It stemmed from Lancia’s effort to forge itself a new identity during the 1970s. The company needed volume, not first-place rally finishes, to stay afloat and keep up with increasingly fierce competition in Italy and abroad.

The Delta turns 40 as Lancia is on its death bed, ironically. We’re taking a look at its origins, its success, its demise and how it shaped Lancia over the course of three generations: