One to Buy: Grigio / Turchese 1 of 24 1992 Lancia Hyena
As a consequence of an extremely high price at a time of a severe economic downturn, Lancia’s Dutch distributor, Lusso Service Holland, only took orders for 24 of their Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione-based Hyenas.
When the idea for a Zagato-bodied lightweight version of the all-conquering Delta Integrale had been given the green light a couple of years prior, the exotic and collector car market was riding high as speculators looked for alternative investments following the stock market crash of late 1987.
This sudden influx of cash fuelled some spectacular price rises and accordingly Lusso Service Holland felt a production run of 500 Lancia Hyenas would be snapped up. However, when the money tap got turned off in mid 1990, buyers for high end machinery were suddenly extremely hard to find.
One of these rare creations will be going under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction on August 18th.
Chassis 576660 was Hyena build number 018 and, although completed in 1992, was not registered until 2001 when it was brought into the UK by Lancia specialists Walkers Garage of North Yorkshire. The car was subsequently acquired by its first owner in April 2002 who retained it for the next 19 years, during which time 018 racked up around 30,000km.
In late 2021 the car passed to its second owner who commissioned Italiamotorsport Parussini of Udine to undertake a full restoration which included a colour change to Grigio Alloy and a re-trim in the same Turquoise alcantara upholstery found on the Integrale Evolution 2 Martini 6 special edition. The engine was uprated to 320bhp trim, since which time a little over 1000km has been added to the odometer.
Reprinted below is RM Sotheby’s description for this rarely seen 1990s coachbuilt Speciale:
Chassis No.: ZLA831AB000576660
Serial No.: Z 018
Documents: US Title
One of only 24 Hyena Zagatos understood to have been built between 1992 and 1994
Just two owners and a recorded 31,200 km (~19,387 mi.) from new
Fully restored and uprated by marque specialists Italiamotorsport Parussini of Udine, Italy; driven fewer than 100 km since
Finished in Grigio Alloy with corresponding turquoise Alcantara interior
Fitted with remapped 320-hp engine, boasting spectacular performance as a result
Believed to be the first example of this significant collaboration offered for public sale in the United States
The association between Lancia and Carrozzeria Zagato is both an enduring and an illustrious one; their first collaboration dates back to 1927, with the groundbreaking Lancia Lambda. Some 65 years later this relationship was rekindled by Dutch Lancia Importer Paul Koot, who sought to produce a lightweight Zagato-bodied Lancia two-door coupe using the ultra-successful Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione as its basis. The resulting Hyena design featured typically striking aluminum coachwork incorporating Zagato’s signature “double bubble” roof; its curb weight was over 400 pounds less than the standard car. However, despite its spirited performance—and initial optimism of 500 cars being constructed—just 24 had been produced by the conclusion of the project in 1994.
This car, the 18th Hyena built, was kept in storage until its import to the UK in 2001 by factory-appointed agents Walkers Garage of Northallerton, North Yorkshire. Finished in red with contrasting black interior, the car was sold to its first owner in April 2002, with whom it would remain for the next 19 years. During this time, it covered barely 30,000 kilometers, appearing periodically at high profile events including the Lancia Centenary celebrations in Torino in 2006, as well as in publications including Auto Italia and Viva Lancia.
In late 2021, the car was acquired by the consignor, who promptly tasked renowned Lancia Delta specialists Italiamotorsport Parussini of Udine, Italy to undertake a full restoration. Their brief was to upgrade the car to ultimate specification; something achieved with distinction over the ensuing 12 months. The work performed included a complete strip down and bare metal respray in Grigio Alloy, this being complemented by a re-trim in turquoise Alcantara of the same type used on the limited-run “Martini 6” Delta HF Integrale.
Mechanically, the car’s engine was remapped, increasing power from the 250 horsepower typically quoted for “standard” Hyenas to a figure in excess of 320. A bespoke exhaust system was fitted to replicate the distinctive note achieved by the Group A Delta Integrale rally car, while both the suspension and brakes were uprated to manage the increased performance. Since completion, the car has covered only approximately 100 kilometers, during which it is said to have performed flawlessly; its odometer figure at the time of cataloguing is a scant 31,199 kilometers (~19,387 miles).
Exquisitely restored, generously specified and with impeccable two-owner provenance, this Hyena represents a unique opportunity to enter the rarefied world of bespoke Lancia ownership. Notably, it is believed to be the first example of this rare and significant model offered for sale in the United States. Further enhanced by its prodigious performance, it represents a rare insight into the car the Delta Integrale might conceivably have become—not to mention perhaps the ultimate collaboration between two of the most illustrious names in Italian motoring history.
