1985 | Lancia Delta S4 Stradale

Highlights

Finished in the unique colour combination of Nero Metallizzato over a Verde Alcantara interior

EU taxes paid

Displaying just over 5,600 kilometres on the odometer

Just four owners from new

Remarkably documented in a generous history file, including copies of its original sales invoice and UK registration document noting its colour as black

Accompanied by its factory books, tool roll, jack, spare wheel and spare key

The most special and technologically fascinating road-going Group B homologation special

The Lancia Delta S4 Stradale

What is there to say about the Lancia Delta S4 which hasn’t been said before? In its full-fat Martini-liveried Group B guise, it took fearless and charismatic drivers such as Henri Toivonen and Markku Alén to another dimension of performance. And as a road car, it pioneered twin-charging, an innovation we take for granted nowadays, and proudly showed that road-going Group B homologation specials were not the poorly-built bodge-jobs they’d earned a reputation as being.

It might be an alumni of the ‘form follows function’ school of thought, but the S4 Stradale is a beautifully built object, both above and below the surface. Its mid-mounted twin-charged four-cylinder engine sent its ample power to all four wheels via a five-speed gearbox and not one but three differentials. And its Alcantara-strewn, air-conditioned cabin is honestly one of the best we’ve ever sat in.

Because Lancia didn’t build the required 200 S4 Stradales to homologate the road car (we reckon as few as 70 left Turin) they’re shrouded in mystery and, as a result, attracting the interest of more and more collectors with every passing day. Another by-product is that these cars are commonly misconstrued to be intimidating and scarcely-useable turbocharged monsters. In reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Chassis number 017

This Lancia Delta S4 Stradale is chassis number 017, which was delivered new to the United Kingdom via Coombs of Guildford. It differentiates itself from its production counterparts in that it was finished in Nero Metallizzato rather than the usual Rosso Amaranto. Furthermore, the stunning Alcantara interior is finished in a beautiful shade of olive green. The original UK registration document is dated 4 August 1987 and, importantly, the colour of the car is noted as black.

Chassis number 017 remained in the UK until 1990, at which point it was sold to France, where it would remain for 35 years in the hands of just two subsequent owners. During that time, the Lancia covered a mere 4,650 kilometres. Amusingly, as correspondence on file between the French authorities and Lancia France illustrates, the first French owner had to actually get the car homologated in France before he could register and drive it!

Its current Netherlands-based custodian acquired the car in February of this year and has had a number of key maintenance works carried out. In May, Pirelli launched its limited-edition Pirelli P Zero reissue tyre to celebrate the 40th anniversary of history’s first ultra high-performance tyre. Back in 1985, the P Zero was first seen on the Delta S4 Stradale, which is why this car was invited to be displayed during the new tyre’s launch event in Italy. Prior to its moment in the media spotlight, this Lancia was temporarily fitted with a prototype set of the of the reissue P Zeros.

The following month, chassis number 017 was sent to the renowned Lancia specialists Elio and Giovanni Baldi in Turin to be serviced and upgraded in a number of small but important ways. In the process of working as part of the Lancia Martini Racing Team and Abarth during the Group B and Group A eras of rallying, they gained great knowledge, experience and respect. Today, there are simply no better people to maintain these precious Lancias.

In addition to a comprehensive mechanical service which included the replacement of the engine gaskets, the air-conditioning was re-gassed (and works tremendously, we might add), a competition clutch plate was installed and the ECU software was enhanced with particular focus on increasing the boost pressure of the turbochargers. Upon completion, chassis number 017 made a starring appearance at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, taking part in a ‘10,000-horsepower parade’ once again commemorating the launch of Pirelli’s fifth-generation P Zero tyre.

Having dealt with over 10 of these Group B unicorns, we can confirm this Delta S4 Stradale is one of the best we’ve encountered, having been used sparingly, maintained thoroughly and documented comprehensively. And that’s before you consider its unique colour combination. Furthermore, chassis 017 is accompanied by its factory books, tool roll, jack, spare wheel, spare key and its Girardo & Co. history file, which includes its original sales invoice, 1987 UK registration document copy confirming its original colour of black and French homologation correspondence. Its odometer currently reads 5,644 kilometres.

The mighty and mysterious Lancia Delta S4 Stradale is arguably the most special and technologically fascinating road-going Group B homologation special, of which we believe as few as 70 were built in 1985 and 1986. Suffice to say, chassis 017 is one of the very best.

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