Italian Designer Seeks To Resurrect The Delta With S4 Racer-Inspired Styling

A quick look through Lancia’s current lineup reveals that it only makes a rebadged Fiat called the Ypsilon. Italian exterior designer Sebastiano Ciarcia thinks that’s a shame, so he’s reimagined a Delta for modern times.

“As a proud Italian car enthusiast, I’ve always been truly disappointed regarding what the brand Lancia has become today,” Ciarcia writes. “For me the Delta has always been an icon, something like an Holy Grail that you can’t replace; however at the same time I couldn’t accept the reality and I really wanted to create a good successor for it.”

And he’s done just that, taking inspiration not just from the Delta, but from its motorsport derivatives as well, to design this modern interpretation. Indeed, he wrote on Instagram that the project begun after he had started watching a lot of old rallying on YouTube.

Specifically, he names the Group B’s legendary Delta S4 as a strong inspiration. That car’s super-and-turbocharged engine could get the Delta to 60 faster than an F1 car.

Ciarcia writes, though, that he still wanted the car to be grounded in modern design.

“The final design wants to be a modern reinterpretation of the car without being too nostalgic or retro,” he says. “Instead an evolution of the previous design that emphasizes all the main feature lines and DNA to bring the original character back in the vehicle.”

The results are impressive. The nods to the Delta S4 are clear, especially at the back where there are louvers in the rear glass. And although the wheel arches are reminiscent of the box flares of the ‘80s, they only hint at them, rather than slavishly trying to recreate them.

In Ciarcia mind, the DELTA would run thanks to an AWD hybrid powertrain. The engine, apparently located in the middle of the car, would be on display thanks to rear glass.

As fans of the good old Lancia ourselves, we would like to see Stellantis bring the Delta to the modern age. Sadly, with Lancia all but dead, there’s absolutely no indication that this is ever going to happen.

Note: These renderings are the work of Sebastiano Ciarcia and are in no way related to or endorsed by Lancia