Fiat letting Lancia die out is an absolute shame

Loved the Thema. One of the best looking cars of the 1980s

Lovely review. My grandfather owns a 2.0L 8V i.e. turbo model which he purchased brand new in 1987. Its spent all its life dry stored in its garage, with only 14k original miles on the odometer. It still has its interior covered in delivery plastic. I've been helping him get it back on the road over the summer, and I must say that I have really fallen in love with the Thema more than ever. I never had an idea of what a great car its been. Therefore, I can't wait to get a ride in it again.

Had a 1989 Thema Turbo SW with an Alcantara interior and cherry wood inserts on the dash. Drove it till June 2000 and put 255k kms on it. Miss it a lot!!

Thanks for the video! I had an '89 turbo version of this car, same colour, dark blue Alcantara interior. I got a speeding ticket for driving 162km/h on a back road. It was the car's fault. Great car

Beautiful car. That's the basic model, the higher trim level had lovely alcantara on the seats and doors as well as rosewood laminate on the dashboard.

The 164 was undoubtedly the best looking of the four. But I love how understated the Thema is. It was seriously rare in the UK, so it had a lovely individualistic character as a result. Like a lot of these cars, I wish I'd got one years ago. Too late now, alas!

I loved the Thema, but my dad got a Croma i.e., same car but cheaper and a bit more built on a budget. Croma i.e. was nevertheless a fantastic family car, spacious, comfortable and reliable. We kept it 8 years and did 230K km with it. The engine was exactly the same, except the Croma had allegedly a more sophisticated electronic fuel injection system (integrated with the ignition)...Whatever, first car in the family with automatic air conditioning, trips and journeys were a bliss. Sweet memories.

That's an attractive colour car, a nice alternative to silver for people who want a lighter colour. Its a shame modern cars don't offer it now.

First saw one of these in the local fiat dealership years ago and it was the md's car Seemed so posh then. It was in a different league. Not a bmw/Merc but just as good without the snob value. Most people didn't understand how good these are.

Saab really did well with that platform, they made that car look amazing

I drive one of these (a 1994 2.0 16v VIS) as my daily car. Just did a 420 mile roundtrip to Oban and it lives outside all year round. Hard as Nails and strong as they come. Pity that you had to test drive a base model without all the bells and whistles of the higher spec cars. Would be happy to let you review mine if you ever make it up to Scotland.

My first AND second car were both Lancia Thema's. I had the 2.8l V6 and the 2.0 i.e. Turbo. Both of them looked like a regular family car and blasted past every fast and the furious-style cars in my town when they tried to race me. What an absolute gem of a car. So much soul, comfort and genius design!

That's a late first Series Thema. There were still several for sale in 1989 when the Series 2 was launched in the UK. Very underrated cars, I've had a few in the 90s and early 2000s.

My father had been given one (facelift) as a gift by my grandfather in the mid 90s, probably the first car I've been into, it was so confortable that I remember it even if I only was a toddler ahah Thanks for making those memories come back, these cars are so rare by now, it has been ages I did not see any on the road !

When you mentioned the beautiful seats, I remember my now deceased friend. He bought a Fiat 2000 Racing in the eighties. A two-door version of Fiat 131, with 118 hp. He bought it, becouse it had such beautiful seats.

That's a handsome looking car! What great condition it's in

I love the Saab 9000/Lancia Thema cars. As a kid, I admired the Saab and had a poster from an old motoristic journal with the Lancia. In 2019, I got myself a 2000 Lybra and it has the same "tweed" upholstery as this Thema and I'm so glad it is like so. The car was owned by elderly german people (born in the 1940's) and they barely did 60 000 miles on it (94 xxx km when I bought it). It looks like new and the seats are the definition of comfort seating. A former co worker had the Lybra with the alcantara leather and that was shot to pieces. I have mine with the 1.8 petrol and it makes the same interesting noise, it is a great engine. And while most of the people complain about unreliable Italian cars, well, this one is really reliable, only both front electric window winding mechanisms failed one a year after the other, because of plastic pieces broke as they were 20 years old. But it was surprisingly cheap to buy and quite easy to replace. I did a long journey in it from Central Europe to the Black Sea(Burgas and Varna in Bulgaria) and after the 17 hour drive I was as fresh as if I just woke up after sleeping on a comfortable bed. It's so sad that today Lancia is almost dead, they used to be very advanced back in their day. I mean in the time when range Rover wanted two Fiestas worth of money from you to get a one line satnav system in the radio display, the Lybra had a full size coloured LCD display as a big info centre, radio controls and a trip computes as standard.

