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IF ever a car epitomised rallying in the late 1980's and early 1990's, it was the Lancia Delta.

It was - like most of its competitors in Group B rallying - hideously ugly and if neglected, incredibly unreliable. But Stuart Milne says this was all part of the appeal.

Drivers of these Group B refugees wore their cars' shortcomings on their sleeves; because it said you couldn't give a flying fig for the looks or the expense.
You just wanted to get from A to Z in the quickest possible time.

Every corner was an opportunity to shave those vital seconds off your time; every straight an opportunity for a turbocharged shot of adrenalin.

But it was always the Integrale that I wanted, with its boxy wheel arches and ironing board-esque rear wing.

And those wheels were simply the sexiest ever to be fitted to a car.

I wanted to be Juha Kankkunen drifting his wild 500bhp Delta S4 around a hairpin at Monte Carlo, with flames licking the rear bumper and the turbo screaming like a banshee on amphetamines.

It's not like that in the real world though…but pretty damn close.

The Delta story started way back in 1979, when Giorgetto Giugiaro's Ital Design produced a timeless hatchback based on the humble Fiat Strada. 

It sold in decent numbers until in 1986, Lancia decided to turbocharge it to compete on the World's rally stages. With the Delta HF 4WD, the model finally came of age.

A year later, Lancia launched the first Integrale, with an aggressive makeover. The Italian marque breathed on the existing 2-litre engine to coax out 185bhp, which was good for 0-60mph in 6.6 seconds and a 130mph maximum.

In 1989, the 16v version of the HF Integrale hit the streets, with a load of new oily bits. It was storming on the rally stages, claiming world championships in 1989, 1990 and 1991. It wasn't too shabby on the road either.

But it's the post-1991 models that most petrolheads are interested in. Packing extended wheel arches, a huge bonnet bulge and a sharper front end, the first Evoluzione model looked like a bulldog chewing on an exocet missile. 

In 1991, Lancia announced that it was pulling out of the world rally championship, but it had done enough to ensure that the Delta was synonymous with rallying.

Later that year, Lancia launched the Evoluzione II, which proved to be Lancia's swansong. Like a fire spitting, 215bhp fighter jet, it packed a smaller turbo to make it easier to drive. It was no faster than its predecessor, but a far easier car to drive.

And it's the Evo II that attracts the big money. You'll be shelling out the guts of £20k for a good one; but you'll be safe in the knowledge that you've bought one of the most effective performance cars of all time.

Read previous Look at the Wheels on That columns.