Lamborghini Diablo

A little history

In 1985, Lamborghini decided to replace its most iconic automobile, the Countach. Temporarily dubbed Project 132, the new car was to reach 315 kph, establishing itself as one of the fastest cars in the world. On the outside, penning its body was entrusted once again to famed designer Marcello Gandini, to whom had been credited most Lamborghini designs up to then. Alas, development was slowed down by Lamborghini’s serious lack of funds. Having narrowly escaped a bankruptcy, the Sant’Agata company was still in poor shape by the Eighties. Then, Chrysler entered the stage. The American giant too had closely avoided its ruin, turning the tides around 1980 with successful vehicles such as the L-platform cars (Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni) then the K-Cars (Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries). Though it had just sold its many branches overseas, it was willing to add a little prestige to its name by investing the cash it had lacked for so many years into the purchase of a reputed European auto maker.

Lamborghini’s takeover took place in 1987, and though the Italian company lost its independence in the process, it insured that it would have sufficient budget to complete its Project 132. This was achieved, but not without having Chrysler’s management interfere with the car’s development. Marcello Gandini’s radically angular body displeased the American executives, so Chrysler’s designers drew a heavily modified body for the car, which ended up being much more curved and rounded than intended. Dismayed, Gandini left with his drawings and put them to good use to create the Cizeta-Moroder V16T.

The new Lamborghini finally appeared in January 1990 at the Detroit motor show, under the name Diablo. Though its engine was the well-known 5.7-litre V12, this time rated at 492 hp, the car exceeded its initial goal and could reach an impressive 325+ kph. Compared to the departing Countach, the Diablo was also designed to be a much more comfortable GT and not solely a performance-oriented machine, so it came with a long list of optional equipments, though the base model remained relatively spartan.

The early Nineties were a time of severe competition in the supercars field, with many projects from both established companies and newcomers. Lamborghini could not afford to wait too long to update its Diablo, which was done in 1993 with the introduction of the VT. The new variant enjoyed an all-wheel-drive transmission which was based on the experience gleaned from the LM002 off-road vehicle, a new suspension, improved brakes, a new dashboard and a wide array of minor modifications. The car came standard with air-conditioning but, surprisingly, still had to wait for an ABS system.

The Lamborghini Diablo’s range was widely augmented during 1995. The year saw the introduction of a long-awaited VT Roadster, and a new version fitted with a conventional rear-wheel-drive transmission, the SV. Finally, after Chrysler sold Lamborghini to the VAG group, the Diablo was facelifted, receiving a front end treatment that was somewhat reminiscent of the Bugatti EB110, ironically another Marcello Gandini creation. It also gained a V12 engine enlarged to 6.0-litre and good for 550 hp, and a modified all-wheel-drive transmission… which wasn’t necessarily an improvement over the previous version. Under this latest guise, the Diablo was produced until 2001, when it was succeeded by the Lamborghini Murciélago.

About the model

Model: Lamborghini Diablo
Year: 1990
Maker: Maisto
Scale: 1/18
Distributed by: Maisto
Acquired: second hand with neither box nor stand, in April 2007, in Brive, France

This is a correct yet inexpensive model of the Diablo. Nothing extraordinary about it, and furthermore the thick plastic-made harnesses fitted to the seats somewhat spoil the passenger compartment, but still worth a 13/20 rating.

Model: Lamborghini Diablo
Year: 1990
Maker: Bburago
Scale: 1/24
Distributed by: Bburago
Acquired: second hand with neither box nor stand, in April 2007, in Brive, France

This die-cast is simple, even toy-ish perhaps, but correct enough and extremely cheap. Bburago has always had a problem with the width of its tyres, which the Italian brand represents much too wide, but it’s obviously not really an issue with this particular model. My rating is 10/20.

Model: Lamborghini Diablo VT
Year: 1993
Maker: Del Prado, or whoever builds models for Del Prado
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Del Prado through an unknown Japanese press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Del Prado has offered a surprisingly agreeable model of the Diablo – this cannot be said of all die-casts proposed by the Italian distributor. This effort is certainly worth 12/20.

