The Sporty, Rad-Era Sedans You Never Knew Share a Platform

Jason Cammisa is back for another episode of “Revelations.” This time, our ever-entertaining Hagerty host reveals the shared origins of three Rad-era performance sedans that, unless you’re a serious fan of the ’80s and ’90s, you might not even know of.

Meet two Italians and a Swede: the Alfa Romeo 164, the Lancia Thema 8.32, and the Saab 9000 Aero. Despite radically different powerplants, these cars share one claim to fame: These were the quickest, fastest, and most powerful front-drive sedans in the world upon their debut. They were also, as Jason explains, born out of corporate desperation.

None of the three companies could afford to develop their own vehicle architectures. One after the other, each agreed to use the same platform, which Fiat (then the owner of Lancia) called the Tipo Quattro. Saab and Lancia were the first to pair up.

If you’re thinking that no two countries could be less alike, when it comes to the sort of vehicles they build … well, you’re exactly right. Saab went to great lengths to make the 9000 safer than the Fiat, whose crash performance horrified the Swedish engineers. Saab installed an engine of its own and even yanked out Fiat’s more sophisticated independent rear suspension for a relatively archaic design. Watch Jason explain why the interior of the 9000 is a “triumph of comfort, usability, and luxury,” and why that archaic rear suspension might actually be an advantage.

What about that engine, you ask? The four-cylinder was “Ferrari levels of exotic,” in Jason’s words … and the turbocharged version, the 9000 Aero, was faster than every sedan in the world except one: the M5, which cost twice as much.

For those who aren’t quite sure what sets Lancia apart, Jason explains that the brand is essentially Italy’s Rolls-Royce. He recounts Lancia’s many world-firsts: unibody construction, V-6 engine, and five-speed gearbox, to name a few. Where the 9000 was geared toward managers and other members of the upper middle class, the sumptuous, leather-appointed Thema was designed for diplomats and company presidents. The top-of-the-line model got an actual Ferrari V-8, too. Why on earth did Enzo agree to that? Il Commendatore had a soft spot for Lancia, as Jason explains.

The third automaker to join the Tipo Quattro party was Alfa Romeo. It needed a fresh, innovative model but couldn’t afford to develop a rear-drive one of its own, so it paid up to use Fiat’s platform. It then paid even more money to have Pininfarina design the body. The 164 was the best and the worst of Italian sports cars: Car and Driver put 3000 miles on one and experienced a shocking amount of imperfections … but the driving experience was sublime. Discover why the magazine staff adored the 164 and its quad-cam V-6, despite its fritzy headlights and broken seat buttons.

Even though the Tipo Platform resulted in 1.5 million cars sold over 14 years, it’s unlikely that any of the three automakers saved much money. Heck, Alfa even designed a 4WD system for the 164 with the help of Steyr-Daimler-Puch, which engineered the G-wagen! What gave the cars such distinct personalities—their engines—was a big part of why this shared-platform plan didn’t save much money.

We’ve only scratched the surface of this episode. Dive into the full experience below!