2/26/2025
- The temporary exhibition “Rally Legends – From Dust to Glory” is now open at the prestigious Autoworld Museum in Brussels, telling the story of the World Rally Championship and featuring the legendary Group B cars.
- Under the spotlight is the Lancia Stratos Gr.4 Alitalia (1974), celebrating fifty years since its victory in the Rally World Championship, alongside the legendary Lancia Delta HF Integrale Group A (1992).
- The glory of the past is brought to life by the Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF, marking Lancia’s return to Rallying in 2025 with the debut of the highly anticipated new Lancia Trophy.
- The exhibition caps off a month of great excitement in Belgium, as shown by the success of the Italian brand at the 2025 Brussels Motor Show.
- Last September, Lancia returned to Belgium and Luxembourg with the launch of the new Lancia Ypsilon. To date, there are ten new showrooms and 14 service points.
Lancia is the star of the temporary exhibition “Rally Legends – From Dust to Glory,” which celebrates the thrilling history of the World Rally Championship with the “beasts” of Group B. Hosted at the prestigious Autoworld Museum in Brussels from February 28 to April 21, the exhibition showcases two Lancia models – the Stratos Gr.4 Alitalia (1974) and the Delta HF Integrale Group A (1992) – which helped make the brand the most successful ever, with ten World Rally Championship Manufacturers’ titles, three World Endurance Championship Manufacturers’ titles, one Mille Miglia, two Targa Florio, and one Carrera Panamericana.
The thrilling exhibition marks a month of great emotions in Belgium, as evidenced by the incredible success achieved by the Italian brand at the 2025 Brussels Motor Show, where the public had the chance to admire the New Ypsilon, offered in Hybrid and Electric versions, and the sporty Ypsilon Rally4 HF, symbolizing Lancia’s return to the world of rallying. Without a doubt, the highlight of the first day of the 2025 Brussels Motor Show, on January 10, was the arrival of Miki Biasion at the Lancia stand, welcomed by Luca Napolitano, CEO of Lancia, amidst applause from the audience and the flashes of photographers.
On this occasion, the two-time world champion christened the new Ypsilon Rally 4 HF, equipped with a 1.2 Turbo engine delivering 212 horsepower, a five-speed SADEV gearbox, adjustable Ohlins suspension, and Sparco seats, seat belts, and steering wheels. After all, the tuning of this racing car was entrusted to this true motorsport legend, who, between the ’80s and ’90s, became indelibly linked to Lancia, making him the most successful Italian driver of all time.
Moreover, the new Ypsilon Rally 4 HF – which has already received over 80 preorders across Europe in just three months – is the star of the Lancia Trophy, which will be held in the Italian Absolute Rally Championship (CIAR) with six races spread over five events. With a staggering prize pool worth up to 360,000 euros, the Lancia Trophy is set to become one of the richest in the national scene and offers the chance to secure a spot in the official Lancia Corse HF team for the next FIA ERC season, if the title is won by a driver under 35. More details are available at the following link. link.
It should be noted that last September, the return of Lancia to the Belgium-Luxembourg region was celebrated with the opening of six showrooms, specifically in Aartselaar, Overijse, Kortrijk, Ghent, Gilly, and Bertrange. At the end of the year, the locations of Drogenbos, Hasselt, Namur, and Herstal were also added, along with 14 service points. Moreover, a key role in the Renaissance of Lancia is played by the brand’s internationalization process, which initially involves a network of 70 new dealerships and 150 service points in the most strategic European cities. The first markets involved were France, Spain, Belgium-Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and from 2025, Germany. Furthermore, last year saw the completion of the renovation phase of the 160 Casa Lancia locations in Italy, the exclusive showrooms characterized by the new corporate identity of the brand, which reflects the four pillars of its strategic plan: quality, electrification, sustainability, and an innovative sales model.
Iconic forerunners of the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF are the two classic cars displayed at the temporary exhibition “Rally Legends – From Dust to Glory”: the Lancia Stratos Gr.4 Alitalia (1974), which this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of its World Rally Championship victory, and the Lancia Delta HF Integrale Group A (1992), the car that made millions of enthusiasts dream. Both models belong to the Stellantis Heritage collection, the department dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the historical heritage of the Group’s Italian brands. These two rarities are usually displayed at the Heritage Hub in Turin. (link).
More information about the temporary exhibition “Rally Legends – From Dust to Glory” is available on the official website of the Autoworld Museum in Brussels.
