Herbert von Karajan's last car
Forgotten in the garage for decades
Remained in family ownership until today
Original mileage: 2,845 kilometres

When Lancia unveiled the Delta at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1979, it was initially a modest compact car – designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, functional, angular and practical. No one could have guessed that this four-door saloon would one day become a motorsport legend. But in Turin, rallying had always been part of the DNA: after the Fulvia, Stratos and 037, the search was on for a new four-wheel drive sports car for the monstrous Group B, a class with almost no rules. In 1985, the Lancia Delta S4 was born – a brutal Group B rocket with a mid-engine, turbo, supercharger and hundreds of horsepower. But the era of Group B madness came to an abrupt end after numerous fatal accidents.

In 1987, Group A took its place – closer to production, but no less ambitious. Because 5,000 production-based models had to be built within a year, Lancia responded with the Delta HF 4WD: 165 hp, four-wheel drive, precision instead of brute force. The result was the world championship title in its very first year. In 1988, the first evolutionary stage followed, the "HF Integrale", with 20 hp more and wide fender extensions. The Integrales ascended to the Olympus of rallying, winning the World Manufacturers' Championship title for six consecutive years and bringing Lancia unexpectedly buoyant sales figures.

On the road, the Integrale was the gentleman among gladiators: snappy, fast and yet suitable for everyday use – a compact car that made other sports cars look pale in comparison and became a symbol of Italian engineering that would never be seen again.

This Lancia Delta in grigio metallizzato is no ordinary Integrale HF – if one can speak of an "ordinary" one at all. In fact, it was Herbert von Karajan's last car. The maestro, known for his pronounced preference for fast means of transport, received the car personally from Gianni Agnelli in the autumn of 1988. The two were not only long-time friends, they were also neighbours on the elegant Via Sufretta in St. Moritz. That was also the destination of the first trip in the new rally car. Despite its four-wheel drive, early winter black ice caused the maestro to skid once, prompting him to immediately order a set of new winter tyres – the invoice for which still bears witness to that minor mishap today.

Herbert von Karajan drove the Delta Integrale to Anif and back two or three times before he passed away in Anif on 16 July 1989 at the age of 81. After his death, the Delta slowly faded into oblivion: parked in the garage in St. Moritz, it gradually disappeared behind boxes and crates until it was literally out of sight and out of mind. More than three decades later, while clearing out the garage, people were astonished when a nearly pristine Lancia suddenly appeared underneath. The odometer shows just 2,845 kilometres – between Turin, St. Moritz and Anif – and the DOT number on the winter tyres dates back to 1987. The licence plate "EE 291 AA" with which the maestro received his Integrale from L'Avvocato is still attached. "EE" stood for Escursionisti Esteri – foreigners without residence in Italy. These temporary licence plates were usually valid for up to one year, in Karajan's case until October 1989, months after his death.

The only traces of time left on the car are a snowdrift and the aforementioned boxes and crates – but even these are part of the undoubtedly unique history of this Delta Integrale HF.