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1967 Lamborghini 350GT

Ferruccio Lamborghini had a successful farm equipment business that allowed him to enjoy the finer things in life, including automobiles built by Enzo Ferrari. When those vehicles did not meet Ferruccio's standards of quality and durability, he brought his complaints to Enzo, who promptly challenged him to build a better automobile. Convinced he could build a superior and more luxuriously appointed product, Lamborghini decided to build his own thoroughbred Italian GT car.

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. was founded in 1963 and its first vehicle was the Franco Scaglione-penned 350 GTV prototype introduced at that year's Turin Auto Show. Under the bonnet was a twelve-cylinder engine designed by Giotto Bizzarrini who worked for Ferrari on such notable projects as the 250 GTO. He was one of the individuals who had left Ferrari during the 'Great Walkout' in 1961, one of the founding members of ATS, before starting his own company, Società Autostar, in 1962 and changing the name to Bizzarrini in 1964.

The 3.5-liter V12 engine powering the 350 GT went on to become the 6.5-liter unit powering the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 of the early 2000s. The Lamborghini engine used a quad-cam 60-degree configuration compared to the single overhead camshaft per-bank design employed by Ferrari. Initially, the 3,464 cubic centimeter prototype design produced 370 brake horsepower at 9,000 rpm, giving it nearly 107 brake horsepower per liter. With auxiliary systems, production carburetors, and tuned for road use, it delivered around 280 bhp. During its career, the displacement of the engine nearly doubled, ultimately reaching 6,496cc, and the Weber carburetors were replaced with electronic fuel injection, and the lubrication system went from a wet to a dry design.

Among Ferruccio Lamborghini's frustration with his Ferrari vehicles was the lack of quality for a car of such pedigree. To ensure his vehicles met his strict standards, each engine underwent tests for 24 hours on a Schenk Walge dynamometer, being run for the first 12 hours under electric power, and then with gasoline at increasing speeds. After passing this grueling test, the engine was installed in the car and Wallace tested the car at least 300 miles.

The all-aluminum alloy V12 powering the 350 GT was backed by a five-speed ZF manual transmission and a Salisbury limited-slip differential. It was installed in a chassis that had a wheelbase size of 100.4-inches, with a front and rear axle track of 54.3-inches. It was 182.7-inches long and 68.1-inches wide. The chassis was comprised of square-section steel tubing in a central 'floor,' while additional sections of tubing were used to support the suspension mountings, rear differential, and engine. The suspension was independent at both the front and rear, with coil-over shock absorbers, anti-roll bars, and unequal-length wishbones. Vacuum servo-assisted Girling disc brakes were concealed behind Pirelli Cinturato HS 205-section tires.

Performance was impressive, with zero-to-sixty mph taking just 6.8 seconds and the top speed was achieved at nearly 160 mph.

The patented Superleggera (lightweight) construction of the bodies by Touring of Milan complemented the lightweight yet rigid chassis. Aluminum alloy body panels were fitted directly to a tubular structure. The production 350 GT coupe coachwork shared many features with the 350 GTV prototype, including the original profile with minor updates resulting in a more cohesive and road-worthy appearance. Among the changes were replacing the rotating hidden headlights of the prototype with fixed oval Cibie headlights that flowed gracefully into the fenders. The list of mechanical changes from prototype to production was more extensive, as many of the components reflected Bizzarrini's passion for competition, and had to be 'tamed' for road use. The racing-style dry-sump oiling system was replaced with a conventional wet-sump setup, the compression ratio was lowered from 11.0:1 to 9.4:1, relocating the distributors to more accessible positions on the fronts of the exhaust camshafts, softening the cam profiles, and replacing the 36 mm down-draft racing Weber carburetors with conventional, less-expensive side-draft 40 DCOE Webers.

