Description
The world of rallying was changed forever on January 1, 1982, with the introduction of Group B rules.
These virtually gave manufacturers carte blanche to design the fastest car they could for world rally special stages, so long as they built at least 200 identical examples.
This is the story of Lancia's mid-engined and supercharged rally car. The reader is taken from initial thinking and conception, through development to the full history of its rallying lifetime with the help of the car designer and chief engineer Ing Sergio Limone.
Featuring many of Limone's own photographs during development, and interviews with team members. Illustrated with 250 stunning and rare rally action photos.
In the late 1970s the problem facing any manufacturer that wanted to continue taking part in the World Rally Championship during the next decade was that the rules were being changed.
Not only that, but nobody knew until it was almost too late what form those new rules would take. This book takes the reader through the reasons for the new rules and the solutions that all potential contenders would have to consider if they wanted to win rallies at World Championship level.
In particular, the subject of the book, Lancia's Rally, was the car that was developed quickly to deal with the then-dominant Audi Quattro. The reasons it succeeded are featured here along with an in-depth, behind closed-doors, look at the development of the car.
Here you can read how Limone decided the basic configuration of the car, what the rules would allow and how the project unfolded in total secret at Fiat's various test tracks and centres in and around Turin overlaid with rumour and counter-rumour as the world's motoring press tried to make sense of what little knowledge they could glean of the project's progress.
In addition, Limone's own photographs from areas never allowed access to the public tell their own story.
The story then moves to the world of top-level rallying, with all the associated glory and headaches. Accompanied by stunning photography and insights from team members, we follow the small and nimble 037s as the cars have become popularly known, as they head out to take the World Rally Championship for Makes in 1983 and innumerable wins throughout the world.
In addition there are tests of various key examples of the cars and appendices of events and chassis used.