1988 Lancia Thema 8.32

The vehicle presented today is a 1988 Thema with chassis number ZLA834000*00127529 and just under 107,500 km on the clock.

This car is a series 2 presented in a beautiful colour combination "Quartz Grey" on brown leather.

Overall, the exterior of this car is very satisfactory. The paintwork appears to be of good quality, no colour discrepancies appear between the different panels and the alignments seem to be consistent with the factory standards.

Obviously, being a car that has been driven for over 30 years, it is not surprising to find some minor defects. The rear bumper shows a trace of rubbing at the left corner, something that probably won't be difficult to correct being on the black plastic part. The left rear-view mirror also seems to have rubbed. Various scratches and chips are visible in the picture gallery.

The 8.32 specific rims (which may remind of the Ferrari 348's), also look good even if some small scratches should be noted. The headlights and the glass do not seem to be tarnished.

The spoiler was also working at the time of the photo shoot.

The interior matches the exterior. The brown leather seems to have stood the test of time and miles. Obviously, the driver's seat shows the most advanced wear, with some cracks in the side bolsters, but no tears: these days we like to call it "patina".

The steering wheel surround also appears to show some minor signs of wear. The burr-walnut style meter block has four dials: one for the fuel level (indicated in liters, useful), a speedometer graduated up to 280 km/h with a six-digit odometer and a three-digit trip meter, a rev counter, and a water temperature gauge. The yellow dominance of the meters won't let you forget that you're sitting in an 80s car, let alone a performance car. There are also a few lights between the meters, including indicators for the turn signals, hazard lights, front and rear fog lights, heated seats, seat belt indicator and demister.

The speedo block extends to the right with three air vents typical of Italians of this period and just below it are four gauges, two of which are dedicated to additional warning lights (pray they stay off), one for oil pressure and the last for oil temperature. Just below you'll find all the electrical controls, including the air conditioning system. As a bonus, a vintage Pioneer radio is fitted, which complements the look of the car perfectly, we suggest listening to 88's hits such as Faith by George Michael, or Man in the mirror by Michael Jackson.

As for the rest of the interior, there doesn't seem to be any major defects to note, the leather and woodwork don't seem to have aged badly.

Under the bonnet we find the Ferrari F105 engine, in this L version specific to the Thema 8.32. It carries the serial number 10174. For those who would be tempted to put this engine in their Ferrari 308, you should know that the ignition order is not the same, this engine being equipped with a "crossplane" crankshaft.

The engine bay looks very good, everything seems to be in order and compliant to factory specification, no leaks, rust or deformation is obvious. The manufacturer's plates are present. It will of course be possible and recommended to inspect the car, ideally accompanied by an expert.

Under the car, the worst seems to have been avoided. Although showing some surface rust, we do not see anything worrying about major rust, nor do we see any areas that appear to be "covered up". Of course, again, further inspection is recommended. It should be noted that the front bumper has scratches on the underside, probably the result of an unwanted encounter with a speed bump.

Little is known about this Thema unfortunately. We know that she lived in Portugal in 2017 and 2018, invoices in the gallery show this. It appears to have been first registered in Holland in April 2022.

The timing belt appears to have been last replaced in February 2018 by Timeless Garage in Lisbon, we do not know the mileage of the car at that date. We advise the next owner to check the expiry date of the timing belt and to replace it if necessary.

If you like sleepers, youngtimers, Ferrari engines and weirdness, this is the car for you.

It's often said that the Mondial is the most affordable Ferrari, but there are cars that don't carry the Ferrari badge but whose DNA is infused with it that present a far more interesting opportunity to acquire the 'poor man's Ferrari'.

With this 8.32 presented without a reserve price and in lovely condition, we are convinced that the opportunity is unique, and are confident of our estimate of €15,000 - €25,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located on our stand at Interclassics in Brussels, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.