A LESSON IN MATURITY
Autocar UK|August 23, 2023
Restomodding firm Maturo's take on the Lancia Delta Integrale is a Group A rally car designed for the road and made better. Matt Prior takes it for a spin
Matt Prior
A LESSON IN MATURITY

What I like most about Maturo Competition Cars is where the company came from. Most restomodding W outfits - yes, this is another one set out to make a car look old. To make it go better too, but in doing so, most turn up the classic appeal. This one, though, a Dutch company based near Eindhoven, founded by entrepreneur Marco Geeratz and engineer Frank van Ganzewinkel, has its roots firmly set in motorsport.

Van Ganzewinkel owned a company making Group A Lancia Deltas for classic rallying, including redesigning and making thousands of its own components for greater performance and, crucially, durability than original 1980s World Rally Championship cars. Those were fast, sure, but in the high-cost, highly competitive Group A era of the WRC, they were used, abused and built to be thrown away after just a couple of rallies.

Geeratz bought one of van Ganzewinkel's cars and started competing in it. Only then did the pair begin restoring road cars, and only after doing some of those did they wonder what they could do if they applied their rally experience to a road-going Delta. The Maturo Stradale you see here is the result: like a Group A Delta Integrale but built for the road and made better.

"People see the icon from their youth, and they buy it and they drive it and it's disappointing," says Geeratz. "That's where restomods come in. [We said] 'let's take a Group A rally car and use it as the technical basis for a street car and let's give it an interior that goes with this price tag - the Lancia Delta for street use as it should be."

Which is how I come to be standing in a wet car park in the home counties admiring the Stradale's detailing, alongside Richard Lane, who has brought along his own late 8v Delta Integrale, a model that preceded the even more famous Evo. With us too is Zion Geeratz, Marko's son and Stradale project manager.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM AUTOCAR UKView all
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
Autocar UK

Poster car that went from rusty to trusty

One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
Autocar UK

THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF

The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Autocar UK

GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80

Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
LEXUSLBX
Autocar UK

LEXUSLBX

Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Autocar UK

Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'

Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
Once more, with feeling
Autocar UK

Once more, with feeling

AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it

time-read
7 mins  |
November 13, 2024
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Autocar UK

MERCEDES-BENZ CLE

Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?

time-read
9 mins  |
November 13, 2024
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Autocar UK

ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT

Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
ALPINE A290
Autocar UK

ALPINE A290

The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`

time-read
5 mins  |
November 13, 2024
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Autocar UK

UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS

Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024