This is one of only 24 ever made and basically combines what you love about the Lance Delta Integrale and combines it with a Zagato suit
- The Lancia Hyena by Zagato uses the bones of the Lancia Delta HF Integrale.
- This is one of just 24 ever made and is likely the only one in the USA.
- It’s up for sale through RM Sotheby’s with an asking price of $250,000.
The Lancia Delta HF Integrale is a legend among automotive enthusiasts, but not everyone is a fan of the boxy hatchback bodywork. One man in particular, Paul Koot, saw the potential to re-body the rally-dominating Lancia as something sleeker.
The result was this, the Lancia Hyena by Zagato, a car that really shouldn’t have existed. Nevertheless, it does, and now one of only 24 ever made could be yours if you happen to have around a quarter of a million bucks burning a hole in your pocket.
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Koot was a collector and the Dutch importer for Lancia. In the early 1990s, he approached Lancia and Zagato about collaborating to build a sleek coupe in the style of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Zagato. The result was a concept shown off in 1992 and while it proved popular, production would be a serious hurdle.
Fiat (who owned Lancia) wasn’t willing to provide funding for the project so instead, Koot bought road-ready HF Integrales and then had Zagato strip them down and rework them. Understandably, that made the finished product quite pricey . According to RM Sotheby’s a new Hyena went for $75,000… in 1993. That would be akin to roughly $160,000 today.
Of course, under the svelte coach-built skin lies a serious performer. The Hyena made 250 hp (186 kW) when new, which is more than the Delta HF Integrale. It also weighed some 440 pounds less meaning that it could go from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) a full 0.3 seconds faster than the Delta. This particular example boasts even more performance though.
Photos Robin Adams / RM Sotheby’s
It went through a full restoration in 2021 including a new paint job in Grigio Alloy and an engine remapping to a claimed 320 hp (238 kW). In addition, it has upgraded suspension and braking components to make it as competent a driver’s car as it’s ever been. It has just 19,407 miles (31,234 km) on the odometer as of cataloging so there are plenty of miles left to enjoy as it sits. Mind you, the asking price is a cool $250,000 at RM Sotheby’s.
What say you, is this somewhat reasonable considering its pedigree and rarity, or would you rather spend your hard-earned on something else?