1994 Delta Integrale Evo 2 £99,995
This is lot of money for a Delta Integrale, even for the coveted Evo 2 version. Richard Mason finds out of it’s worth it
The Evo 2 is the last of the Lancia Delta Integrales to be sold in the UK and, from a collector point of view, the one to have. This one’s history is patchy, though. It was imported from Italy in 2017 and, prior to this date, all its documents are in Italian. The paper trail isn’t complete enough for a comprehensive service history or to confirm its mileage – its last Italian service recorded was at a Lancia main dealer at 45,310km in August 2000. But since 2017, nearly £10,000 has been spent on it at London specialist Zagato Lancia, and in June 2022 Lancia Classic issued it with a certificate of originality.
Once up to temperature the twin-cam is flexible and happy at lower revs in traffic. Drop a gear, floor the throttle and this Evo 2 puts its power to the road effortlessly, with minimal turbo lag. Steering is power assisted but with sufficient feedback to make precise inputs easy via its smallish steering wheel. Unsurprisingly the ride is firm, but the trade-off is great composure and handling. There are some cabin squeaks and rattles, but no ominous clonks from the suspension or the allwheel-drive system.
The yellow paint looks original with patina that’s appropriate to the car’s age, and the bodywork is pristine. Judging by the slight overspray on the driver’s side windscreen seal there’s been a repair here in the past. Panel gaps are straight and the wheelarches and door bottoms are free from rust. The driver’s door rubber seal is partially broken and will need replacing, although there’s no wind noise or sign of water leaks. Alloy wheels are unmarked with Continental tyres all round.
The black with yellow pinstripe interior echoes the paintwork and looks original. The Recaro seats are firm, giving solid lateral support. Surprisingly, it’s the passenger seat that shows wear; the felt beneath the velour is showing through slightly by the thigh support. The black carpets are in excellent condition.
The dashboard is free from cracks and scratches – it houses 17 warning lights and eight instruments, including turbo boost. All function, but the speedometer needle sits at 20kph when stationary.
The engine bay is reassuringly clean, and the oil is clear, golden and to the correct level. Pipework is all in good condition although some foam protective coverings are perishing.
The fuel injection system malfunction warning light flashes on and off intermittently. However, the Lancia owners’ handbook says you can still drive even though the system isn’t working properly. In use the engine was fine so this could be a faulty sensor, possibly through lack of regular use, but further investigation would be wise.
A simple ‘flush’ using petrol and oil mixture is also indicated by Lancia as a possible remedy. Blipping the throttle, there’s thankfully no sign of the smoke that can indicate turbo wear.
It seems like a lot to ask for a car with patchy service history, but if you’re after a low-usage (77,129km) Integrale that’s ready to use and in generally excellent condition, it’s worth a look.