Photo: catawiki.com via jamesedition.com
Even though Lancia is a shadow of its former self that's waiting to be killed off by Fiat Chrysler, there was a time when the automaker founded by Vincenzo Lancia would rival the BMW M5. The model in question is the Thema 8.32, with eight referring to the number of cylinders and thirty-two valves (four per cylinder).
Presented at the 1986 Turin Auto Show, the Thema 8.32 arrived on the market after the E28 M5 was introduced. But while the BMW takes its suck-squeeze-bang-blow from the engine developed for the M1, the Lancia uses the Tipo 105L Ferrari V8 engine.
Similar in design to the powerplant in the 308 and Mondial Quattrovalvole, the F105L was modified with a cross-plane crankshaft in the Thema 8.32 as a means to make the car more reliable and easier to drive on a daily basis. Even though the E28 M5 had the upper hand concerning performance, the Lancia wasn’t too far behind.
In addition to the engine’s origin, the second trait that’s worth talking about is the rear spoiler. Unlike any other before it, the Thema 8.32 was equipped with an electronically raising spoiler that would fit flush with the trunk lid when closed. Some people call the Thema 8.32 the ultimate sleeper thanks to this system, which is a valid statement if you ignore the four 8.32 badges adorning the car’s exterior.
As if it wasn’t obvious enough, Lancia didn’t make too many of these cars from 1986 to 1992. For starters, it used to retail in the ballpark of £40,000 in the United Kingdom, translating to £115,000 in today’s money by using historical inflation rates. In total, Lancia manufactured 2,370 examples of the Series 1 and 1,601 units of the Series 2, then called it a day and started working on the front-wheel-drive Kappa.
The automaker tried to strike a chord with the Thema-badged 300, but when all is said and done, the American model posing as an Italian didn’t convince European customers away from the German triad (Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz).
On that note, is this example of the Thema 8.32 worth €24,001? Offered for sale by a Netherlands-based auction website, the 1987 model is now at its second owner and presents itself in tip-top condition. With a bit of luck, these babies could shoot in value in a few years or decades, more so if the Lancia brand will be folded.
Similar in design to the powerplant in the 308 and Mondial Quattrovalvole, the F105L was modified with a cross-plane crankshaft in the Thema 8.32 as a means to make the car more reliable and easier to drive on a daily basis. Even though the E28 M5 had the upper hand concerning performance, the Lancia wasn’t too far behind.
In addition to the engine’s origin, the second trait that’s worth talking about is the rear spoiler. Unlike any other before it, the Thema 8.32 was equipped with an electronically raising spoiler that would fit flush with the trunk lid when closed. Some people call the Thema 8.32 the ultimate sleeper thanks to this system, which is a valid statement if you ignore the four 8.32 badges adorning the car’s exterior.
As if it wasn’t obvious enough, Lancia didn’t make too many of these cars from 1986 to 1992. For starters, it used to retail in the ballpark of £40,000 in the United Kingdom, translating to £115,000 in today’s money by using historical inflation rates. In total, Lancia manufactured 2,370 examples of the Series 1 and 1,601 units of the Series 2, then called it a day and started working on the front-wheel-drive Kappa.
The automaker tried to strike a chord with the Thema-badged 300, but when all is said and done, the American model posing as an Italian didn’t convince European customers away from the German triad (Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz).
On that note, is this example of the Thema 8.32 worth €24,001? Offered for sale by a Netherlands-based auction website, the 1987 model is now at its second owner and presents itself in tip-top condition. With a bit of luck, these babies could shoot in value in a few years or decades, more so if the Lancia brand will be folded.
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