1989 Lancia Delta HF Integrale on Sale Is the Analog Cure for Your Digital Woes

The Italian brand isn't going through the best period of its life right now, but back in the very late '80s, it was riding high on the success its hatchback model, the Delta Integrale, was having on the world's rally stages. During its peak, the Delta was the undisputed champion in WRC's Group A (winning the Constructors' Championship title in six consecutive years between 1987 and 1992), a feat that must have been pretty frustrating for the competition (which included some illustrious names such as Toyota Celica).

It was also what brought this boxy Italian hatchback a lot more fame than it would have ever had otherwise, even though its specs were pretty enticing for that era. The 2.0-liter 16-valve turbocharged engine developed 200 hp, though these were still the early days of forced induction, so making the most of them required a lot more skill than simply pressing the throttle pedal.

The Delta HF Integrale also came with a five-speed manual transmission, further enhancing the skill cap required to master the all-wheel-drive small car. When that happened, though, the satisfaction you would get was immense. You'd feel like a god - or, you know, like a Finnish rally driver.

They say money can't buy everything, including happiness, and while we're not here to fully dispute that, we do think they get you limited bursts of intense enjoyment - the kind this 1989 Lancia Delta HF Integrale can offer.

The car has 61,499 miles on the clock (just short of 99,000 km), which is close to nothing considering its age. It is currently being auctioned on collectingcars.com, with the highest bid (at the time of writing) sitting at $45,000 (up to $35,000 from the previous one, suggesting the last bidder might really want this car. The fact he goes by "Rally-Fan" can only add to that). As is often the case with these things, it's hard to tell what the fair price is, but if you really want it, then - as long as you don't dip into non-disposable money - that's not what matters. Getting the car is.

This 1989 Delta Integrale looks like it's in pristine condition, and its service record supports the idea. The engine received its latest check-up a little under a year ago (complete with oil and timing belt change), while the brakes received a new set of Brembo pads in June 2020. The short clips seem to confirm the car works as well as it looks.

And it looks pretty darn amazing, doesn't it? Not every car featuring design cues from that era makes them work as well as the Integrale, but then again, there are very few cars out there that won't benefit from a slightly wider stance and a set of all-white OZ Racing rally-inspired wheels. The thing with the Delta Integrale is that, given its past, it doesn't look as tacky or over the top as it would on other cars.

Are the people going to raise an eyebrow at your car's livery and rally-spec light bar? Yes, they most definitely are (let's face it, you would too if the situation was reversed). Will you care, though? Absolutely not because, at the end of the day, you're the one driving a classic (even if not exactly classy as well) iconic car, and they're not.

The Delta has earned the right to sport this appearance, even if the car is actually fully street-legal and even has an Alpine sound system with an 8-inch subwoofer (which is probably the only thing that's worth replacing on the car, installing a more authentic (even if completely useless) radio-cassette player. With a car so engaging to drive, it's not like you're going to be using it anyway.