Italian legends at the start

Italy holds a special place in the history of the Tour de Corse. From the 1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta to the 1992 Lancia Delta Integrale, Italian cars have won fourteen editions of the rally. This year, there will be around fifty of them at the start of the Tour de Corse Historique (October 4-11), one of them driven by a rally legend.

Lancia Stratos

Two models at the start in 2025

The Lancia Stratos is the first car in history designed specifically for rallying, not derived from a production model. Designed by Marcello Gandini, it surprised everyone with its futuristic lines and Ferrari V6 engine placed centrally when it was presented in 1971. Capable of performing on all terrains, it gave Lancia three consecutive world titles from 1974 to 1976 and five victories at the Tour de Corse between 1974 and 1981, three with Bernard Darniche, the others with Jean-Claude Andruet and Sandro Munari.

The chassis 829AR0001868, which will be competing at the 2025 Tour de Corse Historique – by one of the twenty Italian crews expected at the start – was built in 1975 for Lancia’s Parisian distributor, André Chardonnet. Behind the wheel, Bernard Darniche and Alain Mahé finished 3rd at Monte Carlo and 2nd at the Tour de Corse in 1976 (see photo below).

Ferrari 308 GTB Group 4

Three models at the start in 2025

In its entire history, Ferrari has only once finished on the podium of a WRC round. That was in Corsica in 1982, when Jean-Claude Andruet finished 2nd in a 308 GTB owned by Charles Pozzi (see photo below). It was this French importer who pushed Maranello to produce this “rally” version. Too busy with Formula 1, Enzo Ferrari delegated the project to his Padua-based dealer, Michelotto… A collaboration that continues today.

The Ferrari 308 GTB is powered by a V8 producing around 300 bhp and weighs just 1,020 kg thanks to its fibreglass body reinforced with carbon-kevlar panels. Between 1978 and 1985, 15 units were produced, homologated first in Group IV and later in Group B. Three will take part in the 2025 edition of the Tour de Corse Historique.

Lancia Delta Integrale

Six models at the start in 2025

With eleven victories, Lancia holds the record for the most wins in the Tour de Corse. The last three, in 1989, 1990, and 1992, were won by Didier Auriol and his Delta Integrale. Six examples of this iconic car will be present at the Tour de Corse Historique this year, with one of them driven by the 1986 edition winner.

Bruno Saby is back!

The French driver returns to a familiar car, having finished 3rd in the 1988 Tour de Corse driving a factory Lancia Delta, after claiming three stage wins. In 2025, he will compete in the VHC category with a car prepared by Milano Racing, proudly wearing the colors of the association that is close to his heart: Espoir Isère Contre le Cancer.

The Italian Specialist

Jean-Paul Paolin (Espace Century): “Having Italian roots myself, I focused on the historic models of Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia when I took over the Espace Century garage 25 years ago.

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At the Tour de Corse Historique, we mainly participate with Alfa Romeo cars, which were once very competitive and reliable, before the tough years of the 1980s. It's not for nothing that the Giulia saloon ruled rallies between 1963 and 1967 in Group 1 (production touring). Last year, we entered twelve cars, and all of them finished the rally! However, there aren't many of us on site - just five mechanics, plus two people for logistics.

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This year, we will once again bring some fantastic cars, including a Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF ex-factory car and an Alfasud Sprint with a Trofeo body kit, featuring wide fenders. We will also have several Bertone Coupés (see photo below), a model that often captivates the audience with the distinctive, raspy sound of the Twin-Cam four-cylinder engine. Our goal is to win in regularity, a performance we achieved in 2022 with a Fiat 124 Abarth.”