In March 1964, Lamborghini was still in its infancy. Established just a few months previously, it had presented its first prototype in October 1963, known as the 350 GTV and designed by Franco Scaglione and built at Carrozzeria Sargiotto in Turin. The production car, derived from that first prototype (which remained a one-off), was the 350 GT, presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1964. Sixty years after that debut, Lamborghini is back on the streets of Geneva with the 350 GT with the second chassis number, the oldest existing production Lamborghini, to celebrate the story of its first production car and the origins of the Sant’Agata Bolognese carmaker’s DNA.
Lamborghini’s commercial story started
on its stand at the 1964 Geneva Motor show, with the public
presentation of the 350 GT. From that point on, customers were able to
buy a car with the iconic bull symbol. Right from its conception, the
350 GT was fast and extraordinary at the same time. The chassis and
frame were the result of the work of engineer Giampaolo Dallara, very
young at the time and now considered the best chassis maker in the
world. The 3.5-liter V12 engine with four overhead camshafts was the
design of engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, who envisaged it for competitive
use, and was adapted for road use on the 350 GT by engineer Paolo
Stanzani, a key figure in the history of Lamborghini and GT cars around
the world. The aluminum bodywork design and its production was carried
out by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan, which in the early 1960s was
considered the absolute best, able to deliver sports cars with a luxury
finish.
The first production model made by Lamborghini was an
immediate hit and caught the attention of much of the media present in
Geneva at the time. The interiors of the 350 GT were of the highest
level, with widespread use of leather and chrome plating, and
characterized by a 2+1 configuration, with two front seats and a one
central rear seat. As well as the design, the engineering was striking:
the four independent wheels and engine performance, with 320 CV, were
state-of-the-art choices. The engine captivated every visitor to the
stand, where Ferruccio Lamborghini himself showed off the car to
onlookers, future customers and journalists. As confirmation of its
qualities, the Lamborghini V12 was taken to 4 liters just a few months
later on the 400 GT, and in this new configuration it would become the
cornerstone of Lamborghini’s success. For the next 40 years, the same
geometry would be used in various positions and variations, and would
become one of the key symbols of Lamborghini’s DNA. Indeed, this engine
would be used in a front longitudinal position on the 400 GT, Islero,
Jarama, Espada and LM 002, in a rear transverse position on the Miura,
and in a rear longitudinal position on the Countach and Diablo.
The
first 350 GT was delivered to Livorno-born drummer Giampiero Giusti,
who was at the height of his success with the band “I 5 di Lucca”, which
later became the “Quartetto di Lucca”, considered one of the most
important jazz ensembles in Italy. This marked the beginning of a close
relationship between Lamborghini and the entertainment world in which
many actors and musical performers became passionate customers of the
company. The 350 GT took on a starring role in the 1967 Columbia
Pictures film “Kill Me Quick, I'm Cold”, directed by Francesco Maselli,
where it was driven by the leading couple, Monica Vitti and Jean Sorel.
The
car exhibited at the Lamborghini stand at Geneva 1964 was the 350 GT
chassis #101, Metallic Geneva Green in color with white interior, the
first ever produced. The car, later used as a test model for development
and endurance tests, was unfortunately destroyed by a rear-end
collision while stopped at traffic lights.
However, the very next
350 GT, with the second chassis number, did survive: metallic gray in
color with red interior, despatched from Sant’Agata Bolognese on 15
August 1964, and delivered brand new to Geneva. The very same car is now
the oldest existing Lamborghini production car, perfectly restored and
certified by Lamborghini Polo Storico. This year, the Sant’Agata
Bolognese carmaker wanted to celebrate its story, bringing it back to
life and in top form on the streets of Geneva, the city where it was
first delivered and presented six decades years ago.
