31.07.2012 RARE GROUP B LANCIA DELTA S4 RALLY MACHINE COMES UP FOR SALE

LANCIA DELTA S4

This example has been listed on the website of prestige and classic car seller, duPont Registry, which tags it as a "1986 Lancia S4 Martini Racing rally car for sale. Immaculate, original, and very rare."

The brutal Lancia Delta S4 is one of rallying history's most iconic and rare machines, the final explosive evolution of the fearsome Group B era; and even more rarely does one of the handful built ever come up for sale.

This example has been listed on the website of prestige and classic car seller, duPont Registry, which tags it as a "1986 Lancia S4 Martini Racing rally car for sale. Immaculate, original, and very rare." According to the vendor's website it is up for sale for US$850,000 or offers.

The Lancia Delta S4 was built to conform to the dramatic Group B rally regulations and competed in the World Rally Championship in 1985 and 1986 in the hands of the Martini-sponsored factory Lancia team as well as being used by selected privateers, until the Group B cars were banned from competition by the FIA. The Delta S4 had replaced the equally-successful Group B Lancia 037 Rally as the Italian carmaker's front line rally machine.

The S4 took full advantage of the Group B regulations, and featured a mid-mounted engine and all wheel drive for superior traction and handling. The car's 1759 cc four cylinder engine combined supercharging and turbocharging to reduce turbo lag at low revs. Officially the car produced 550 horsepower (410 kW). Independent figures show the S4 could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) on gravel in just 2.3 seconds. An engine capacity multiple of 1.4 was applied to forced induction engines by the FIA and the choice of 1759 cc put the S4 in the under 2500 cc class which allowed a min weight of 890 kg (1,962 lb).

According to duPont Registry: "All maintenance completed, including all the mechanical parts (including oil and filter every time), 3,000 km [on the clock, it] is in immaculate condition. It was completely checked and re-tuned [in] 2009, (oil, filters, greasing, belts, clean injectors, fuel pumps, etc.). Please note that spare parts for this car are available, (these are also unavailable/very difficult to find at the moment). Serious inquiries only. Car is located in Italy. For the ultimate car collector."
 

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