Lancia Stratos Gr.4 Alitalia (1974)
The spotlight will be on the extraordinary Lancia Stratos Gr.4 Alitalia (1974), which won the 1976 Rally of Portugal and placed second in the 1977 Monte Carlo Rally. Featuring the white-red-green livery of the Alitalia sponsor, this example is part of the prestigious Stellantis Heritage collection and is usually displayed in the Heritage Hub in the thematic area “The Rally Era.” The legendary Stratos model ensured Lancia’s absolute domination of the rally world until the mid-Seventies. At that time, sporting director Cesare Fiorio exploited all the possibilities of the regulations to create – under his coordination – the first car built with the sole purpose of winning rallies. The two-seater coupé is characterized by its iconic wedge-shaped design, created by Marcello Gandini for Bertone, and is powered by a 2.4-liter six-cylinder engine sourced from Ferrari, positioned behind the driver and co-driver to optimize the car’s weight. Produced in the official race version (with an initial 12-valve head, later upgraded to a 24-valve version for a maximum power of 300 hp) in 26 units out of around 500, the Stratos achieved an extraordinary number of victories, becoming known as the “ultimate weapon” of rally racing. It won the Monte Carlo Rally three times in a row and secured three titles in the World Rally Constructors’ Championship (from 1974 to 1976), as well as three European Drivers’ Championship titles, in addition to winning the FIA Rally Drivers’ World Cup in 1977 with Sandro Munari.
Lancia Delta HF Integrale Gruppo A (1992)
Starting from 1986, four generations of the all-wheel-drive Lancia Delta HF followed one another until the early ’90s, creating a path of victories that ensured this model’s overwhelming superiority over its competitors, leading to worldwide and everlasting fame in the Rally sector: six World Rally Constructors’ Championships (1987-1991); four World Rally Drivers’ Championships (1987-1989 and 1991); one World Rally Production Championship (Group N) in 1987; six European Rally Championships (1987-1991 and 1993); and two European Rally Production Championships (Group N) in 1988 and 1989. The number of overall victories in rallies valid for the various editions of the World Championship is impressive: 46. Each generation brought a motor and body evolution that kept the Lancia Delta always one step ahead of its rivals. The 1987 Delta HF 4WD debuted with permanent all-wheel drive, featuring a ZF self-locking differential at the front, a Ferguson viscous center differential with limited slip, and a Torsen-type rear differential. The standard road models were powered by a 2.0-liter engine producing 165 hp, while the Group A racing version boasted 265 hp at 6250 rpm. In 1988, the Delta HF Integrale was introduced. Externally, it was distinguished from the previous version by its widened wheel arches, capable of accommodating wider tires, and larger front air intakes. It featured a new 6-speed gearbox, while its weight was reduced by about 23 kg. With the evolution of the cylinder head, which was upgraded from 8 to 16 valves, with 4 valves per cylinder, the Delta HF Integrale 16V debuted in 1989. A conspicuous “hump” appeared on the engine hood to accommodate the larger engine dimensions. Lancia declared about 295 hp at 7000 rpm for this model. Many technological innovations followed, such as the electronically controlled clutch, a fan driven by a hydraulic motor, telemetry for collecting data during services, and a significant increase in electronics to control the engine. The last Delta HF of this winning family arrived in 1991: the Delta HF Integrale 16V Evoluzione, just like the one currently on display in the heart of Turin. The fenders were further widened to fit the new carriageways, and a large spoiler appeared at the rear of the roof. However, the most important changes were under the hood, as 1991 was the year the Federation introduced the use of flanges to limit the turbochargers’ flow rate. Despite the officially declared figures, the engines of all Group A cars had now far exceeded the 300 hp limit imposed by the regulations, thanks to continuous improvements year after year.
Lancia
With 118 years of history, Lancia represents timeless Italian Elegance, a brand that made people around the globe dream, thanks to its iconic vehicles: the elegant Flaminia and Aurelia B24 Spider, the high-performance Delta, Stratos and 037, the eclectic Fulvia, the Beta HPE and many others.
Lancia embarked on its Renaissance with the launch of the New Lancia Ypsilon and with a 10-year strategic plan that is moving ahead in leaps and bounds.
Innovation and timeless design have always been the founding principles for the brand. And now sustainability, customer centricity and social responsibility have also become essential, because Lancia is determined to look to the future with great commitment and ambition.
