These Lancia rally cars from 1983 and 1984 really defined and propelled Group B’s creation – and perhaps the unlimited performance class’s ultimate demise.
They were rally cars only in tire and suspension settings. For all other intents and purposes, these were the hardest-core sports racers in decades. They leveraged new innovations in tech heavily – things like electronic fuel injection, carbon-fiber chassis construction, and turbocharging – to wild effect.
The Martin colors are just icing on the cake, really.
But while Group B might have taken these cars with them to history, the legacy lives on proudly today in many thousands of garages: via not just the Ferrari F40 and California T, but also the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
To a lesser extent, they also spawned the desire for a new Skyline GT-R from Nissan.
Very important cars that are a joy to behold.
1983 Lancia Beta Montecarlo
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.
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