Lancia Thema

1984 to 1994
Overview
Manufacturer	Lancia
Production	1984–1994
Assembly	Mirafiori plant, Turin, Italy Borgo San Paolo, Turin, Italy
Designer	Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign Pininfarina (Station Wagon)
Body and chassis
Class	Executive car
Body style	4-door saloon 5-door station wagon
Layout	FF layout
Platform	Fiat Type Four (Tipo Quattro) platform
Related	Saab 9000 Alfa Romeo 164 Fiat Croma
Powertrain
Engine	Petrol: 2.0 L straight-4 2.0 L straight-4 turbo 2.8 L PRV V6 3.0 L Alfa Romeo V6 2.9 L V8 Diesel: 2.5 L straight-4 turbodiesel
Transmission	5-speed manual 4-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,660 mm (104.7 in)
Length	4,590 mm (180.7 in)
Width	1,755 mm (69.1 in)
Height	1,440 mm (56.7 in)
Curb weight	1,150–1,300 kg (2,535.3–2,866.0 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Lancia Gamma
Successor	Lancia Kappa

The Lancia Thema (Type 834) is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia between 1984 and 1994, and one of four cars to share the Type Four platform alongside the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000.

The Lancia Thema (internal designation Y9), introduced in October 1984, was initially equipped with an engine with two overhead camshafts and a displacement of two liters, which developed 88 kW (120 hp). This engine had proven itself in the Beta series for many years. Its base was developed for the Fiat 124 by the former Ferrari designer Aurelio Lampredi in the 1960s . The smoothness of this four-cylinder engine was improved from 1986 onwards with two balance shafts, which rotated in opposite directions in the engine block at twice the crankshaft speed and thus reduced engine vibrations ( Lanchester compensation ).

The then still independent small manufacturers Saab and Lancia had agreed to work together on the development of a vehicle in the upper middle class, as each of them could hardly have borne the development costs. The result was so promising that Fiat and Alfa Romeo also took part in the project. The resulting concept was used for the Saab 9000 , Fiat Croma , Alfa Romeo 164 and of course the new Lancia Thema. The shape of the body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his company Italdesign .

A short time later, the two-liter engine with turbocharger and 124 kW (169 hp) ensured extraordinary performance . For this purpose, a V6 engine was introduced for the Lancia Thema, which was mainly intended for the export markets, since additional taxes had to be paid in Italy for cars with a displacement of more than two liters. This was initially the so-called PRV engine , which was also referred to as the "Europe V6", as this V6 unit was a joint development of Peugeot , Renault and Volvo . The engine had a displacement of 2.8 liters and a cylinder angle of 90 degrees.

At the end of 1986, the topic, which had previously only been available as a sedan, was accompanied by a station wagon variant with the additional name Station Wagon .

Overview

The Thema was available as a saloon and as a station wagon designed by Pininfarina, and was considered one of the most spacious and comfortable European cars of its time. In addition to the sedans, 21,074 Thema station wagons were built by Pininfarina between 1986 and 1994 in their Borgo San Paolo plant.

The Thema was Lancia's luxury car based on the Tipo Quattro platform, the others being the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000 The Thema re-established Lancia as a high-quality luxury manufacturer with a galvanized steel chassis and rust protection that equaled or bettered that of its competitors. Build quality was higher than the Fiat Croma's and on par with the Saab 9000's with which it shared a great deal of body engineering including doors. Lancia's sales organisation, however, was poor in many markets and secondhand values for the car suffered.

The first series was built between 1984 and 1988, and was available with 1995cc 8 valve, twin-cam fuel injected or turbocharged engines or a 2849cc V6. For most European markets a 2445cc 4 cylinder turbodiesel was also available. The second series Thema was presented in the Paris Motor Show in September 1988 with 16v 2.0l engines replacing the 2.0 8v units increasing the power output of the injection version to 146PS and the turbo to 205PS. The diesel engine size increased to 2499cc. The series two was replaced by the last series, introduced in Paris Motor Show in September 1992 and produced from 1992-1994.

Production of the Thema ceased in 1994 when Lancia withdrew from RHD markets (including the United Kingdom) in response to dwindling popularity and sales. (The station wagon version was never offered in RHD.) Lancia continued, however, to be one of the most popular manufacturers in the Italian market and the Thema's replacement, the Lancia Kappa, sold well.

Thema 8.32

First shown at the Turin Auto Show in 1986, the Thema 8.32 ("8" standing for the number of cylinders and "32" for the number of valves) was assembled at Lancia's S. Paolo plant in Turin.It used a 2927 cc Ferrari V8. This engine was based on the unit used in the Ferrari 308 and in the Ferrari Mondial Quattrovalvole, and some of the componentry was assembled by Ducati from castings made at Maranello. The engine differed from other Ferrari V8s of the time in that it was equipped with a cross-plane type crankshaft rather than the usual flat-plane crankshaft, smaller valves and different firing order. All this to make the engine characteristics more suitable in a four-door luxury saloon. Both Series 1 and 2 cars in non catalysed form produced 215 PS (158 kW; 212 hp) and were capable of 0–100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and 240 km/h (149 mph) whilst catalysed versions were slightly detuned to 205 PS (151 kW; 202 hp) which gave 0–100 km/h in 7.2 seconds and 235 km/h (146 mph).

The car offered good performance and excellent refinement, including a luxurious hand made wood-and-leather interior by Poltrona Frau complete with the same luxury equipment as LX versions of the Thema. Unfortunately, a price tag of £40,000 (or more) in Britain, and the fact that only left hand drive versions were produced, limited its appeal with only 9 being officially sold there. This version of the Thema also sold in limited numbers in Italy with 2370 Series 1 built between 1986 and 1988 and 1601 Series 2 built between 1989 and 1992.

Its key competitors were some of the fastest saloon models of the late 1980s including the Audi 100 Quattro, BMW M535i, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and Opel Lotus Omega/Vauxhall Lotus Carlton.

Five non catalyst Thema 8.32s were exported to Taiwan and 2 of them still survive today.

8.32 Limited Edition

32 numbered vehicles were made, all on series 2 catalysed cars, prepared by Lancia Germany. These were only available in non-metallic Ferrari-red, Rosso Monza, known from then-current Ferrari Mondial and 328/348. Numbering was not present of the car but on the service book instead. This edition was inspired by a non-cat Rosso Monza Thema 8.32 made for a Lancia-Martini team director.

Thema Limousine

Built only on request by wealthy customers and Fiat-Group executives, the Thema Limousine featured the same interior of the LX and the 8.32 versions. Most of them were powered by a 2.8 L PRV V6 engine, replaced in the last ones by the 3.0 L Alfa Romeo V6 engine. Only 24 Thema Limousines were built. Wheelbase of the car was extended to 2,960 mm and it's overall length to 4,890 mm.