Enzo Ferrari's Daily Driver Was A Lancia Sedan With A Ferrari V8
Tipo Quattro
Lancia's story is one filled with innovation and constantly saddled by financial troubles. It's made some of the most memorable and iconic cars ever to hit the road, and yet every year is a fight for survival. One would think that an automaker with a great roster of legendary vehicles wouldn't have any cash flow worries, but that's just the way it is with Lancia.
Its woes led it to work more closely with its compatriots and Saab to develop a new range of midsize executive sedans for the '80s. The resulting platform was the Tipo Quattro, first spawning the Fiat Croma and Saab 9000, followed by the Lancia Thema and, finally, the Alfa Romeo 164.
Lancia Thema: The Basics
Our focus here is, of course, the Thema. When it was first shown in May 1984, it was a breath of fresh air, replacing the interesting but now-outdated Gamma. The smaller Delta had kickstarted a design revolution for the brand, and like the compact hatchback, the Thema was penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro with his firm, Italdesign.
It may not look like it now, but the car's design was bold and edgy, yet understated and serious enough to be taken seriously in the executive car segment. Remember, this was in 1984, when the Mercedes-Benz W124 and BMW E34 had yet to come out. At the time, only Audi, with the C3 100, had an aero-inspired design in the luxury car market. Okay, there was Saab too, but the 9000 and Thema were (mostly) the same under the skin.
The specs were typical of midsize executive sedans and wagons in Europe at the time. There was a base 2.0-liter, while a turbocharged 2.0-liter was an alternative for heavily taxed large-capacity engines. The six-cylinder engine offered was a Peugeot-Renault-Volvo (PRV) V6, and there was even a 2.5-liter diesel. Pre-facelift models, dubbed Series 1, had power ratings of 118 hp (2.0 i.e), 148 hp (2.8 PRV V6), and 163 hp (2.0 i.e Turbo), while the diesel made a grand total of 99 hp. Those were respectable numbers for the time, but not exactly life-changing. That was to change in 1986.
The Ferrari-Lancia Connection
Now, we can't say for certain whether Lancia planned to put a Ferrari V8 in its Thema from the start, but it's safe to say the Ferrari-Lancia connection goes back a long way. Enzo Ferrari idolized Vincenzo Lancia in his youth, watching him compete in Grand Prix races. That sparked the young Enzo's passion for motorsports, and later on, Ferrari would acquire the Lancia Formula 1 team. The rest, they say, is history.
That backstory is perhaps a reason why Enzo himself approved the use of one of his engines in the executive sedan. That said, there were allegedly a few conditions attached. One, the car cannot have Ferrari badges on the exterior, and calling the Lancia Thema Ferrari edition was most definitely out of the picture. Secondly, the latest V8 cannot be used, meaning the older eight-cylinder found in the 308 Quattrovalvole was the way to go.
8 Cylinders, 32 Valves
Thanks to Enzo's approval, the Lancia Thema 8.32 was born. It made its world premiere in the 1986 Turin Motor Show, and the reasoning behind its name was straightforward. The 2.9-liter V8 from the 308 Quattrovalvole featured 32 valves, hence, 8.32. It doesn't sound like a big deal now, but fitting an engine of that caliber in a car that looks like your (Italian) bank manager would drive was unimaginable at the time.
The specs are tame by today's standards but would've rocked anyone's world in the '80s. It produced 215 hp and 210 lb-ft of torque, which was enough for a 0-62 mph time of 6.8 seconds. Admittedly, it's not the full 240 hp rating of the 308 Quattrovalvole, but Lancia had to make changes to the engine to better suit a luxury sedan. It had to use a cross-plane crank instead of a flat-plane crank to fit the mood of this cruiser. By the way, there was no automatic version of the 8.32.
Other changes? Of course, it came with firmer suspension and bigger brakes. You'll spot the differences between an 8.32 and a more pedestrian Thema by the subtle Ferrari yellow badges, egg-crate grille, the five-lug alloys, and, of course, that pop-out trunklid spoiler. Even the interior received a mild makeover, with round dials and circular air-con vents instead of the rectangular ones in the standard models. Oh, and there's a greater abundance of leather inside.
The 4-Door Ferrari that Maranello Couldn't Make
The Lancia Thema was given a facelift in late 1988, which meant the 8.32 also received some changes. Differentiating a Series 1 from a Series 2 is easy enough, as the latter came with new headlights, a more prominent grille, and a redder tint to the taillights.
Unfortunately, Series 2 cars had to be fitted with a catalytic converter, which reduced power from 215 hp to 205 hp. At least it was still manual-only and kept that cool retractable spoiler. There was no Series 3 8.32 as production for that specific model had ended in 1992. The rest of the Thema lineup would live on until 1995. About 366,000 of these cars were made, and 3,520 were the 8.32. Today, the Ferrari-powered sedan is a sought-after collectible. We do wish there was a wagon version, although one was built for the industrialist and Fiat principal shareholder, Gianni Agnelli.
Given its legacy, we can say that the Thema 8.32 deserves the nickname "four-door Ferrari." It's understandable that it couldn't be badged as such, as we're pretty sure a front-wheel drive (yes, the Thema was front-drive) sedan wouldn't have sat well with the Prancing Horse's devotees. Letting Lancia do this project was the right call, as it was effectively the four-door V8 grand tourer that Maranello couldn't build at the time. The ultimate seal of approval? Enzo Ferrari had one as a daily driver.
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This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 6:31 PM.