Love the channel and your selection of somewhat forgotten but still iconic cars

I had the Saab 9000 2.0 ltr Turbo, think it was 175bhp…she was perky, but wallowed in the same manner you describe here. Loved the video…thank you😃👍

A lovely example. I drove one of the 16v ones back in the day. It was really fast and handled so well. Great vid.

Anyone else here thinking '80s cars were much more interesting and characterful? Anyone else here feeling totally deflated by today's plastic SUV diesel shitters??? Sad era we live in...

Blimey not seen one of those for a while! Good road test .Thanks 👍

I haven’t seen one of those for years! I enjoyed the video, thanks.

Our 1979 Morris marina 1.3 L had an illuminated glovebox and it was lockable!

Man, you need more subscribers! KZfaq algorithm brought me here (as a viewer of channels like aging wheels e.g.) and I was not disappointed. Love it, great! Great job mate, keep it on!!

That’s a series 1 Thema (facelif zero). Series 2 can be easily identified by the dark indicators at the bottom of the headlights (making the main headlights rectangular in shape as opposed to the squared ones you’ve got there) and by the chunkier chrome grille. Series 3 had the same headlights as 2, with narrower foglights in the corner of the front bumpers.

Lovely condition. I always had a thing for the Thema and of course I was mesmerised as a teen by the 8.32.

i drive my lancia thema 1984 2,5 turbo diesel every day

I guess the door lock was supposed to look awkward when open -it was obviously designed to lock yourself in when setting off. So it would catch your eye and you were never in doubt whether you were "safe" or not when driving around. (We are talking about an italian executive car, predominantely designed for specific market needs after all.)

I drive a black one series 3. My front seats were worn, so I was very happy to get fancy green Alcantara seats good as new short time ago. Magnificent drive!

Only just found this video! Another great video thank you!

Good pick! Absolutely LOVELY car. Soooo elegant and classy. I got the privilege to drive a very rare V6 automatic. A real flying carpet. Very good video BTW!

Love it dude. I've had my beady eye on this car since I saw it for sale, love the classy shape and colour.

Great review of a lovely car indeed. Nice to see such a great example and how much you seem to like it. You have been corrected about the various engine options and facelifts already. This Thema is actually as basic as they get! Imagine how much you would have enjoyed an 8v turbo or a later V6! I have owned four series 1 8v turbo's and currently own a s2 16v turbo. A quite unique dark red one with tan leather, great car! Looking forward to your 164 and Croma items. I have owned an 89 164 twin spark in a beautiful red and grey two tone exterior and black leather interior which apparently was the company car of the CEO of Alfa Romeo NL. Currenly own a 93 164 V6 24v Super. Had an 8v 2 liter Croma as well, but that was a work horse. Which it was very good at. ;D

Great content! Thank you! Please sort out the mount on the passenger window, it’s quite wobbly. The channel is excellent though 😀😀

excellent video, keep up the good work mate

I believe a friend of mine has one of these. Very interesting and nice clear camera work

Oh my goodness me! Every time you pick up one of these Type 4 cars, I seem to really want one. This very gentlemanly Lancia seems even more appropriate than ever! Love the almost useless Econometer, straight out a Fiat Uno...

Great car and very good test... One little thing, the Thema Mk1 (1984-1888) comes also with the 2.0 ie Turbo 8v version (166 hp) and the 2.8 V6 (150 hp). The 16v (and the Turbo 16v) comes only in 1988 with the mk2 and mk3

Enjoyable review Matt.

This is the last of the mk1 cars, then the mk2 came out with the 16v engine and in 92 the last series which was the LE and LS with the chunkier bumpers, the best of the lot! Ive owned soo many and was obsessed with these cars, actually owning 3 at one time (at the same time) lol all 8v turbo and 16v turbos they can be chipped and they are very fast cars having the same engine as the integrale! In my opinion one of the best saloons of the 90s, lovely alcantara interiors and very spacious and comfortable cars, hard to find now!