Lamborghini had introduced the prototype GTV in Turin in March of 1964 and the production version followed just five months later at the Geneva Auto Show. After a favorable reception from the media and public, Ferruccio commenced with production in May of 1964. Production continued through 1966 with 120 examples built. It was replaced by the 400 GT which continued to wear Carrozzeria Touring coachwork but with an enlarged, 3,929cc V12 engine.

The 350GT was Lamborghini's first serial production model and would be built at the company's facility in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The chassis and bodies were mated at Touring before they were returned back to the Lamborghini factory. The first completed chassis and body were delivered to the Lamborghini factory on March 9th of 1964 (number 101 with Touring number 17001). This vehicle, No. 101, was the car show at the Geneva Show. The first customer delivery car was No. 104 (Touring coachwork No. 17004) and was delivered on July 31st of 1964.

Where many have failed, Ferruccio Lamborghini succeeded in building a vehicle that offered refined vehicle dynamics, a quiet and comfortable interior, a smooth ride, and impressive performance. It was one of many great achievements of the 1960s that came about due to Enzo Ferrari - along with the GT40 program that was birthed following Ford's unsuccessful merger with Ferrari - and the 'Great Walkout' of Ferrari engineers who went on to build several important products in efforts to 'outdo' Ferrari, including the Iso/Bizzarrini Grifo (A3/C and A3/L). Lamborghini's determination to 'go one better' than Ferrari had been perfectly timed, aided by many former top-ranking employees of Ferrari, including designers Giotto Bizzarini and Gian Paolo Dallara, test/development driver Bob Wallace, the racing shop of Neri & Bonanci in Modena, and Franco Scaglione, who created the renowned Alfa Romeo Bertone BATs. With sharp aerodynamic lines, a low frontal profile, a lightweight aluminum-paneled body over a steel tube frame, and powered by Bizzarini's 3.4-liter DOHC V-12, the 350 GT was an immediate success as a grand touring machine.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 0547
Engine number: 0633

The refined, comfortable, and quiet 350 GT Gran Turismo, equipped with a 3.5-liter, all-aluminum engine which trumped the three-liter V-12 that Ferrari offered at the time. Mated to a five-speed ZF manual transmission, the 350 GT was able to reach 60 mph from a standstill in less than seven seconds. The top speed was in the neighborhood of 160 mph. With its four-wheel independent suspension and vacuum servo-assisted Girling disc brakes all around, the 350 GT offered remarkable passenger comfort and refined driving dynamics.

This example, chassis number 0547, was completed on September 19th of 1967 and was one of the last examples of the series to have been produced. It was acquired by the current owner in May of 1990. Since that time, it has been treated to a concours level restoration, which was completed in June of 2011. The exterior is finished in black with an Oxblood Red leather upholstery.

The car is one of 143 built before the 350 GT was replaced by the 400 GT 2+2.

In 2011, this car was offered for sale at the Monterey, CA auction presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $325,000-$375,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $434,500, including buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

After the presentation of the first prototype thanks to Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, the 350 GTV was mass-produced a year later. Before the end of 1966 Carrozzeria Touring had made 120 models, the majority with 3.5 litre 12-cylinder engine and 320 HP – another 23 models were added to these, already using the 4-litre V12 engine and 320 HP, but with more torque and more comfortable to drive. Two 350 GT were built by Carrozzeria Touring in the Spyder version.

by Lamborghini

by Lamborghini

Ferruccio Lamborghini had built a significant amount of wealth as a tractor builder. When he bought a Ferrari he expected a vehicle with superior performance and few problems. What he got was a car that did have superior performance but was plagued with mechanical difficulties. Upon returning the vehicle to the Ferrari shop and complaining about the lack of build quality, Enzo Ferrari replied 'You should stick with building tractors and let me be concerned about the cars.' Ferruccio was so enraged, that he began a new quest - to build proper supercars that had performance and quality.