Lamborghini Urraco

A little history

Willing to fight Ferrari head-on as we have already seen, Ferruccio Lamborghini decided that his own company should build a challenger to the smaller and more affordable Dino. His decision was made all the more clever by the fact that his other rival Maserati was simultaneously studying its own “bargain” sports car, the Merak, a 2+2 coupe which was to share many parts with the Citroën SM. Suddenly, the lower end of the GT market was to become rather crowded.

Lamborghini readied its Urraco for the 1970 Turin motor show – that is, readied the car for being unveiled, as this first Urraco was found wanting in development and, ultimately, production didn’t start before 1973, after the Merak had hit the market and, unknown from Lamborghini at the time, only weeks away from the oil crisis that would affect all automobile companies, but none more than the likes of the Sant’Agata manufacturer. It should be noted that despite this protracted preparation, the first tens of cars delivered didn’t totally adopt the final production specs…

Smaller than the rest of its siblings, the Urraco was new from the ground up. Engine was a 2.5-litre V8, all made in alloy and good for 220 hp. It was mounted transversally amidships, right behind the two small rear seats. This placing allowed to maintain a small space for luggage at the extreme rear. A sign that the car was meant more for comfortable high-speed highway travels than genuine performance was probably its standard air-conditioning system. On the outside, the Urraco came as a splendid fastback coupe that had been unsurprisingly penned by Bertone’s star designer Marcello Gandini.

Despite all of the Urraco’s qualities, sales were disappointing due to the aforementioned reasons. During the 1974 Turin motor show, Lamborghini reacted by adding two new variants to its original model (named P250 with regards to its engine’s size): the P200, a smaller 2.0-litre, 182 hp car aimed at the Italian market where heavy taxes hit vehicles displacing more than 2000cc; and the P300, which enjoyed a reworked 3.0-litre V8 good for 250 hp.

During the same 1974 Turin venue, Bertone had presented a striking Bravo prototype based on a shortened Urraco platform. The car was strictly a concept car but, one year and a half later during the 1976 Geneva motor show, Bertone unveiled a much more realistic Silhouette, basically a two-seat targa version of the Urraco. Adopted by Sant’Agata as its first production open car, the Silhouette was powered by the larger 3.0-litre engine, and its ambitions were made clear by a much more aggressive body that hinted at the new Countach.

Nevertheless, by the late Seventies Lamborghini was in turmoil. All the financial resources of the company had been wasted in the difficult development of a large four-wheel-drive vehicle, the Cheetah that was supposed to seduce both the military and the Middle East princes. No one bought it, bringing Lamborghini to the brink of bankruptcy, and it’s a meagre relief for the small manufacturer to think its original concept was finally made a success by others than itself as the Hummer. In these difficult times, some models had to go and, as the sales of the Urraco and Silhouette had always been below expectations, they unsurprisingly departed Lamborghini’s range in 1979.

The company seemingly headed for a slow agony when new investors, reckoning its potential, saved it by injecting generous amounts of cash into its coffers. With this the Silhouette was unexpectedly revived as the Jalpa. Launched in 1981 as a cheaper alternative to the Countach, the “new” car had lost its predecessor’s targa top, but won a larger 3.5-litre, 255 hp V8, thanks to which a 234 kph top speed could be promised. Though the car was based on a rather old platform, the times were not as harsh in the Eighties as they had been for GTs during the previous decade. The Jalpa sold in fair numbers until the company was sold to Chrysler. One of the American giant’s first decisions regarding its new acquisition was to suspend the production of the Jalpa, for not being prestigious enough. During a fifteen-year career, less than 1,300 Urracos and derivatives had been produced.

About the model

Model: Lamborghini Urraco
Year: 1974
Maker: Minichamps
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Minichamps, limited edition – 4,512 pieces
Acquired: brand new, in September 2007, in Manila, Philippines

Minichamps proposes a disappointing model of the initial Urraco. The die-cast looks heavy and much too low when compared to the real car, while details as the thick wipers, equally fat radio antenna and large black side scoops don’t help. The German brand’s reputation won’t prevent this beer-bellied model receiving a 8/20.

