LAMBORGHINI

After the resounding failure of the Islero, the Jarama had to be developed quickly in order to turn the company’s accounts around. Unfortunately, this will be yet another step towards the financial difficulties that will become an integral part of the young Italian manufacturer’s life… Marcello Gandini, Bertone’s brilliant stylist, was far from signing his finest work here, and the lines were hardly unanimous. Things took a turn for the worse when it emerged that Marazzi had not met the quality standards required for the body panels. The Jarama is one of the heaviest Lamborghinis after the Espada and the colossal LM002. Launched in 1970 at the Geneva Motor Show, the Jarama’s offbeat styling divided opinion sharply… With its mixed style, disastrous ergonomics and mediocre build quality, the Jarama weighed heavily on the brand’s image. Wrongly compared to the two successes, the Espada and the Miura, the Jarama failed to convince the press and did not find its audience.

On the Miura SV, maximum power was increased to 385 bhp through modifications to the valve train and carburettor. It remained the fastest production car in the world until 1973. The Miura SV’s rear track width was widened to 1.54 metres to allow the fitting of 60-series tyres. The car weighed in at a hefty 1,300 kg unladen. The Miura SV also gets a new rear suspension. Easily identifiable by its eyelash-less eyes dominating a widened grille, its redesigned rear lights and its wide tyres, the Miura SV was produced until the end of 1972, when production of the model was finally discontinued. It should be noted that a few lucky buyers at the time asked the factory for significant modifications to transform their SV into an SVJ, an SV ‘Jota’, a racing prototype that was never marketed.

At the 1972 Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini tried to put things right with the Jarama S, a radically revised version. Firstly, the car had lost 100 kg and secondly, the engine had been boosted to 365 bhp with a new exhaust and new camshafts, resulting in a clear improvement in performance. The Lamborghini Jarama S has regained its rightful place as a superb GT. It also boasts two new air intakes in the bonnet and new bumpers. Inside, a new, more ergonomic dashboard has been fitted, and slimmer seats increase rear legroom. Very much in demand, given the weight on the front axle, power steering comes as standard. A Chrysler Torqueflite automatic gearbox is even available as an option. There is also a unique version with a removable targa roof.

The P250 is the first car to be offered with the all-new V8 engine, which is claimed to be easier and cheaper to maintain and repair than the Bizzarrini V12. The L240 V8 should also be easier to adapt to North American standards, the leading export market for European GT carmakers. The P250 chassis has a monocoque structure, with the V8 mounted transversely, slightly set back from the rear axle, with the transmission in its extension. As is often the case with this type of assembly, the mechanical access points are very complex and therefore very expensive. Lamborghini’s target of 1,000 cars per full year of production is only a quarter of what it had hoped for. What’s more, the car suffered from mediocre reliability (belts, suspension, transmission), which disrupted its commercial launch and cost the factory even more money. Add to this the first oil crisis, and the Urraco became a clear threat of bankruptcy for Lamborghini, even though it was supposed to make the company more profitable!

Although the powertrain did not change much on this “Series III”, the dashboard was reworked, but the new feature was the introduction of an automatic gearbox, which was a first for Lamborghini. A few other changes were made in 1975, with gusseted bumpers, another modification intended for the main market, the United States. In 1976, a completely new dashboard was introduced, and the engine was increased from 350 to 365 bhp. But the 1973 oil crisis was to be the final straw for this final version…

Among the legendary cars of the 70s, the Lamborghini Countach is a veritable sacred myth. The successor to the remarkable Miura in 1974, the Countach sent shockwaves through the motoring world as soon as it was unveiled in 1971. Just imagine, on the eve of the first oil crisis, what kind of passion this UFO car aroused, equipped with the Miura’s V12 engine (but in a longitudinal position), producing over 350 bhp and capable of reaching speeds in excess of 250 km/h… Designed by Bertone, this first model will go down as one of the purest of its kind. It should be noted that 7 examples were produced with a retractable roof.

Stanzani, commissioned by Lamborghini’s new owners to relaunch the Urraco, had prepared a version specifically for the new taxes in force in Italy (30%). With a V8 reduced to 1995 cm3 by shortening the stroke, the Urraco also offered only 182 bhp. Despite this tax incentive, only 66 examples were sold.

After 4 years of laborious gestation, it seems that the Urraco has become a sports car of the highest calibre, proudly bearing the fighting bull on its crest. Superior to the Ferrari 308 GT4 and the Maserati Merak, the Urraco still suffered from its chaotic launch and a manufacturing quality that lagged behind that of its designated rival, the Porsche 911. 205 examples later, the P300 was discontinued in 1978, far from having put Lamborghini back on the road to profitability…

Lamborghini’s problems with homologating the V8 in the United States exceed the most pessimistic forecasts. Called the PIII, the pollution-free version of the Urraco P250 was fitted with large black bumpers at the front and rear, and had a ridiculous power output of 180 bhp, a far cry from the Lamborghini reputation to which American buyers aspired. After a handful of sales, the Urraco left the US scene.

Lamborghini is playing its last card with the Silhouette. To launch a new model at a lower cost, Bertone had to use the Urraco P300 chassis with tracks that were significantly modified to allow the fitting of Campagnolo ‘telephone’ type wheels shod with wide, low-profile Pirelli P7s. In use, the engine is racy but lacks a little torque at low revs for the weight of the car. Lamborghini asked Bertone to dress the Silhouette as a ‘targa’, i.e. with a retractable roof that could be stowed behind the front seats. Bertone invented a superb line, directly inspired by the Countach supercar, and reinforced the chassis at numerous points with a roll-cage. Unlike the Urraco, the Silhouette is a strict two-seater coupé. There were only a few options on offer: colour, leather or reversed leather, electric windows and a stereo system. At the 1976 Geneva Motor Show, the P118 received a warm welcome. It was even one of the most desirable sports cars around, but after the second oil crisis, the market was at its weakest and the model suffered from manufacturing problems. Unfortunately, as in the past, Lamborghini was unable to solve the homologation problems in the USA. With no customers and mounting debts, the company went into liquidation three years later.