1992 Lancia DELTA Integrale 16v

One of the very last of the 16-valve cars, this wonderful white Lancia Delta Integrale was first registered on the 10th of February 1992. With just four previous owners, the vendor bought it four years ago from Richard Thorne who had been servicing it for many years.

In storage with him for 12 of its 28 years due to its owner being overseas, it was recommissioned and partially resprayed by him in 2016. Last serviced in October 2019, it is running beautifully and looking wonderful.

Only for sale because the vendor has run out of space (sound familiar?) this is your chance to get your hands on a genuine modern rallying icon.

The Delta has received localised paintwork during its 2016 recommissioning, when the front and rear screens were removed to enable Richard Thorne’s team to carry out some repairs there and around the sunroof.

The refurbished white bodywork is beautifully set-off by those freshly refurbished, diamond-cut alloy wheels. It’s an iconic shape, and the simplicity of the colour allows the purposeful lines and stance to shine.

The rest of the bodywork is as good as the paint; with ripple-free flanks, dent-free panels, and an absence of the sort of wear ‘n’ tear it presents beautifully. Sure, the shutlines are never going to give the Germans a sleepless night but there’s nothing there that would concern us at all.

The glass is good bar the windscreen, which has a small stonechip in it. It’s outside the swept area though, so isn’t an MOT concern.

The OE alloy wheels were refurbished with the correct anthracite centres and diamond-cut finish to the outer edge as part of the car’s recommissioning in 2016. They’re still looking terrific and are shod with matching Toyo Proxes tyres, all of which have a good amount of tread.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you an insight into their attitude towards maintenance.

Issues are few. Aside from the inevitable stonechips and minor marks, some of the cap-head screws on the front headlight surrounds are a little rusty, there’s a small run of paint on the offside corner of the rear bumper, and some of the window rubbers have started to perish. But, given the reputation Lancia had back-in-the-day, such a small To Do list is a bit of a blessing, isn’t it?

The grey and Martini-stripe interior is very of-the-period and all the better for being so; after all, if you’re going to buy a modern classic you might as well go all-in, hadn’t you?

Not that you need to excuse the condition because it is wonderfully clean and free of anything bar the lightest of patinas except for the very outer edge of the nearside bolsters. Of course, cloth hides wear better than leather anyway but the condition of the front Recaro seats is entirely consistent with 54,000 gentle miles.

Wonderfully supportive, they’re still firm and provide a high degree of support. The rear seats and all four matching door cards are in an equally good condition.

Problems? Well, there is a mark on the top right-hand side of the instrument binnacle but it’s minor and nit-picking rather than a real issue.

More worrisome is the rear parcel shelf, which has been cut to accommodate two aftermarket speakers. We can see that the new owner might want to source a new one and possibly replace the head unit with something period-appropriate at the same time.

The headlining looks like it might be starting to sag too, but that’s definitely a job for the future, as are a new set of carpets.

The Delta was recommissioned by Richard Thorne in May 2016 after being in storage for a dozen years. The work was comprehensive and included a full service, new brake discs and pads, a distributor sensor, fuel filter and pump, a cambelt and balance belt, and a new exhaust.

It was last serviced by him in October 2019, and the owner tells us that it has been “100% reliable” and “feels tight and drives very well”.

The engine bay is a little grubby, so we can see that the new owner might like to have it detailed to bring it to the same condition as the rest of the car.

The Lancia’s MOT certificate expires in November 2020. It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, owner handbook supplement, book pack and wallet.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please contact the owner and ask if they can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like them to concentrate on.

Modern classics like the Delta Integrale straddle the line between the classic and modern car worlds very successfully, providing the analogue thrills we crave from our classics along with better-than-average reliability and safety – and when you dial in an engine and chassis like this you can add semi-supercar performance and one of the sweetest drives available at any price to the credit side of the ledger.

And the price probably isn’t going to be silly, either; with a guide of between £15,500 and £25,000, the reserve is even lower so you might be able to snaffle a bit of a bargain.

The need for some minor cosmetic refurbishment means the lucky new owner might be able to add value as they work their way through the short list of jobs that need doing, so you might even come out ahead with a following wind and a keen eye on the tally.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in Winchester; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.