Friday 7th September 2012

SOTW: Lancia Thema Turbo LS

A picture speaks a thousand words, which is fortunate for this week's Shed...

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If you're buying a car, even at Shed money, it's nice to see some decent photos and an adequate description of your potential purchase. The latter is especially desirable if the car under consideration is one as seldom seen as a Lancia Thema Turbo LS. But Barrie, the vendor of this particular Thema, has seen it fit to describe his car with simply: 'Good Condition, Performs well but needs a new/replacement Air Conditioning Pump'. This is despite providing seven decent photos. Bizarre.

My first saloon car, by Lancia

So, with great thanks to the Thema and DedraConsortium here's some info if a Thema Turbo tickles your fancy (and why wouldn't it for £1,000?).

Firstly, this is a quick car. Well, it was in 1993, it may not be 136,000 miles later and nearly two decades later. Contemporary road tests recorded this 200hp executive express from 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds and onto a top speed of 143mph. This was thanks to a 2.0-litre twin-cam Fiat engine with a Garrett T3 turbo, Motronic fuel injection and a kerb weight of just 1,335kg. The Turbo LS also had a limited-slip differential on the options list. Don't you just love the internet? Unfortunately, Barrie hasn't mentioned whether this Thema is so equipped.

Not exactly Lancia's most memorable design...

So that's what you'll find in every Thema Turbo, but what to make of this example? It certainly looks presentable enough, with the exterior seemingly free from any major imperfections. The Thema was never the most exciting of vehicles to look at and its plain appearance probably won't attract many stares today. The tiny Turbo LS badge in the grille is barely noticeable so the Thema remains fairly nondescript to all but extreme aficionados (the Thema and Dedra Consortium members, for example).

Inside, the cream velour of this car still appears in good nick; there are even some wood inlays, just to remind you of the Thema's luxurious billing. The footwells look slightly messy but a Sunday morning of hoovering should resolve that. Deciphering which functions the myriad of buttons on the dash actually control may take slightly longer; fixing them if they don't work probably longer still...

Live the high life with genuine cream velour

A Lancia Thema 16v Turbo LS (what was so wrong with simple trim levels?) will always be a risk at £1,000, especially with an ad of such worrying brevity. But it could be a good one. And you could find yourself cruising up an autostrada (or the M18) with 200hp at your disposal in a true Q-car Shed.

 

 

Advert (all twelve words of it) reproduced below. Also, if you've rather more to blow on a Thema, how about an 8.32?

Lancia Thema 16V Turbo LS  (£1,000)

Good Condition, Performs well but needs a new/replacement Air Conditioning Pump.

 

 

[V12 Migaloo]

I once snapped the throttle peddle of a colleagues Thema Turbo in Milan.... the accelaration back then was ultra addictive and I was being extreamly heavy handed with it. I gave the car back to him to get it repaired and then was given a Chroma Turbo. Damn did that thing shake. Loved the Lancia, understated elegent and refined, but I would've choosen a 9000 if it where my cash.

[LancerG]

mmmmmmm love italian, but 20 years old and no parts available, im not so sure i'd risk my 1k on it

[VladD]

My Dad had a Thema Turbo as a company car for a while. He chose it over a Cosworth Sierra as he did a lot of miles and said that the Cosworth was too harsh a ride.

I then had a non-turbo Thema many years later. Lovely car it was.

[bmthnick1981]

Fantastic shed! I like the shape of the Thema personally, classically boxy and 80's.

[MarJay]

I was thinking "Great!" until I read it was front wheel drive...

[Drakey52]

At risk of showing fairly significant ignorance, if I remember my issues of CAR from 20 years back, is this not a very (very ?) similar engine to the Integrale ?

[Astra Dan]

IS 7.2 seconds to 60 quick, and 1300Kgs light? Even for 20 years ago? I think this article is being a little kind to the car. I suppose it is for a bag of sand though. What would come close, for the same money?

Very interesting though, I can only vaguely remember these.

[stuartmmcfc]

I think if I had the money it'd be the 8.32 I'd be looking at.

[PatrickOUFC]

Looks like a decent shed - exterior in very good nick it seems.
How much are we looking at to put the A/C right?

[stuartmmcfc]

Astra Dan said:

IS 7.2 seconds to 60 quick, and 1300Kgs light? Even for 20 years ago?.

Unbelievably (now anyway) it was in those days

[M@1975]

Lacks appeal due to the FWDness for me, then again, RWD 90's italian car would cost you a few quid more than that I'd hazard. looks bloody good for its age considering how tinworm prone they apparently are.

[VolvoT5]

Can't see the appeal myself. Not that fast or fun to drive, not very nice to look at and it doesn't have any barge appeal (gadgets, leather, etc) either. I imagine finding parts would be a nightmare too?

[LayZ]

Good shed, but doesn't make much sense when it must be near impossible to source parts in the UK.

[excel monkey]

stuartmmcfc said:

Unbelievably (now anyway) it was in those days

Comparable weight and power to a BMW 525i/530i (E34), so not bad for the early-mid 90s.

Nice car but I'd go for an Alfa 164 if I wanted a non German midi-barge.

Love the fact that a Thema (and Dedra) club exists! Can't imagine many Dedras still surviving today.

Edited by excel monkey on Friday 7th September 12:05

[Prawnboy]

it's ugly,nobody whould know what you are driving & you would need some balls to drop a grand on it.
great shedding!!

[CDP]

Reasonably fast, comfortable and slightly left field.

Exactly what a good shed should be. What a shame it's replacement was just so ugly but it never made it here anyway.

[exgtt]

Love these, the engines a peach and they feel quick!

[wal 45]

Great shed, really like this and to my eyes it looks better now than back in the day as it is well...different.

Think you'd have some fun with this after applying some Fiat Coupe 16V turbo/Integrale mods.

[carinaman]

Does it have an MoT? I take it it was free advert.

[Johnboy Mac]

Hard not to like, but never had a desire to own one. Great shed.

Edited by Johnboy Mac on Friday 7th September 09:53