Lancia Thema 8.32 for sale
4 cars in stock right now, inspected in the European country where they are located, priced landed at a US port with the import paperwork done.
1994 Lancia Thema 2.0 i.e. Turbo 16V
duty at rate in effect
1993 Lancia Thema 2.0 i.e. 16V LS
duty at rate in effect
1988 Lancia Thema 8.32 (Rosso Corsa)
duty at rate in effect
1987 Lancia Thema 8.32
duty at rate in effect
The Lancia Thema 8.32 (1986–1992) put the Ferrari 308 V8 — a flat-plane 2.9-litre quad-cam of 215 hp, built by Ducati to Ferrari’s design — into a front-wheel-drive four-door sedan with Poltrona Frau leather and a rear spoiler that rises from the boot lid. Lancia left the US market in 1982, so no Thema of any kind was sold there.
Why Americans want it
It is the original sleeper: a Ferrari engine, wood and leather, and bodywork shared with the Saab 9000 and Fiat Croma. Around 4,000 were built over six years, and American collectors know it only from magazines.
What the US never got
- The brand: Lancia withdrew from the US in 1982, four years before the Thema.
- 8.32: the Ferrari-engined version, series 1 (1986–1989) and series 2 (1989–1992).
- The Thema turbo, the V6 and the Station Wagon by Pininfarina, equally absent.
Eligible years (25-year rule)
Every Thema 8.32 is eligible now. Production ran from 1986 to 1992.
What to look for
- The engine: timing belts on a Ferrari-derived quad-cam V8. Belt service is a major job and must be documented, not assumed.
- Electrics: the rear spoiler motor, the climate control and the trip computer all fail. Parts are Lancia-specific and scarce.
- Interior: the Poltrona Frau leather and the wood are expensive to restore and define the car’s value.
- Rust: sills, rear arches, suspension turrets and the boot floor.
- History: a specialist-maintained car is worth far more than a cheap one. There is no cheap way into this engine.
The other Themas we handle
The listings on this page include the ordinary Themas as well as the 8.32: the 2.0 i.e. Turbo 16V (around 185 hp, five-speed, the quick-and-cheap way into the car) and the naturally aspirated 2.0 16V. They share the body, the interior and the parts problems, without the Ferrari engine or its service bill, and they land for roughly a third of an 8.32. None of them was sold in the US either.
Typical landed price
Europe: roughly €8,000 for a project to €23,500 for a sorted, documented car. Landed at Newark or Baltimore with duty at the rate in effect on entry: roughly $19,000–$41,000.
Registration notes
- California: built after 1967, gasoline; CARB lab certification applies, not guaranteed.
- Fuel: gasoline.
- Title: 17-character VIN on later cars. US title from Salvage Motors LLC. A US VIN decoder will not recognise a Lancia; the DMV works from the CBP package.
Our take
Buy the belt history, not the car. A documented 8.32 at the top of the range is cheaper to own than a bargain one, and the difference is usually one engine service.
FAQ
Was the Lancia Thema sold in the United States?
No. Lancia left the US market in 1982 and the Thema was launched in 1984.
Is the engine really a Ferrari engine?
Yes. It is the 2.9-litre quad-cam V8 derived from the Ferrari 308 QV, built by Ducati for Lancia, with a cross-plane crank in the 8.32.
How many were built?
Around 4,000 across both series, which makes it rarer than most Ferraris of the period.