Had the pleasure of driving my friends1990 Thema 16V Turbo in navy blue with buff color alcantara interior - fabulous handling and powerful vehicle.

What a lovely car, I had forgotten about the Thema. Also a very rare sight for me, growing up in the Netherlands. It's a shame, it seems like the car should have deserved to sell a lot better, seems like a thoroughly modern and competent car for its time.

Furious! I am increasingly enjoying your videos - just the kind of content I like. This is exactly my kind of car! I think you come across really well. One minor thing (and please don’t think I am being over critical) would be to slow down a little with your delivery. Relax and deliver to your own pace. Took me a while to take that feedback with my own presentations few will ever hear! Keep up the great work. Subscribed.

Congratulations from Italy for the video!🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹 A greeting!

Great video showing a car 🚘 long gone. Bravo.

I think this is what you do best, reviewing cars. And i really like the ones from the 80's and earlier.

What a cracking looking Thema. I remember when this car came up for sale a few years ago with the service manager story as part of the advertisment. Unlike my fellow countryman, I don't pity the reviewer testing a lesser model. I doubt there's a nicer example anywhere.

Very nice review. Brings back some good old memories. Did you know why the boot release switch is hidden in the glove compartment? It actually makes sense if you know the car came with a special " valet parking" key that lets you open doors and start the car up but .. won't allow for the boot nor the glove compartment to open😮 You never know what the owner is hiding in there😅

Another good video mate good review. 👍👍

That is a very nice car, always wanted one but too expensive for me back in the day, now very rare to find one in good nick!👌👍

I remember all of the cars sharing this platform, and these were far the best. That is a super clean example and I think even I'd be pleased to drive that! I seem to remember these were the layman's executive car, fairly quiet and wafty and very comfortable indeed. When they dropped the ferrari mill in it was ridiculous - nearly bought one, but then I saw the 164 3 litre and loved it more (it had that funky look) Couldn't decide what to buy at the tje for a bit (guess what I bought - a maxima instead!)

First time seeing a Lancia Thema and 🤩. Pretty rad looking ride.😀

Loved these. Had a Fiat Croma Turbo (essentially the same) briefly in the mid 1990's. Rapid as hell, but never had a car with as much torque steer in my life (even worse than my old Montego Turbo)

Had one as a run about where I used to work. Was a 16v. Lovely car. So underrated and under sold. They sold it and the guy wrote it off within a week. Was sad. I knew I should have brought it.

I sometimes wish I had bought this car. So beautifully cared for.

When you say that was a good 25 years ago damn I feel old remember them as new

I find it so interesting how the Croma, the Thema, and the 9000 all look so similar but the 164 doesn't even look related to them.

This is a rare car now and nice looking. Back in 88 I had a number of cars on my shopping list including this one. I bought a Volvo 240, which I still have, mainly for its durability, safety and strength, I had two young daughters. Lancia had a lot of question marks for corrosion and durability. The 8.32 is the one to have, but was very expensive new. Ref glove box lights, both my Volvo and 89 E30 3 series have them and lockable.

This car is a lot better than the compact hatchbacks we see today.

I had an I E Turbo with a body kit which was cheaper to insure than my two previous Golf GTi’s and it was much faster. A real beautiful saloon. The electrics were starting to play up but body was still fine in 1999.

These are no ordinary cupholders in the glovebox, they are originale italiano espresso holders. ☕😄

Always wanted one with the 2.0 turbo and nice Alcantara seats but they are all gone. Thema always amazed me.

Nice car. Great review as always...

The Thema is my favourite of the type 4 cars, such a nice car in its day

I have had numerous Saab 9000's and did briefly own a Fiat Croma about 10 years ago. Same year, same colour and same spec as this Thema. It wasn't a patch when compared to the Saab's. The dash was almost identical to the Thema, door cards were the same. I found the plastics were cheap and switchgear terrible. The Croma also came with a 'carputer' thing ( same as in the Tipo ), a pictogram of a car with led's to tell you which bulbs were blown and which door was ajar. It never worked. The central locking was also deafeningly loud! It never felt well built, like the Saab. When I bought it, it was in mint condition, with 54k on The clock. The timing belt snapped after just a few months, with the inevitable damage rendering it scrap. Bought another Saab instead.