Lamborghini Jarama

A little history

Closely related to the larger Espada, the Jarama 2+2 coupe was a much shortened version of its four-seater relative, designed to replace the Islero. The curvaceous lines of the latter were replaced by an extremely angular body, penned by Marcello Gandini from Bertone. The main design feature of the Jarama was its semi-hidden headlights, fitted with electrically-operated flaps. Under this skin, the Jarama was quite much the same car as the Espada. An identical 3.9-litre V12 powered the car through a 5-speed manual gearbox which, thanks to a chassis shrunk by 28 centimetres, augured rather high performances. Indeed, with a claimed top speed of 257 kph and 0-100 kph in just 6.8 seconds, the Jarama delivered what it promised. After the car was unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March 1970, the first road tests revealed a personality quite similar to the larger Espada’s: the Jarama was perfectly stable at any speed and responded excellently on twisty roads, but steering (provided by ZF and devoid of servo assistance) was heavy, driving position was terribly tiring and dashboard had been clumsily designed. A few of these problems were addressed as they were simultaneously with the Espada, ultimately bringing a Jarama S, which emerged at the 1972 Geneva motor show. The “S” also benefited from a new version of the V12, which for the same displacement was now rated at 345 bhp. A few further modifications were added either to comply to the U.S. safety rules, as the redesigned bumpers and modified lighting, or to appeal to the American market, most notably an optional 3-speed Chrysler automatic transmission and a targa roof. These efforts certainly helped to increase the volume of sales across the Atlantic but, in the end, they proved futile to keep the Sant’Agata company financially buoyant. When the Jarama’s production was stopped in 1976, no more than a reported total of 327 had been built in six years.

About the model

Model: Lamborghini Jarama S
Year: 1974
Maker: Minichamps
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Minichamps, limited edition – 3,024 pieces
Acquired: brand new, in September 2007, in Manila, Philippines

I initially added this post without a comment about the model; here is to fix this problem. Actually, there isn’t much to say that I didn’t already in my previous posts about Minichamps models. Again quality and detailing are as fine as you can expect from the German die-cast maker, and almost as good as they can possibly be from an industrial brand. Only problem worth mentioning: as said earlier, the lack of photo-etched parts is the main flaw of most Minichamps models, which have to do with thick plastics wipers. As for the rest, there isn’t much to reproach. My rating is 14/20.

Lamborghini Espada

A little history

Thanks to its extraordinary 350/400GT and Miura coupes, Lamborghini, a newcomer on the Sixties supercars scene, enjoyed a large share of limelight from the very start. The aforementioned models being, respectively, a 2+2 and a strict two-seater, the Sant’Agata factory decided its next model would be a true four-seater, promising comfort at high speeds over long distances.

Lamborghini’s plans first materialized as the Marzal prototype, unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March 1967. Collaboration with Bertone was retained, so the Marzal was again signed by Marcello Gandini, though the flowing lines of its Miura gave way to the angular style that would be the trademark of this design studio for many years to come. Nonetheless this brutal helm tilting, the Marzal’s appearance was again impressive, featuring low, long lines and characteristically immense glazed area – the gullwing doors were almost entirely made of window panes, including in their lower parts. Another striking trait of the Marzal was its loophole-styled grille encompassing six tiny headlights. After Geneva, Lamborghini tested the public’s reaction even further by lending its prototype, which was fully functional, as a pace car for the Monaco Grand Prix.

The production version of the Marzal was unveiled one year later, almost to the day as the event again took place in Geneva. Some of the prototype’s features, and most notably its peculiar doors, couldn’t reasonably be incorporated into the final design, but the new car retained its extremely low and elongated look. With some logic, Lamborghini named its coupe Espada, the Spanish word for “sword”.

Though the outside was totally new, the Espada got all of its mechanical parts from its maker ‘s parts bin. Engine was therefore the well-known 3.9-litre V12, tuned to 320 hp and mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Each wheel received a servo-operated disk brake and was independently suspended through McPherson struts. With an announced top speed of 250 kph, Lamborghini had created nothing less than the world’s fastest four-seater.

