 14.5 psi (1 bar) of boost. With dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, the engine is rated at 215 horsepower and 227 foot-pounds of torque.

Engine management happens courtesy of a Marelli integrated system with timed multipoint fuel injection, knock sensor, and full computer control of spark, fuel, and boost.

The Lancia comes with a 5-speed manual transmission and full-time all-wheel drive. There’s a viscous limited-slip device in the center position enforcing a 47%/53% front-to-rear torque split, and a heavy-duty torque-sensing limited-slip rear differential. The Lancia has a top speed of 145.75 mph at 6,000 rpm.

The car’s front suspension is a heavy-duty McPherson strut design. The Evo also has a lightweight independent rear suspension with double transverse arms — plus trailing arms with coil-spring struts. Four-piston fixed calipers squeeze the front brakes, and single-piston floating calipers serve the rear, aided by a Bosch ABS system.

Ready to drive, the Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II weighs in at 2,954 pounds, and will accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.7 seconds.

The Evo II looks the part of a hot hatch, with striking lines, box flares, a roof-mounted rear spoiler and 16-inch alloy wheels. The interior is just as evocative, with a custom Momo three-spoke steering wheel and race-styled seats upholstered in Alcantara.

Special editions galore

If you go shopping for one of these cars, note that about half of the production total came in the form of various special editions. For the most part, these were paint-and-upholstery appearance packages, but a few received special equipment. The Dealer’s Collection edition (179 cars) came with push-button start and a passenger’s foot brace.

The Final Edition (250 cars) got a special rear strut brace. The Gialla Ginestra edition (515 cars) all got air conditioning and a black Alcantara interior.

The price is right

Our subject car’s sale is right in line with several other sales completed over the past two years — when prices for these cars took a dramatic jump over prior bids.

Note that the Martini 5 and 6 special editions issued to commemorate the Lancia’s World Rally Championship wins typically trade for around $150,000 — about three times the price of a basic Evo.

There were 400 of the Martini 5 and 310 of the Martini 6 special editions made, turned out in traditional Martini white with blue and red stripes. Actual Lancia WRC Group A rally cars bring much higher prices than any of the road-going homologation cars.

The bottom line on the Lancia Delta Integrale Evoluzione II (and all its related siblings) is that these cars offer spectacular performance, reasonable comfort, a modern computer-controlled engine, and an honorable racing pedigree.

They’re rare enough to be a respectable part of any collection — but not so rare that they’re impossible to maintain or repair. Let the buying and importing commence. ♦

(Introductory description courtesy of Silverstone Auctions.)