Compromised Internals

Overview Specs Highlights Characteristics

Overview

The Lancia Rally 037, named for Abarth's SE037 development code, evolved from the central cabin structure of the Beta Montecarlo sports coupé, with added tubular front and rear subframes and light composite bodywork by Pininfarina. The engine sat longitudinally behind the occupants, driving the rear wheels through a ZF competition gearbox. This was a specialized Group B rally car rather than a front-engined Lancia production saloon.

Chief engineer Aurelio Lampredi chose a mechanically driven Volumex/Roots-type supercharger rather than a turbocharger to give immediate boost at low engine speed. The 1,995 cc carburetted 205-PS homologation road car was not identical to the competition injected 037, which developed about 255–280 PS and later reached roughly 305–310 PS with a 2,111 cc Evo II engine. Those power and weight figures vary by evolution and should not be blended.

Lancia defeated Audi for the manufacturers' world title in 1983 with the 037, but Hannu Mikkola of Audi was drivers' champion that season; Walter Röhrl was runner-up. The 037's result was Lancia's final manufacturers' championship in rear-wheel drive, achieved before the marque moved to the four-wheel-drive Delta S4 and later Group A Delta HF.

Technical Specs & Innovations

FIA category: Group B; Lancia Rally 151 ARO Group B homologation 210 effective 2 April 1982
Homologation baseline: 1,995 cc physical engine; FIA entry lists 2,793 cc after period forced-induction equivalence
Competition period: 1982 development and 1983 championship, further works/privateer results through the mid-1980s
Construction alliance: Lancia motorsport, Abarth mechanical engineering and Pininfarina body design/build
Homologation requirement: Group B road run of 200 required; Stellantis reports 200 built in 1982–83
Central shell: Beta Montecarlo-derived central production tub with two tubular front/rear subframes
Body skin: Pininfarina lightweight polyester/fibreglass composite panels, quick-release front and rear sections
Engine position: Longitudinal rear-mid-mounted petrol inline-four
Valvetrain: DOHC, four valves per cylinder (16 total), Abarth/Lampredi-derived engine
Initial works engine capacity: 1,995 cc in the first major 037 competition version
Evo II works capacity: 2,111 cc on later upgraded competition cars; not the road homologation engine
Induction principle: Mechanically driven Volumex Roots-style volumetric supercharger
Boost rationale: Continuous supercharger response improved low-rpm acceleration versus some period high-lag turbo setups
Homologation road output: 205 PS in the carburetted road-going 037 according to Stellantis
Initial rally output: 255–280 PS for early competition fuel-injected rally engines in Stellantis manufacturer record
Later works output: About 305–310 PS for later 2,111 cc Evo II; distinguish from the earlier 1983-spec car
Competition fuelling: Mechanical/electronic competition fuel injection replacing the homologation road carburettor
Gearbox: Rear ZF manual competition gearbox; ratio selection and quick replacement integral to service strategy
Drive arrangement: Rear-wheel drive; unlike the Group B Audi quattro, Peugeot 205 T16 and later Delta S4
Differential: Limited-slip competition rear differential; no driven front axle or centre torque split
Front suspension: Double unequal-length wishbones on a tubular front subframe with competition dampers
Rear suspension: Double unequal-length wishbones on rear subframe; dual dampers per side used in works designs
Brakes: Brembo four-piston competition braking hardware and surface-specific discs
Fuel system layout: Two 35-litre safety fuel cells on either side ahead of rear wheels in the original manufacturer design
Road homologation mass: Approximately 1,170 kg published for road 037, not the works rally weight
Works competition mass: Manufacturer reference roughly 960–1,020 kg depending on evolution
Service engineering: Accessible removable body sections and subframes; Stellantis reports works gearbox swaps possible in around 12 minutes
Supercharger versus turbo warning: Do not attribute a turbocharger, intercooler turbo-lag curve or all-wheel-drive traction to the original 037
Group B end: 37's original works era preceded Group B's cancellation after 1986; Group A Delta must not be counted as the same model

🏆 Competitive Highlights

April 1982 homologation: FIA Group B 210 entered eligibility and the car made its early competition appearances.
1982 Rally Costa Smeralda: Lancia's first 037 competitive outing in Sardinia, ahead of full WRC championship development.
1983 Monte Carlo Rally: Walter Röhrl and Christian Geistdörfer won, leading a Lancia 037 one-two with Markku Alén/Ilkka Kivimäki.
1983 Tour de Corse and Acropolis: 037 wins contributed to Lancia's manufacturers' title challenge against Audi's four-wheel-drive cars.
1983 New Zealand and Sanremo: Further 037 victories helped secure the season manufacturers' crown.
1983 manufacturer championship: Lancia won; Audi's Hannu Mikkola won the world drivers' championship and Röhrl finished second.
1983 European Rally Championship: Miki Biasion and Tiziano Siviero built their international reputations by winning a European championship in a Jolly Club 037.
1984 Evo development: Evolution cars continued at the front of Group B battles, especially on tarmac, while AWD opposition advanced.
Later Group B transition: Lancia's four-wheel-drive Delta S4 replaced the 037 as its primary Group B challenger for the last period of the category.
Championship legacy: The 1983 Lancia victory remains the last manufacturers' WRC crown achieved by a rear-wheel-drive rally car.

Driving Characteristics

The rear-mid engine and relatively low mass enabled responsive changes of direction and assisted braking balance, while the supercharger delivered comparatively immediate torque without the pronounced wait associated with some 1980s rally turbos. This let skilled drivers balance a rear-drive 037 through faster tarmac sections with predictable power delivery.

Against Audi's four-wheel-drive quattro, the 037 lacked the extra traction on slippery snow or deep gravel, so tyre choice, suspension compliance, differential locking and careful throttle control were crucial. Results reflect Lancia's event selection, preparation and service speed, not a claim that rear-wheel drive was fundamentally superior across every surface.

An original road car with 205 PS and roughly 1,170 kg behaves differently from the 2,111 cc late-competition Evo II. The archive treats those as distinct technical reference points.

Development & legacy

The 037 is the final rear-wheel-drive manufacturers' world champion and a clear example of how team operations, mechanical accessibility and predictable forced induction could offset an emerging traction deficit for one season. Its 1983 team crown must not be presented as Röhrl's 1983 drivers' championship.

Research sources & verification

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Lancia 037 Rally

Development & legacy

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