Seeing potential in the market for an estate version of the Thema, Lancia contracted both Pininfarina and Zagato to design estate cars on the Thema chassis and drivetrain. Zagato built two cars; one with a turbocharged diesel engine and the other, the car presented here, with a naturally aspirated, petrol-powered 2.8-litre V-6. Visually, both the production-ready Pininfarina-designed Thema estates and the Zagato-bodied cars are very similar. The Zagato cars boast a black finish to the rear boot lid pillars, making for an overall lighter appearance. Differences can also be seen in the boot handle, rear ¾ windows, and trim.

Later purchased by Gianni Agnelli, this car was used by him as his personal car for two years, first registered in May of 1985 as TO 56639D in Torino. Having always remained in Italy, the car presents in excellent condition today, showing 92,329 km on its odometer at the time of cataloguing.

As seen side by side with Agnelli’s former Fiat 130 Familiare, the family resemblance is immediately apparent in Zagato’s work, a wonderful coincidence.