They might be a relatively niche and obscure brand to many these days, but back in the day (through the '60s to the '90s) Lancia was regarded as an international motoring powerhouse. Especially when it came to motorsport.
Although many of their road cars were seen as incredibly fragile and unreliable things, their racing pedigree grew increasingly impressive through the decades. This was namely through huge success in the World Rally Championship (which included 11 manufacturers titles).
Think about them like Alfa Romeo, only with the 'flawed character' dial turned up from 11 to 18.
Most people see the Delta HF Integrale as the vehicle that put a full stop on the end of Lancia's exciting reign of success. While the Delta first emerged on the market in the late '70s, the HF Integrale arrived in 1986.
What started as a reasonably conventional hatchback became the platform that Lancia would use for the WRC, and with that the special homologation variants flowed.
Read more: Seven vicious Group B rallying greats go under the hammer
The 'daddy' of these was the final edition; the Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evo II. And, a rather special example is scheduled for auction at this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale in the UK.
Debuting in mid-1993, the Evo II sported an updated version of Lancia's turbocharged 2.0-litre 16-valve engine making 158kW and 314Nm, coupled with a Marelli ECU and a raft of mechanical elements well ahead of its time. There were a few minor visual tweaks as well. The Delta was a box on wheels, but Lancia ensured that it was at the very least a rather shapely box.
Now, a Delta Integrale Evo II is a nice enough and rare enough car off the bat. But, the left-hook model that Bonhams has for sale is just a little bit different.
On top of being an Evo II, the vehicle is also a special 'Dealers Collection' edition from 1995.
These were a special model available only to Lancia dealers. They came painted in Pearl Red — a unique colour for the model. The colour was paired with tan leather Recaro seating, an aluminium instrument panel, push-button start (pretty advanced for the '90s), and black carpet.
In total, just 180 of these models were made (this one is No. 78). The changes might be relatively minor compared to a normal model, but in classic car circles it'll still be considered a highly sought-after piece. Even with 47,500 miles (76,443km) on the odometer.
"This pristine example has had only four owners from new and has belonged to the current vendor since 1999," explains Bonhams.
"[It] remains highly original and has been regularly maintained, with an excellent history of servicing since 2010 entrusted to marque specialists Auto Integrale of Beenham, Reading.
"'N907 BMO' comes with current MoT, a V5C document and a file of receipts, expired MoTs, etc. A wonderful opportunity to acquire one of the rarest and most desirable sporting road cars of its era, possessing a competition pedigree second to none."
Bonhams predicts that the little Italian firecracker will sell for between £75,000–£100,000 — or $140,000–$190,000.
Read more: Living WRC Lancia Delta Integrale legend sells for $400,000
If you're pricing it on a kilowatts-per-dollar axis the shiny red Delta probably doesn't stack up. But, it'd pair incredibly well any rally-car collection. Martini Lancia Delta rally cars from the period are known to approach the half-a-mil mark when they pop up for sale, while clean examples of standard Delta Integrale Evos can be had for between $60,000–$90,000.