Bizzarini, a brilliant engineer, had just left Ferrari and was a suitable candidate to build Lamborghini a twelve-cylinder engine. Franco Scaglione, an employee of Sargiotto located in Turin, was tasked with designing a new vehicle for the newly formed Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini S.p.A. Scaglione's resume included work such as the Alfa Romeo BATs and the ATS 2500 GT. Sargiotto Bodyworks was responsible for the metal work while Neri & Bonacini were given the task of building the square tube steel chassis. The result was a prototype labeled the Lamborghini 350 GTV and first displayed at the 1963 Turin Auto Show. The interior was leather while the finish was a bright metallic blue color. The engine was not installed in the car because it would not fit. The vertical carburetors were too large and did not fit under the hood. Only recently has the vehicle been restored and the chassis was altered to allow room for the engine.

After the Turin Show, Carlo Anderloni of Touring was brought in to redesign the 350 and prepare it for production. The design was smoothed out and the pop-up headlights were replaced with units that were gracefully incorporated into the hood of the vehicle. The 3.5-liter V12 with twin overhead camshafts and six twin-choke Weber carburetors were placed horizontally between the camshafts in order to fit under the hood. Along with the redesign, the engine was detuned because Ferruccio Lamborghini desired a smooth running, refined engine rather than a highly-tuned racing power-plant. Horsepower dropped from 350 to 270. A 320 horsepower version was available as optional equipment.

In 1964 Ferruccio Lamborghini debuted the production version, the 350 GT, the V had been dropped, to the public at the Geneva Auto Show. The car was powered by a Giotto Bizzarini designed 12-cylinder engine, sat atop a tubular steel chassis, and featured independent suspension and a ZF gearbox. Disc brakes were placed on all four tires. This was Lamborghini's first serial-production GT vehicle. Producing 280 horsepower, the 350 GT was a formidable contender with the other super-cars of the day.

Two shortened chassis's were sent to Zagato, renowned for their lightweight construction, to create alternative creations to the Touring design. Ercole Spada of Zagato was given the task of designing the body. The result was a very elegant coupe that drew inspiration from previous work such as Lancia and Alfa Romeo racers. It was shown at the 1965 London Motor Show under the name Lamborghini 3500 GTZ. Only two examples were ever created. One was retained by the factory while the other was sold to a customer after the show.

Another coachbuilding factory was commissioned in the mid-1960s to create a mid-engined supercar. It was known as the Miura and was powered by a four-liter V12. In 1966 the four-liter engine was available in the front-engined Lamborghini as optional equipment. This version became known as the 400 GT. A few examples were built before it was replaced by the 400 GT 2+2. The two-plus-two configuration made the supercar a little more practical, allowing room for additional occupants in the rear seats. The design of the 2+2 varied slightly from the 400 GT. The 2+2 was constructed of steel while the 400 GT used aluminum. The most distinguishable difference was the double-oval headlights in the front of the 2+2.

In 1966 a Lamborghini 400 GT Monza prototype was created that carried the mechanical components of Lamborghini with styling reminiscent of Ferrari's legendary 250 GTO series. The design was handled by Neri & Bonacini and was shown to the public at the 1966 Barcelona Motor Show. It was sold to a wealthy Spanish individual who used the vehicle as a daily driver. It was put into storage in the early 1970's with the odometer reading just 7,000 km's. It remained in possession of the family until the owner's death in the mid-2000's. Bonham's Auction had the pleasure of offering the vehicle up for auction at the 2005 London Olympia sale where it was sold for $315,000.

During its introductory year, only thirteen examples of the 350 GT version were created. Around 120 examples were created in total. Since these were mostly hand-built, specifications and designs may vary. For example, most of the 400 GTs intended for the US market were given four round headlights, however, a few had larger oval units that were common on the 350 GT.

There were about 247 examples of the 400 GT 2+2 constructed from 1966 through 1968.

The 350/400 GT Series represent Lamborghini's intention to construct the finest Grand Touring automobiles ever assembled. Many automotive journalists at the time hailed the cars as being better than equivalent exotic machinery.

by Dan Vaughan