Five years ago, at our former West London showroom, we hosted the UK debut of the Lancia Delta Futurista by Automobili Amos – the brainchild of our good friend Eugenio Amos and the car which really ignited the digital Make Lancia Great Again campaign.

Last week, in our newly renovated barn showroom here at Belchers Farm, the second chapter in the Automobili Amos story, the mighty Safarista, was presented to the world in the metal for the very first time. A more extreme and motorsport-focused take on Amos’ two-door 16-valve Delta concept, the Safarista is referred to by its maker as L’Evoluzione dell’Evoluzione – The Evolution of the Evolution.

A mere 10 Safaristas will be built (versus 20 Futuristas, all now signed off and delivered), featuring a heavily reinforced shell, a roll-cage, hardcore Reiger suspension, a paddle-operated sequential gearbox and a hydraulic handbrake (yes please). Oh, and an explosive anti-lag system. The maiden off-road shakedown at Silverstone Rally School the day after the launch more than demonstrated the character and impressive capabilities of the car. 

Pleasingly, the (almost) finished product is satisfyingly honest to the digital renders presented at the beginning of the year. Function very much precedes form this time around, though that’s not to say the form is anything but exquisite. What did we expect after the jewel-like Futurista? As with that car, Carlo Borromeo’s design consultancy Borromeo de Silva was responsible for the Safarista’s extreme aesthetic composition.

Carlo, who joined us for the launch evening along with the rest of his team, suggested that this full-fat rally-specification model is actually far closer to Eugenio’s original idea for his restomod Delta. Commercially, however, it was less of a surefire ‘amuse-bouche’ for the brand, so delivering the road-biased Futurista took precedent.

A delectable selection of legendary Lancias procured by yours truly, a stunning Futurista finished in Lamborghini’s famous shade of Viola, the excellent Cosimo and The Hot Coals, and a truly mouthwatering rustic Italian menu complemented the presentation of the Safarista here at Belchers Farm. It’s no lie that Eugenio’s famous Garage Verde inspired the tiled section beneath the mezzanine in our new showroom, so it was really cool to have the man himself and his two creations proudly gracing the space.

We’d like to say a heartfelt thanks to Eugenio and the entire Automobili Amos family for entrusting us with hosting such a momentous event. We’re sure we’re not alone when we say we can’t wait to see what’s next. Levati!  

Photos courtesy of Tom Shaxson / Automobili Amos

You can find out more about Automobili Amos and the new Delta Safarista by clicking here. Disclaimer: all productivity will cease when you enter the Safarista configurator. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.