To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Fort
Lauderdale event, 29 - 30 March 2019.
Estimate:
$200,000 - $225,000
- 530-hp, 5.7-liter V-12 engine; five-speed manual
transmission
- The last of 20 Monterey Editions built
- Presented in Lightning Blue over cream leather interior
- Originally sold through Prestige Imports in Florida
As Lamborghini geared up to facelift its Diablo with fixed
headlights, the engineers and designers in Sant'Agata Bolognese
unveiled one last hurrah in 1998 for the strong American market:
the Diablo SV Monterey Edition.
Just 20 were built in a nod to the burgeoning Monterey Car Week in
California. The Diablo SV Monterey Edition reprised the SE30 and VT
Roadster's trio of air intakes in front of the rear wheels rather
than the single, large opening the automaker used on the Diablo SV.
The SV Monterey Edition retained the Diablo's signature pop-up
headlights even though the automaker would debut a new face with
fixed headlights the following year.
A 530-hp version of Lamborghini's famous 5.7-liter V-12 engine
produced 20 hp more than contemporary Diablo SVs, making the
Monterey Edition the most powerful production Diablo with pop-up
headlights. The more powerful V-12 was also a harbinger of things
to come for the next model year when Lamborghini would boost power
to a similar level. Like other Diablo SVs, the Monterey Edition was
rear-wheel drive and sent power to the wheels via a five-speed
manual transmission. Lamborghini had no trouble finding new owners
for the 20 special edition Diablos, which were only offered to
customers in the U.S.
The Diablo SV Monterey Edition offered here is the last of the 20
to be built. Each was individually numbered with a plaque
indicating the last five digits of the car's serial number, and
number 20 has been well documented in Lamborghini circles since its
delivery to Prestige Imports in South Florida. Painted Lightning
Blue with silver SV graphics over cream leather with contrasting
yellow piping and stitching, number 20 is a distinctive,
eye-catching example.
It retains its original chrome wheels. Like other Diablo SVs, it
features an adjustable rear spoiler, black taillight bezels, and
quad exhaust pipes.
Its interior appears nearly new with no markings on its leather
trim. Carbon fiber trim and SV Monterey Edition logos stitched into
its headrests provide additional visual flair. Its original
passenger-side airbag warning label remains affixed, a testament to
its preserved condition.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/fl19.