Who remembers the Thema 8.32, the one with the detuned Ferrari V8?

A great review! I'd love to see you review the MK1 Fiat Punto and also the 2004- Panda 😁

Great video classy car wish Lancia were back, maybe Noe they come under PSA group.

I remember the group 4 cars when they were new. Fascinating video. How did you manage the external shots of the car whilst you were driving?

really clean-looking elegant car! shame they never came to Australia

G'day mate. Beautiful looking car. I've heard of the Lancia Thema, but I've never seen one in person.

Would love to see a drive of an 8:32! Beautiful Thema!

Note on the stereo, these didnt come with 1 as standard, the hole was there as was the wiring and it was up to the owner to organise a stereo and fitment themselves. My dad had a new Thema ie LX in 1987, platinum with alcantara interior, lovely car, but an absolute nightmare, he had maybe 1 week in 3 years of ownership where everything worked on it, it was a company car so he didnt have to pay for any of it thankfully

annnnnnnd i'm subbed. Great reviewer

Hubnut would love the windscreen wiper details. To be honest, I'd forgotten about these cars, but boy would I like to have one now. I think it's my favourite of the Alfa/Fiat/Lancia/Saab quartet. How many have survived though. Not many is what I'm thinking. Love these late 80s, early 90s cars. Scary thought, I was 8 years old when this car was new.

Great car. I'd love to drive one myself. Really plush interior.

Curious wing mirrors! Lovely car, though. The illuminated glovebox reminds me I should fix the ones on my Rover.

please drive the Lancia Delta (836) HPE 2.0 turbo

super thanks for lanchia thema 2.0ie super test 4 cars bild in same time with same chassis:lancia thema,saab 9000,alfa romeo 164 and fiat chroma all four super cars. Thanks for test your chanell is super if you can more in tests in future 0-100kmh or in englan 0-60mph,Greetings from croatia.

Its like my 1993 Lancia Dedra's dad

Lovely! Do swap that camera mount tho :) That Fiat twincam was Great.

Mine was a darker blue, but I found the lack of power hard to accept. When A 2.0 ie Turbo came along I traded it and the difference was like night and day and a very special car back in the day. Would love to have another Turbo parked on my drive. The facelift did wonders for the looks. These were rarer than rocking-horse shit in SA.

Great car not many about. Thumbs up.

I had a prisma and dedra. They were nice cars

The Volvo with that body was awesome too...

This is just a beautiful car even this chaepo spec one. I almos bought an 8.32 once a few years back I regret that I didnt.

10:07 interesting to see the display was in Fahrenheit in a UK car as recent as the late 80s.

0:13 Yeah, I do prefer "Lancia Thema" 😉. My dad had two of those in succession. Original and facelift (or maybe facelift 1 and facelift 2). The 16v turbo versions, though. Loved them. Way underrated. A family sedan that made 0 to 60 in 7-something while being much cheaper than ze quality cars from Germany. Would have been even cooler (literally) with air con and leather, though. I don't even know if those were options.

Wow that car look's like an old skool Skoda Octavia before the the Skoda Octavia came out now we know what Skoda was looking for for the car of the future p.s great video

A very nice car, interior looks more modern than 80's more mid 90's. If it hadn't been for the rust and tinworm issues, I think Lancia would of done much better in the UK. Kind of the opposite to a Rover. Rover quality product, but not put together very well, Lancia lower quality product, screwed together well. Great video as always 😁

I had three Alfa 164s....so no further comment about my favourite needed, but my father in law had a Thema and it was a really nice car. When the heating control unit failed the car was scrapped as the cost of a new unit was horrendous... more than the car was worth, but without heating or vent control the car became unbearable. Very sad as mechanically it was ace after many years.

Nice!

I have one of these cars.. I love lancia Thema ❤️❤️💖💖

Love the boxy shape a proper car. Rust killed em. Reliability too. But how fun to see one let alone drive it. Rare indeed. 👍

I love your channel. If you ever find yourself in California Id be happy to let you drive my Acura (Honda) Vigor

Service history can be strangely addictive, even if you don't own the car!:)

I own a mk3 with the 3.0 Alfa Busso V6. Top car!

I remember the Fiat Croma, Saab 9000 and Lancia Thema all had a similar look.