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Petrolicious Pick: Lancia Delta S4 Group B

28 July, 2016

When a new video drops on the Petrolicious YouTube channel, we’re always excited to see what it’s all about. Recently we wrote an article on the Renault 5 Turbo, and asked the question of whether the Renault 5 Turbo was the ultimate ’80s hot hatch? The response from the readers was a loud one: no, nothing would beat the Lancia Delta. For John Campion, who immigrated to America in June 1984 — with only $26 in his back pocket — the Lancia range of vehicles was his choice of vehicle, too. 

After a few “lucky breaks” as he describes them, John was able to become a successful businessman in America. This meant, for his automotive passion, he was able to collect vehicles from his youth, mainly focusing on rally cars. And because the best rally cars that were ever produced were made in the ’80s, this is where his collection began. 

When you look at the specs of the Lancia Delta S4 Group B, they’re nothing short of phenomenal. The road-going Delta S4 weighed in at 1200kg, whereas the Group B version weighed in at a mere 890kg. This alone would aid in serious performance gains, however Lancia also wanted to work their magic on the engine. By pioneering twin-charge technology, Lancia was able to extract massive horsepower and response from their mid-mounted 1.7-litre engine. As turbochargers in the ’80s were nowhere near as sophisticated as they are now, if you wanted big power, it came at the expense of turbocharger lag.

Utilizing a supercharger with a bypass valve, Lancia was able to have almost instantaneous boost pressure at any rpm. Once the turbocharger was on full boost pressure, the bypass valve would cut the supercharger out of the equation. Official horsepower figures of the Group B version were 480hp, while some sources implied it was closer to 560hp. During testing, the Lancia’s engine managed to handle five bar (72psi) of boost pressure, with 1000hp as a result. 

We recommend turning the volume up for this one, so you can best enjoy the Group B sound! 

Grand Routier — in the french tradition

10 July, 2025

Sitting in Paddy and Patsy Williams’ Dunedin garage is a stunning example of one of these rare French grand routier sedans. It is a 1949 four-door Lago-Record Factory Berline sedan, to give its full name. Daughter Cath let us know how proud she was of her dad, who had been tinkering away in his garage on this car for so many years.
Without exaggeration, it has been a mammoth task. I first saw this Talbot-Lago in mid 2019. The long-nosed, sweeping, curved four-door saloon, clothed in its misty green metallic paint, was quite breathtaking. There’s more than a little English influence in it, too, harking back to company owner Tony Lago’s involvement in the Clement-Talbot-Darracq era. The long front wings and bonnet, usually multi-louvred, highlighted with artful touches of chrome bling, are typical of the era, but these were indeed luxury length. Interiors provided leather-clad, armchair-style seating and ample legroom, with touches of wood and surprising details such as dainty childproof interior locks — a far cry from today’s lozenge boxes.
Paddy, a retired civil and structural engineer, knows his way around a lathe. He has a well-equipped garage-workshop to assist in any machining tasks along with his other passion for restoring classic motorcycles.

The Great River Road

4 July, 2025

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.