One to Buy: ex-Martini Racing / Jolly Club 1985 Lancia Delta S4 'Corsa'
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Although Peugeot’s 205 T16 ultimately delivered both the Driver and Manufacturer World Rally Championships in 1986, Lancia’s Delta S4 would almost certainly have emerged victorious in both competitions had it not been for issues unlocking the car’s potential and Henri Toivenen’s fatal mid-season accident.
As it transpired, with Group B machinery banned from 1987, the state-of-art S4 simply went down in history as arguably the most formidable piece of machinery every to take to the special stages.
In addition to the works Martini Racing outfit, the Totip-backed Jolly Club and Esso-backed Grifone operations campaigned S4s during 1986. While the factory Lancia squad primarily contested the WRC, their quasi-works satellite teams focused almost exclusively on the high profile European and Italian Rally Championships where S4s driven by Fabrizio Tabaton and Dario Cerrato destroyed the opposition.
Currently on offer at the Girardo & Co. showroom in Oxford is chassis 208, one of five S4s used by the Jolly Club and Dario Cerrato in 1986.
After appearing in Martini colours for snow tyre testing in the Alps and Finland over the winter of 1985-1986 (when it was piloted by Miki Biasion and Markku Alen), chassis 208 went on to see competitive action twice in Totip colours.
Alongside navigator Giuseppe Cerri, Dario Cerrato drove chassis 208 to victory on the opening Italian Rally Championship contest of the year, the all-tarmac Rally 1000 Miglia, which took place between March 20th and 23rd.
A little over three weeks later, Cerrato and Cerri were back in chassis 208 for the gravel-based Rally Costa Smerelda (held between April 16th and 18th) which counted as a round of both the European and Italian championships. At one stage, it looked as though Cerrato was set to overhaul the leading but faltering works S4 of Henri Toivonen. However, the combination of a lost wheel and turbo problems subsequently forced Cerrato to slow. He eventually finished third, a minute behind Toivonen and 28 seconds down the road from Andrea Zanussi’s Peugeot Italia-backed 205 T16 Evolution 1.
According to Girardo & Co.: “This Lancia was sold to the first of its handful of Italian owners in 1988, who cherished the car over the course of almost three decades. Following an engine rebuild undertaken by respected Lancia specialists including Elio and Giovanni Baldi, chassis number 208 was acquired by the late John Campion who maintained it regardless of cost and had it certified by Abarth Classiche.”
“Via Girardo & Co. in 2020, chassis 208 found a new home with a well-known British collector of Group B road and rally cars. After reinstating the Jolly Club ToTip livery (this time with 1986 Costa Smeralda roundels and rally plaques) and road-registering the car in the United Kingdom, said owner has exhibited chassis number 208 all over. Prestigious historic motorsport events on this Lancia’s modern-era résumé include both Goodwood Speedweek and the Festival of Speed, RallyLegend and Rally Day.
Chassis number 208 is a brilliant example of the breed. Not only did it serve as a crucial factory Lancia Martini Racing development car ahead of two of the toughest international rallies on the calendar, but it also enjoyed a stellar career in the European and Italian Rally Championships.”
