Lancia · 1979–2014

Lancia Delta

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.

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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

Second generation

The successor to the original Delta, the "Nuova Delta" (Tipo 836) — always referred to by Lancia as Lancia δ with the lower-case Greek letter — was introduced in 1993 and remained in production until 1999. It was designed at Turinese design and engineering studio I.DE.A Institute by Ercole Spada. Based on the tipo Due platform of the Fiat Tipo, the Nuova Delta was targeted at customers interested in comfort and convenience. No four-wheel drive second generation Deltas were produced; the most powerful HF performance variants with up to 193 PS (142 kW; 190 hp) remained front-wheel drive. History. The first generation Delta had been given a second lease on life by its rallying successes, but by the 1990s it was over ten years old and due for replacement; its four-door saloon sibling, the Prisma, had already been replaced by the Lancia Dedra. Development and tooling work for the Tipo 836 Delta lasted five years and, according to a statement by Fiat CEO Paolo Cantarella, required an investment of 700 billion Lire. Projected sales numbers were 60,000 a year, half of them exports. Launch. The second generation Delta's world première was held at the March 1993 Geneva Motor Show, alongside that of the final "Evo 2" HF Integrale. Sales commenced in May. Initially the Nuova Delta was offered with three engines and outputs varying from 76 to 142 PS (56 to 104 kW; 75 to 140 hp): an entry level SOHC 1.6-litre, and two DOHC inline fours with Lancia's twin counter rotating balance shafts, an eight-valve 1.8 L and a 16-valve 2.0 L. Trim level were three: base and LE for the 1.6 and 1.8, base and richer LS for two-litre models. The sportier 2.0 HF was also unveiled in Geneva, and went on sale in September; it used a version of the 16-valve 2.0 L equipped with a Garrett T3 turbocharger an

Third generation

In September 2006, Lancia announced the revival of the Delta name, with new cars to be built on the Fiat C platform. The world première of the new HPE concept followed, held at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival. The new Lancia Delta (Type 844) was finally unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. The Lancia brand was reintroduced to the Scandinavian, Russian, and Turkish markets in 2007. The new Delta was also intended for a proposed return by Lancia to the UK market during 2009. However, due to an economic downturn, plans were shelved until Fiat bought Chrysler. As the car had been engineered for RHD already, the decision was made in 2010 to bring both the new Delta and Lancia's Ypsilon into the UK and Ireland rebranded as Chryslers and to sell them through the UK Chrysler dealer network. At the 2010 North American International Auto Show, the Chrysler branded version of the Delta was unveiled as a concept car for a potential North American release. Delta as well as being an historical name from Lancia's past was also being interpreted this time around by Lancia as a mathematical symbol that stands for change, difference and evolution. Designed by the Lancia Style Centre, this car was aimed at the luxury end of the small family car segment. The Delta's wheelbase of 2,700 mm (106.3 in) is 100 mm (3.9 in) more than the related Fiat Bravo. It has five doors and can be considered either a hatchback or an estate (see Hatchback vs. Station wagon). Features. The new Delta offered a number of options and equipment including a Bose Hi-Fi radio incorporating a CD player and MP3 file reader with steering-wheel mounted controls, the Blue&Me system developed with Microsoft, and a new satellite navigation system developed with Magneti Marelli. Further technical equipment inc

Fourth generation

The production of the new Lancia Delta, fourth generation, is expected in late 2028. The main engine options available will be hybrid and fully electric. The production is scheduled at the factory in Cassino, Frosinone.

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Specifications

name: Lancia Delta
Manufacturer: Fiat Auto (1979–1986; 1991–1999), Alfa-Lancia Industriale (1987–1991), Fiat Group Automobiles (2008–2014)
Production: 1979–1999, 2008–2014
Class: Small family car (C)
Body style: Hatchback
Layout: Transverse front-engine, front-wheel-drive, Transverse four-wheel-drive

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q897994CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_DeltaCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1371378579 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lancia_Delta.JPGCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Thomas doerfer · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.