The Espada’s exceptional styling, good handling and low cabin noise were praised, but a few critics soon surfaced. Some found the dashboard fuzzy and unpractical. Others didn’t like the driving position, and said the heavy steering was tiring. Lamborghini addressed these remarks by releasing a Series 2 in 1970. This new version benefited from a totally redesigned dashboard and optional power steering, along with a more powerful engine borrowed from the Islero S (still 3.9-litre, but around 350 hp) and ventilated disk brakes. A Series 3 was introduced in 1972: the interior was again modified, while power steering, now deemed a necessity, finally became standard, most probably to satisfy the growing share of Americans among Espada customers. This latter point was made all too evident by the simultaneous announcement of an optional automatic transmission, provided by Chrysler. This attention to the needs of the American market, though understandable, particularly at a time when the company’s fortunes were starting to falter, also brought unfortunate bumpers for 1975. The new units indeed satisfied U.S. regulations, but disfigured the purity of the original design. The Espada’s production extended until 1978 – placed in receivership during the very same year and struggling for its survival, Lamborghini had neither willingness nor financial means to replace it.

About the model

Model: Lamborghini Espada
Year: 1970
Maker: Minichamps
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Minichamps, limited edition – 3,024 pieces
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Manila, Philippines

I have always loved the Espada, so I also had to love this model, as Minichamps succeeded in incorporating in its tiny die-cast all the beauty of the original. Every single detail is present, perfectly rendered, but above all, the arresting and immediately recognizable proportions of the Espada are here. I’d give 16/20 to this model.

Renault 25

A little history

Renault introduced its R25 in order to replace both the R20 and R30 for the 1984 model year. In order to do so, the R25 received a variety of gasoline and diesel engines, from a 2.0-litre four to the 2.8-litre PRV V6. As its predecessor, the new upmarket saloon differentiated itself with its front-wheel-drive layout and notchback body, choices that gave it both good handling and impressive aerodynamics (with a Cx as low as 0.29). To the latter is to be credited the best fuel economy in its class, and impressive performance – both the turbo-diesel and the later turbocharged gasoline versions were among the fastest four-door production cars in the world in their times. Modernity didn’t stop on the outside, though. To the striking body (to which designer Robert Opron, the famed Citroën veteran, had thoroughly collaborated), a well-appointed interior, this time the work of Marcello Gandini, was added. This futuristic compartment relied heavily on electronics, its most talked-about feature, though not much more than a gadget in retrospect, being the voice alerts dispensed by the inboard computer.

A daring car in a segment where classicism is the golden rule, the R25 sold extremely well within France, actually battling with popular cars for a spot among the bestsellers in the country, but very poorly outside of it, where a combination of competition from much more prestigious cars – most of them German-built –, unreliable automatic transmission (though its manual counterpart soon gained an enviable reputation), and poor building quality turned customers away from the French car. Indeed, quality issues where a huge drawback for the first few years in the life of the car. After they’ve been solved, the top-of-the-line Renault more than ever dominated the upper layer of the French market. Receiving a facelift in 1988, the R25 finally retired in 1992, after nine successful years. Unfortunately, its replacement, the Safrane, was unable to renew its achievements, while the next generation Avantime and Vel Satis saw Renault being virtually wiped out as a luxury car maker.

About the models

Model: Renault 25
Year: 1984
Maker: Solido
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Solido
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in April 2006, in Manila, Philippines

First model is an old vintage Solido, bought second hand in a swap meet. This die-cast was showing signs of wear after passing through the hands of its previous owner(s), and in any case twenty years after its launch looks more like a toy than a true collectible. Though front doors can be opened, only the headlights are represented by plastic lenses, rear lights and all turn signals being only carved into the metal. Despite this lack of details, overall proportions are good, but to today’s standards, it couldn’t still receive more than 7/20. Funny to see how model cars have evolved in such a short time, when put side by side with the next one…

Model: Renault 25 GTS
Year: 1984
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.96 of its Nos Chères Voitures d’Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2007, in Souillac, France

Ixo produced and Altaya distributed this very nice Renault 25. It looks extremely realistic from any point of view and, to make things even better, the chosen colour was, if I remember well, a popular one with the original car. My rating is 14/20.

