Lancia 037 vs Audi Quattro – WRC 1983

The world of automotive racing is full of iconic battles. Every race format – F1, WRC, NASCAR, Dakar, etc., has had its share of memorable rivalries for the constructors’ and drivers’ titles. One of my favorites is from the 1983 WRC, where Audi and Lancia competed for both titles. The most interesting part of this season was the ‘Shenanigans,’ a series of strategic moves and rule-bending tactics performed mainly by Lancia to maintain their competitive position. These ‘Shenanigans’ had a significant impact on the season, shaping the competition’s narrative and the eventual outcome.

When Audi introduced the Quattro in 1980, they immediately knew they had a winner on their hands. Four-wheel drive could be a game-changer in WRC rallies, where traction and handling are crucial. At that time, WRC rules did not allow four-wheel-drive cars to compete. Audi lobbied the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the governing body for the WRC, to change these regulations. Their argument centered on the potential for greater safety and performance. The lobbying was fruitful, and FIA removed this condition for WRC. 

In 1982, Audi brought the Quattro to the WRC and convincingly won the constructors’ championship. Arch-rival Lancia was caught off guard. They were years away from developing a four-wheel drive car. Rally performance was a significant factor in a model’s market success. Customers loved winners, not losers. Lancia had been very successful in rallying until then, as reflected in their sales figures, but the threat from Quattro would affect their market position. To avoid being labeled as a loser, Lancia’s boardroom was considering withdrawing from WRC for the time being. 

Cesare Fiorio, Lancia’s team manager and a legend in his own right, remained determined despite his bosses’ resistance and decided to enter the 1983 championship with the Lancia 037. The 037 was a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car developed for rallying. It was lightweight (as compared to the Quattro), handled well, and had precise steering. Lancia’s lead driver, Walter Röhrl, was delighted with its performance during a test run. With Walter signing on, Cesare and Lancia believed they had a strong car against the Quattro, a belief that would connect them to the hearts of the fans.

But Cesare also knew that this would be a tough battle, and it would take more than performance on the circuit to win, and that’s where the shenanigans played their part. In Cesare’s view, Audi had the WRC rules changed unfairly to give 4-wheel-drive cars an advantage. Some borderline activities were thus fair game, adding a layer of intrigue to the competition. 

Number of production cars: 

FIA rules required that any model competing in WRC had had a production run of at least 200 cars. A day before the FIA inspected the 037 for this criterion, Cesare was told they only had 103 cars built. They would never receive approval to race with the 037. Knowing it was impossible to produce 100 cars overnight, he found a rather creative solution.

When the FIA inspectors arrived, he took them to the lot where 103 cars were parked. Upon inquiring about the remaining vehicles, he told them they were parked at another lot because this one was small, and that he would drive them there. He took a route with heavy traffic and then offered lunch at a great restaurant. While the inspectors enjoyed the wine and food, Cesare’s team moved the cars to another lot. When the long lunch ended, they arrived at the other lot and found 97 vehicles parked there. FIA inspectors completed the inspection and approved the car’s participation. 

Salt, Winter Tiers, and the Rule Book: 

The first rally of the season was in Monte Carlo, where the mountain roads were icy. This was the turf Quattro excelled on, but the rear-wheel-drive 037 had a severe disadvantage. So, Cesare’s team bought all the salt they could find in the local stores and sprayed it on the tricky stages. They went a step further by lobbying local authorities about the dangers posed by such roads to drivers and spectators. The authorities agreed and did their part by spraying salt on the roads, making conditions just right for the Lancia. 

The cars started the race with Winter tires, but the Lancias switched to summer tires once the icy stages were over. Audi saw what Lancia was doing, but was helpless because its service crews had not planned for this maneuver. Lancia clinched the number 1 and 2 spots at Monte Carlo. Audi lodged a complaint, but Cesare prevailed by arguing that the rule books didn’t prohibit it.

Withdrawing from Races:

Rear-wheel drives are known to be pathetic in snow. There was also a perception that 037 was, let’s say, “fragile” compared to the Quattro. It may not fare well in the snow in Sweden or on the rough terrain in races like Portugal, though this was proven wrong when the 037 later in the season very convincingly won the Greece circuit, which was thought to be the roughest. Surprisingly, the tougher car, the Quattro, suffered major breakdowns in that race. 

If the 037 failed to finish the Swedish or Portuguese races, that could prove disastrous for the Lancia brand. With a calculation that not participating in a few early races would still keep them in the running for the constructor’s championship, Lancia just pulled out of Sweden and Portugal. 

Multiple entries:

Each racing team entered two cars. After pulling out of a couple of races, Lancia needed to score more points to stay in the running for the constructors’ championship. They solved this problem by entering four cars in Corsica. The Corsica race was almost all on paved roads, the perfect track for the 037. And they scored big, winning the top 3 positions and returning to the top of the leaderboard. 

Cesare’s team performed a few more tricks, such as delaying their start by a couple of minutes to manage the dust situation in San Remo. 

Lancia, the underdog team, emerged victorious in the constructors’ championships, thanks to Cesare’s strategy and some help from the Shenanigans. It was also the last year in the WRC when a 2-wheel-drive car won. By the following year, most manufacturers had launched 4-wheel drive, so the battles became more balanced. This year, however, stands out as one of the most exciting in the rally’s history, inspiring all who witnessed it.