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 Gallardo

A little history

The Sant’Agata company limited itself to the construction of supercars from the late Eighties but, in 2003, added a “cheaper” alternative to its exclusive Murciélago. The new car, a compact coupe known as the Gallardo, was powered by a 5.0-litre V10 rated at 500 hp at the time it was launched. Transmission was to all four wheels (a serious departure from the models built by archrival Ferrari) through either a manual or semi-automatic 6-speed gearbox. Top speed was well in excess of 300 kph, which seemed more than adequate for most driving situations.

Early in 2006, Lamborghini added a Spyder version to the coupe, inaugurating an engine now pushed to 520 bhp. Still more performance was to come with the 2008 LP560-4, introduced at Geneva (coupe) and Los Angeles (Spyder). Now fitted with a 5.2-litre V10 good for 560 hp, the LP560-4 passed the 200 mph psychological barrier, not a meaningless event on the important American market, though highway patrolmen would certainly frown on Gallardo owners pushing their Gallardos to their limits on Californian roads.

The Gallardo is still produced today.

About the model

Model: Lamborghini Gallardo
Year: c.2003
Maker: High Speed
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: High Speed, ref. 43KFB24
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Manila, Philippines

Simple perhaps, but excellent considering the price. High Speed did an excellent job, though as usual with the Chinese die-cast maker colour choice is rather limited – well, only this orange model actually. My rating is 12/20.

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 DL30C

A little history

Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in a family of modest farmers near Ferrara. His talent for all things mechanical became apparent during World War Two, as he was drafted into the Air Force. After the conflict was over, Lamborghini started converting surplus military equipment into farm implements, and by 1948 his business was officially created. Six years later, Lamborghini broke once and for all from its original source of army parts and started building its own engines.

Though the fortune he earned allowed him to venture in many different businesses, including building air-conditioning units and helicopters, Ferruccio Lamborghini made himself famous for his GTs. Legend has it that the industrialist decided to build his first car after a heated discussion with Enzo Ferrari, to whom he was reproaching the weakness of his 250 GT’s gearbox. The 350 GT, the very first Lamborghini production automobile, was introduced at Geneva during the spring of 1964. This new activity concentrated much attention from its founder, who somewhat lost interest in the tractor branch of his company. This and the loss of a crucial contract brought Ferruccio Lamborghini to stop his involvement in agricultural machinery, selling these activities to another Italian company, Same, in 1971. Two years later, Lamborghini also ceded his automobile company, going into retirement as a gentleman farmer on the large vineyard he had purchased. He enjoyed life there for two more decades.

About the model

Model: Lamborghini DL30C
Year: 1957
Maker: Universal Hobbies
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette, no.50 of its Tracteurs et Monde Agricole press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2008, in Souillac, France

A nice little crawler tractor – I don’t have much detail about this particular one, but I’m certainly glad to have on my shelf this ancestor of the Countach and the Reventón. Many tiny parts are fitted, and though they perhaps look a little too much plastic-like, this model is rather nice overall. My rating is 13/20.

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.