Bugatti EB110

A little history

After Italian businessman Romano Artioli bought the right to the Bugatti name in 1987, the company was revived in Modena at the end of 1991. Though it would have obviously been unconceivable that a late-20th century sports car would be fitted with the traditional Bugatti rigid front axle as a hint to a glorious past, the new EB110 was nothing more than a brand new GT with an old and prestigious name attached to it. This doesn’t mean the car was a bad one – very far from that. Introduced in Paris on September 15, 1991, the exact day of Ettore Bugatti’s 110th birth anniversary – hence the name – the EB110 was advertised as the most technologically advanced GT in the world and, with its 3.5-litre V12 fitted with four turbochargers, providing 542 hp to drive the four wheels through a six-speed gearbox, the claim was probably true. On top of a carbon fibre chassis designed by aeronautical company Aérospatiale was placed a striking body penned by the famed Marcello Gandini. In 1992, an even faster EB110, the “SS” variant, was introduced. With almost 600 hp, the lightened SS could flirt with the 350 kph mark, and accelerated from 0 to 100 kph in a stunning 3.2 seconds.

The EB110 was launched with fanfare and, despite a lofty price tag (up to 350,000 dollars), at first generated enough orders to justify Artioli’s grand dreams. By the end of 1993, a four-door prototype, the EB112, had been presented. Furthermore, famous British manufacturer Lotus had been acquired from General Motors through one of Artioli’s holding companies. Alas, this activity just concealed Bugatti’s poor financial health. Recession on the EB110’s most important markets pulled the sales down. In September 1995, bankrupt Bugatti Automobili SpA was liquidated.

About the model

Considering Bburago’s traditional disdain for details, its EB110 is rather nice. Though the absence of door windows is noticeable, the overall shapes of the car are well rendered. Even reduced twenty-four times in size, the car’s lines are still remarkable – Gandini never lost his flair since the Miura! A permanent concern, Bburago’s tyres are always too wide – no problem here, as the original EB110’s rubbers are themselves gigantic. Doors and engine compartment can be opened, and front wheels can be steered. On the other hand, the cockpit is Bburago’s usual collection of thick dark plastic parts, very toy-ish in appearance – better keep your eyes on the outside. My rating is 12/20.

Model: Bugatti EB110
Year: 1991
Maker: Bburago
Scale: 1/24
Distributed by: Bburago, “Bijoux Collection” series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2003, in Brive, France

Alfa Romeo Montreal

A little history

The Montreal wasn’t a deliberate attempt by Alfa Romeo to storm the GT market, but rather followed the largely positive response to a 2+2 coupe show car presented during the 1967 World Fair in Montréal, Canada. The original prototype was a 4-cylinder, 1.6-litre coupe fitted with an exceptional body by Bertone. That it’s actually Marcello Gandini who penned the Montreal for the great designer suffices to explain the similarities between the Alfa coupe and the Lamborghini Miura, particularly in the central section of the car.

The production version was introduced at Geneva in March 1970. Though on the outside the car was relatively similar to the original prototype, Alfa Romeo had dropped a powerful V8 into its coupe. Based on the 2-litre block used by the cars raced in the sportscars class by the Milanese company, the Montreal’s engine was a state-of-the-art 2.6-litre good for 230 bhp. Even more important was the fact that Alfa Romeo placed this engine at the front, driving the rear wheels, while the prototype had opted for a mid-engine layout: despite all of its refinements, the Montreal behaved poorly on the road when compared to the mid-engine GTs that were then becoming commonplace. This, along with a very high price tag, explains the commercial failure of the Montreal. Put into production from 1971 to 1977, less than four thousands had been sold when Alfa Romeo retired its gem from its line-up.

(This car’s history will be expanded in due time, please be patient.)

About the model

Model: Alfa Romeo Montreal
Year: 1973
Event: 1973 Nürburgring 1000 km, driven by Dieter Gleich and Dieter Weizinger (retired)
Maker: unknown
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.14 of its Alfa Romeo Sport Collection press series
Acquired: offered by a friend and fellow collector, brand new, in September 2006, in Manila, Philippines

This was the first model I was able to grab from this topical collection released exclusively in Italy by Fabbri. More have followed since then, most of them presenting a pleasant level of quality for a rather interesting price. Furthermore most of the models chosen are quite original, as this Nürburgring entrant is. Though this die-cast lacks the sophistication of some higher-price brands’ products, it certainly is flawless when it comes about assembly quality, and should serve as an inspiration for Ixo when providing models for Altaya’s press series. I’ll give it a good 13/20.