Richard Hammond’s Workshop’s Next Big Project Revealed – Now For Sale
Richard Hammond will be attending the Bonhams Cars’ upcoming sale at the Goodwood Revival on Saturday 9th September in Chichester, Goodwood, where he and his team will be documenting the sale of their next big project which is the restoration of a classic Italian icon.
As a part of the series Richard Hammond’s Workshop, the former Top Gear presenter will be closely following the sale of a 1989 Lancia Delta Integrale which was brought back to its full glory by ‘The Smallest Cog’- Hammond’s car restoration business set up in Hereford. The process of the restoration and the sale will feature on Discovery+ in October 2023.
What makes this restored Lancia even more special is that it belongs to the owner of the Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park in Devon. The good part is that the proceeds of the sale shall go towards the funding of a new enclosure for a pair of Amur Leopards that are currently classified as critically endangered species. Once built, it would aid the park in participating in the international breeding programme.
Hammond expressed that the Lancia received a ‘very thorough refresh’ at The Smallest Cog and the good cause aimed through its sale makes it even more legendary. He said:
“The Delta Integrale is a legendary car. This one has been brought back to life to raise funds to benefit rare leopards at the owner’s wildlife park, which makes it even more legendary. Not a full restoration but a very, very thorough refresh.”
Hammond chose to call this classic hatchback a legendary car as it holds a very special place in the history of motor racing and the World Rally Championship. To give you an idea, in the four evolutions of the Lancia Delta, it has won 46 World Championship rallies while Lancia’s six-in-a-row championship title still remains an unbroken record.
A few road-going versions of the Integrale continue to hold a classic reputation such as the 8-valve variant that came with an advanced all-wheel drive transmission mated to a massive 2.0-liter twin-cam four-cylinder engine churning out 182 bhp. That beat most hot hatches of its time!
This was an important car in the history of motoring and thus, it is unlikely one could find a well-done-up Integrale model from the prime Lancia days in the 80’s. This highly desired legend would cost between £20,000 – £30,000 in today’s money and people who understand the importance of it, would simply close their eyes and pay!
A spokesperson from Bonhams Cars said:
“We are very excited that Richard – and the car’s owner – have chosen Bonhams Cars to sell this stunning example of the rightly-revered Lancia Integrale,” commented Tim Schofield, Head of Motoring in the UK at Bonhams Cars.
“This is the third of our high-profile Goodwood Sales in 2023 and I’m sure the exciting auction process will make great television – even more so, of course, if we achieve a great price for what’s a very worthy cause.”
