VIN: the Martini Racing Lancia Delta S4 Evoluzione chassis 202
History of chassis 202
As a result of production delays, the Delta S4 was not homologated until November 1985.
Prior to this, Lancia had been given special dispensation to run the Evoluzione version in four comparatively low key events (where it was ineligible to score any points).
However, once the Delta S4’s Group B application was finally rubber stamped by the FIA on November 1st, Lancia were able to contest their first World Rally Championship event.
The 1985 RAC Rally (November 24th to 28th) was the final round of that year’s championship and took place over 897km of gravel stages.
Two brand new Deltas were wheeled out for the event: chassis 202 for Henri Toivonen / Neil Wilson and chassis 207 for Markku Alen / Ilkka Kivimaki. Both cars were in 430bhp gravel trim as seen at the Algarve Rally a few weeks earlier.
Thus far, Alen had driven the S4 in all its previous competition outings while Toivonen had spent much of the season recovering from a serious crash at the Rally Costa Smerelda in April when he sustained a broken neck.
With the rally underway, the brace of Lancias instantly proved themselves quickest winning six out of seven opening stages despite their superchargers not giving quite the level of low-down grunt required.
With seven stages gone, Alen led Toivonen by 19 seconds and Peugeot’s Timo Salonen (who had already been crowned ‘85 champion) was a further 18 seconds adrift in third.
Shortly afterwards, both cars ran into supercharger and electrical trouble; the mood within the camp changed as they dropped down the order, Alen to third and Toivonen to fifth.
Both Audi and Peugeot then experienced their own problems though and, with their earlier issues rectified, the Lancias moved back to the head of the field followed by the MG Metro 6R4 of Tony Pond.
The rest of the contest was not without its drama; Alen span off in Kielder Forest but continued to extend his lead while Toivonen gently rolled chassis 202 onto its roof on the Kilburn stage. Fortunately, the car was quickly righted by spectators and carried on.
When Alen later slid off into a ditch and lost five minutes he dropped to third behind Pond which promoted Toivonen to the lead.
Toivonen held on to win by 56 seconds despite a late supercharger failure while team-mate Alen recovered to finish second after the wrong tyres were selected for Pond’s Metro.
Chassis 202 was subsequently used by Toivonen as a T-car for the 1986 Monte Carlo Rally (which he won).
At the end of the ‘86 season (during which Toivonen and his co-driver, Sergio Cresto, tragically lost their lives on the Tour de Corse), chassis 202 was sold to Roberto Rosselli who went on to use it in slalom events.
Rosselli retained the car until 2008.
Notable History
Martini Racing
Registered A6 37353
24/11/1985 WRC RAC Rally (H. Toivonen / N. Wilson) 1st oa, 1st B12 class (#6)
Subsequently used as a T-car
Sold to Roberto Rosselli after the ‘86 season and used for slalom events
Retained until 2008
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Lancia - https://www.lancia.com
