Lancia Rally Group B

The Group B cars marked one of the most thrilling yet most tragic periods in the history of world rallying and beyond. The 037, the S4, the EVC and the ECV2, "ephemeral player" of a still-born Group S, were the unforgettable protagonists of the 1982-1986 seasons that for the Lancia marque were constellated by a series of World, European and Italian titles, but also by terrible accidents that cost the lives of Attilio Bettega, Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto. Sergio Remondino, a historic journalist and great expert in the multifaceted field of rallying, traces that unforgettable era, year by year, through a text rich in anecdotes and thanks to the contribution of the engineer Sergio Limone, one of the artificers of the Group B cars. This invaluable book is completed by the evocative images of Reinhard Klein, one of the most successful rallying photographers.

The world of rallying was changed forever on January 1st 1982 with the introduction of the new 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. The reader is taken from initial thinking about the car 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.

This book explains how the HF 4WD evolved over the years – first into the Integrale with its original 8-valve engine, then the Integrale 16V, and ultimately into the Integrale 16V Evo 1 (or 'Deltona', as it was affectionately known). This compact, five-door Lancia dominated world-class rallying for six years, winning innumerable events, World Championships for Drivers, and World Championships for Manufacturers. Alongside the cars, driving heroes such as Markku Alan, Didier Auriol, Miki Biasion, Juha Kankkunen and Carlos Sainz also became legendary in this period.

Four-wheel-drive was authorised in rallying from 1979, but for a time no serious car-manufacturer even tried to harness it to their cars. Soon, though, it was Audi who produced the world s first rally-winning four-wheel-drive car the Quattro. However it was Peugeot who designed, developed, campaigned and won with the first truly sophisticated four-wheel-drive Group B Car the 205 Turbo 16. It was the first truly great, purpose-designed, Group B car. Determined to win at almost any cost, Peugeot hired Jean Todt (who would later transform the fortunes of the Ferrari F1 organisation) in 1981, and set him an ambitious target. His dream car had to be running in 1983, homologated in 1984, and capable of winning World Championships by 1985. Nothing, no excuses and no lack of application, was to get in the way of that. Apart from being obliged to use the silhouette of the still-secret new 205 road car, Todt was able ask for anything. Getting approval for whatever he needed and fast-tracking the engineering of the four-wheel-drive rally was not an issue in reaching one simple objective victory. This is precisely what was achieved. This book tells the detailed story, and lists all the cars, the influences, and the personalities behind a magnificent success story. No sooner had the new turbocharged, transverse-mid-engined car started competing than it was ready to win, yet its dominant career was cut short at the end of 1986 by an abrupt change in rallying regulations. Not only is the engineering story laid out in great detail, but the interaction between company personalities, super-star drivers (including Ari Vatanen) and the highly-charged atmosphere of motorsport at this time is all analysed. Because Group B was cancelled even before the 205 T16 had reached maturity, it went on to have a successful career in desert Raid rallies, and at Pike Peak in the USA, all of which is described in this amazingly authoritative study.Packed with illustrations, technical details, facts, figures and successes of this innovative car this book is a must for any rally fan.

Following the book Lancia Rally Group B, Sergio Remondino has returned to the rallying world with a book examining the golden age of Lancia in the World Rally Championship. We start in the early 1960s, when a numerous group of enthusiasts began using Lancia cars - Appia, Flavias and even Flaminias - for the road races of the time, the forerunners of the rallies that were to come. The creation of HF at the behest of Cesare Fiorio, together with the advent of the Fulvia, created an authentic watershed and the definitive consecration of the Lancia marque on a global level. Between 1962 and 1982, Lancias conquered one Constructors' title and four European Championships, three Constructors' World Championships and two FIA Drivers' cups, writing indelible chapters in the history of the sport, thanks to drivers and cars of absolute excellence, all of which relive in this invaluable book.

RS200 - Ford's Group B Rally Legend tells the story of motorsport's Group B category racing car.