Good Find Friday features interesting vehicles we’ve found for sale while conducting market analysis or appraisal research. They are not for sale by Wolf and Mare and we have no business relationship with the sellers. We just think they’re worth learning about and sharing with our readers!

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Back in 2018 I purchased my first Italian car — a 1989 Lancia Delta HF integrale 16v. I sold my 1984 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera Targa to get it, which I somewhat regret based on how G-body 911 prices have skyrocketed, but I really wanted something more rare in my collection. A few years later, I sold the integrale at auction in Florida because I rarely drove it. Taking advantage of the pandemic boom in prices was a factor, but I also had too many cars at the time. I sometimes miss my little Lancia, and today’s Good Find Friday is a very tempting potential replacement.

The Lancia Delta HF integrale was developed as a homologation model for Group A rally competition, evolving from the earlier Delta HF 4WD and serving as the foundation for one of the most successful rally programs of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Built on the compact Delta hatchback platform, the integrale combined a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with permanent all-wheel drive and underwent continual development throughout its production life. Successive variants included the original 8-valve integrale, the 16-valve integrale, the integrale Evoluzione I, and the Evoluzione II, each receiving increases in power along with revisions to suspension, braking, and drivetrain components. The most common way to recognize the various models is through the car’s continually swelling box fenders and hood bulge.

While all versions shared the same basic formula of turbocharged performance and all-weather traction, the model’s specifications evolved in parallel with Lancia’s motorsport efforts and changing homologation requirements. The original 1987 integrale 8V “no Kat” represented the first stage of this development, pairing a catalyst-free 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with widened bodywork, revised suspension, and a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system that established the template for every integrale that followed.

This shiny red 1988 Lancia Delta integrale 8V is currently listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace out of Shady Side, Maryland with an asking price of $29,500.

Per the owner’s lengthy description, the car has recently been treated to rust repair and a complete repaint of the exterior in Rosso Monza. Based on the limited photos (of which there are just a handful), the car looks good and straight. The 8V has a distinctive flat hood compared to the later 16V, which features a prominent hood bulge to clear the engine. Notably, the car has a sunroof. My integral was a slicktop, which I vastly prefer (My car was a slicktop). Given my needs for headroom, that knocks me out of contention for the car.

I’ve always preferred the integrales with Alcantara interiors that featured Missoni fabric inserts. It’s just SO Italian. The perforated pillow Alcantara on other trims is nice, but a tad boring. The seats in this car look pretty good, but be aware they pill and wear very easily. The rear seat area appears to be piled with parts including a spare O.Z. Racing wheel. It’s hard to tell what steering wheel is mounted as well (it’s not factory) and whether the radio trim bezel is in 6 pieces — a common issue on these.

I can’t figure out the gauge cluster on this one. Most are in kilometers only, but this car features MPH indices. I’m going to assume the primary digits are KM, which means the odometer reads 82,770 kilometers or 51,431 miles. That’s pretty low mileage, but with the build quality of these cars being so-so from the factory, I’m not surprised it needed some exterior freshening.

The car’s been fitted with O.Z. Racing Rally wheels instead of the stock diamond-cut multi-hole wheels. The tires are Nittos in 205/50R15 with no manufacturing dates noted. No engine photos are included, sadly. This would be nice, as the car apparently has a plethora of recent work including an upgraded Group N engine and fresh master cylinder, sump gasket, timing belt, water pump, battery and radiator. The service and repair list is truly impressive, but the work isn’t finished.

I marked this car as a “project” as according to the seller the steering rack needs a complete rebuild and a new door handle as well as some finishing touches on the exterior. Essentially, you can’t drive it home.

Unlike many cars, the Lancia Delta integrale didn’t really take off during the pandemic, at least the more common 8V and 16V variants. EVO I and EVO II examples experienced a bit of a bump, followed by a correction, and are now seeing some big money again. If a six-figure integrale is out of reach, consider an 8V or 16V. The driving experience is very similar, but you do miss out on some of the aggressive body styling of the EVO cars.

Values for the 8V and 16V may not be increasing, but they also appear to be very stable over the last 6-8 years. So is today’s car a good value? Maybe. Prices for 8V Lancia Delta integrales can reach into the $30Ks. If you have a perfect condition car with desirable driving upgrades after repairs, you may break even should you sell soon after. The 16V is almost double the 8V in price, but the latter is often described as more fun to drive.

The seller claims this car is the first Lancia Delta integrale to be imported to the United States. As Kip says in Napoleon Dynamite: “Like anyone can even know that.” Such a distinction likely wouldn’t add much in the way of value, but would make for a good story at Cars and Coffee events. The history supposedly includes ownership by a rally driver, which does explain the upgrades and underbody skid plate.

If the siren song of the winningest rally car in history calls to you, this could be a nice option. It’s far cheaper than an EVO I or II and offers much the same experience. Mechanical repair parts are fairly plentiful in Europe as the Lancia Delta integrale shared a lot of parts with contemporary Fiat cars. As for trim bits, your source is used parts suppliers or wreckers, as reproduction parts are nearly unobtanium — especially for the interior.

It’s also worth noting that the 8V was the car that did most of the winning back in the Group A rally era from which this car hails, having been driven by such legends as Markku Alén and Miki Biasion.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!