1978 Lamborghini Silhouette Coupe

Lamborghini introduced the Urraco at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. It was meant as a direct competitor to the Porsche 911 and the Ferrari Dino 246.

The Urraco was powered by a mid-mounted V8, had 2+2 seating, and a shape designed by Marcello Gandini. Gandini had designed by the Miura and the Espada. Bob Wallace, a Lamborghini test driver, had a hand in tweaking the four-wheel independent MacPherson strut suspension. Over its production lifespan, the Urraco was continuously developed, with later versions fitted with four-wheel disc brakes, leather upholstery, air conditioning and other amenities.

At the Geneva Motorshow in 1976, Lamborghini introduced their first open model, the Silhouette. The targa-styled vehicle had an integral roll bar, and unit-body construction. The mid-mounted V8 had a 7,500 RPM redline and the car rode on 15-inch magnesium wheels first shown on the Bravo show car of 1974.

It is believed that just 54 examples of the Silhouette were produced between 1976 and 1979. This example has just over 61,600 actual kilometers. It is a late production model that was acquired by the current owner in 1991.

In 2010, this car was offered for sale at the Sports & Classics of Monterey presented by RM Auctions. This car was estimated to sell for $70,000 - $90,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $60,500, inclusive of buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2010