The Ultimate Lancia Collection
This unparalleled collection of some of the world’s greatest Lancia race and rally cars has been carefully and diligently assembled by entrepreneur and racing driver John Campion. The Campion Collection consists of the 1984 Lancia 037 Rally Evo 2 Group B, 1985 Lancia Delta S4 Corsa Group B, 1988 Lancia Delta HF Integrale 8V Group A, 1981 Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo Group V, 1982 Lancia LC1 Group VI and 1983 Lancia LC2 Group C, all of which were campaigned extensively in period. The collection is valued at $7,500,000.
The competition results of these cars are exceptional and varied, with each car playing its own part in Lancia’s remarkable motorsport history. The Delta HF Integrale 8V Group A is the original double World Rally winning Works Martini car at both the 1988 Rallye de Portugal and Olympus Rally with Miki Biasion (in his championship winning year no less), and racked up over 36 world rally stage victories as a Works Lancia Martini Racing entrant.
The 037 Rally Evo 2 Group B is one of just 20 such examples and represents the ideal specification of the dominating rear-wheel drive world rally car. The car made its debut as a recce car ahead of the 1984 Rally of the 1000 Lakes at the hands of World Rally Champion Markku Alén, and was later assigned to the legendary Jolly Club racing team. The car was also raced by European Rally Champions Dario Cerrato and Enrico Bertone and even the father of 9-time Motorcycle World Champion Valentino Rossi, Graziano Rossi.
Also campaigned by Dario Cerrato, Markku Alén and Miki Biasion, the legendary twin- charged Lancia Delta S4 Corsa Group B debuted as an official Lancia Martini Racing car used for testing prior to the Monte Carlo and Swedish World Rally Championship events before latterly joining the Jolly Club Team and winning the 1986 Rally 1000 Miglia with Cerrato in its first competitive outing. The car has been fastidiously maintained throughout its time in The Campion Collection and was awarded ‘Best in Class’ at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
Silverstone 1978 marked the race debut of the Lancia Beta Montecarlo, being driven by Riccardo Patrese and Walter Rohrl. Lancia quickly dominated the 2-litre class, taking class victories at Pergusa and Brands Hatch, winning the 2-litre class and finishing second overall in the 1979 World Championship for Makes.
1980 saw further development, with the Beta Montecarlo dominating the field, taking victories in ten of the eleven rounds, but perhaps more impressive were the outright victories at Brands Hatch, Mugello and Watkins Glen, with all three seeing a Lancia 1-2 result! At the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1980, Carlo Facetti and Marini Finotto piloted a Beta Montecarlo Turbo to a 2-litre class victory and second overall in Group V!.
In 1981, the Beta Montecarlo continued to dominate, with Lancia claiming victory in all six rounds of the World Endurance Championship of makes, including 2-litre class victory at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Beta Montecarlo was Lancia’s return to endurance racing, victory and domination.
The streamlined LC1 Group V1 is a factory 1982 Le Mans 24 Hour Lancia Martini Racing entrant, and is one of only four examples built of Italy’s first ground effect sports car. During its career the car was driven by World Sportscar Champion Teo Fabi and Formula One Grand Prix winner Riccardo Patrese, and claimed victory at the 1982 Nürburgring 1000 KM. In the same season, this car took pole position in the Group VI class in four of the six World Sportscar Championship events it raced, going on to score two further second-place finishes and today is in superb Lancia Classiche approved condition.
The LC2 Group C has a similarly superb history, as a Works Lancia Martini Racing entrant in the 1983 Le Mans 24 Hours and both the 1983 and 1984 FIA World Sportscar Championship. Campaigned by four-times Le Mans 24 Hours winner Henri Pescarolo, Formula One Grand Prix Winner Alessandro Nannini and four-time Daytona 24 Hours Winner Bob Wollek, the car was a double podium finisher and 1984 Kylami 1000KM pole-sitter.
Having an exceptional track record in the sale of historically significant and valuable classic car collections cars since the company’s inception in 2016, Girardo & Co. has been chosen to handle the sale of this important collection.
The Campion Collection is available for sale now through Girardo & Co. Click on the link below for further details. Photos © Girardo & Co.