Sergio Limone

The Abarth chassis engineer who chose the Lancia Montecarlo as the basis for the Rally 037, and then worked on the Delta S4 and the Group A Deltas that dominated after Group B.

Grouve Sport documentary

Episode 8 — The Architects: Fiorio, Todt, Gumpert, Turner & the People Behind Group B

The engineers and team bosses who built Group B.

Abarth engineer

Sergio Limone was born in Turin on 24 July 1948 and studied engineering at the Politecnico di Torino. He joined Abarth in 1972, first working on engines and then, from 1975, on chassis alongside Mario Colucci, including the Fiat 131 Abarth Rally. When Colucci left at the end of 1978, Limone became head of vehicle design and testing in the experimental department.

Rally 037

Given the task of building the Fiat group’s car for the new Group B, Limone chose the mid-engined Lancia Montecarlo as the starting point and had it thoroughly reworked. Only the central section of the Montecarlo survived; Dallara designed tubular subframes front and rear and Pininfarina the body. The rear-wheel-drive 037 won the 1983 manufacturers’ title, the last time a two-wheel-drive car did so.

The Abarth engineer behind the Lancia 037, and the Delta S4.

Delta S4 and beyond

Limone took part in the development of the Delta S4 and of its intended Group S successor, which never competed. After 1986 he worked on the Group A Delta HF 4WD and Integrale, and later moved with Lancia’s former rally staff to Alfa Corse, where he developed the Alfa Romeo 155 and 156 touring cars.

In pictures 1 photos

Lancia 037
Lancia 037Photo: Calreyn88 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

More from Designers and engineers

Claudio LombardiLancia's engine designer for the 037 and the twin-charged Delta S4, later Ferrari team manager.Read more →André de CortanzeTechnical director of Peugeot Talbot Sport, later designer of the Toyota GT-One.Read more →Tony SouthgateThe racing-car designer who drew the Ford RS200's chassis.Read more →John WheelerFord's Boreham engineer who won the RS200 design competition.Read more →Ferdinand PiëchThe Audi engineering chief who made the quattro possible.Read more →Walter TreserProject leader and namer of the Audi quattro, first head of Audi Sport.Read more →

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (IT), Sergio Limone — https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Limone
  2. Wikipedia (EN), Lancia Rally 037 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_Rally_037

All text is original writing for Grouve Sports Management Group, based on the sources above. Facts checked on 21 October 2026.

Follow Grouve Sport on YouTube — rally Shorts now, Group B documentaries soon.

Subscribe

Thumbnail photos on this page: Steven Straiton from UK (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0); Jorjum (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0); Calreyn88 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Nicky Clarke (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0).