To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Monterey
event, 15 - 17 August 2019.
Estimate:
$250,000 - $300,000
- Incredible, unrestored condition
- Believed to be among the last run of 350 GTs produced
- Upgraded with 4.0-liter V-12 engine
- One of only 120 built from 1964 to 1966
Please note that this lot is titled as a 1967.
Lamborghini's first production car, the 350 GT, was the brainchild
of two of Italy's most illustrious auto designers. With an engine
designed by Giotto Bizzarrini, fresh from Ferrari, and a chassis
engineered by Gianpaolo Dallara, the 350 GT needed only Touring's
superleggera bodywork to be worthy of the charging bull. Production
of the 350 GT took place from 1964 to 1966, during which time 120
examples were produced.
Offered here, chassis 0400 was completed on 2 May 1966. It is
believed to be among the last run of 350 GTs produced, as work had
begun on the car's successor, the 400 GT 2+2. According to factory
production records, chassis 0400 left the Works finished in Azzurro
Fiat, destined for the United States via Jake Kaplan's East Coast
Lamborghini distributorship. The early history is not known;
however, the car found its way to the West Coast sometime in the
late 1970s, evidenced by the 1980 Long Beach Grand Prix sticker
still on the windscreen. By the 1990s, the car was in the hands of
noted Ferrari and Lancia expert Tony Nicosia. He remembered the car
as highly original, unrestored, and a good driving example during
his time with it. Nicosia serviced the 350 GT before selling it to
the most recent owner over 20 years ago. Since then it has remained
quietly part of a significant private collection of unique and
important sports cars.
Today the car remains in amazing, unrestored condition. At some
point in this car's history, the original 3.5-liter V-12 engine was
replaced with a 320 hp, 4.0-liter quad-cam V-12 unit. In the '70s
or '80s, the seats were reupholstered in black with blue corduroy
fabric inserts. Aside from the seats, the door panels, dash,
headlining, and rear luggage area, the car remains in highly
original condition.
With the previous owner, the car saw an extended period of storage,
requiring recommissioning to return it to running and driving
order. Recent work includes a full fuel system overhaul, rebuilt
Weber carburetors, new brake boosters and plumbing, cleaned and
inspected brake calipers, and new clutch hydraulic cylinders. The
car runs quite well, with excellent brakes and gearbox. Additional
sorting may be required to return it to regular road use.
As a late-production 350 GT upgraded with 4.0-liter V-12, chassis
0400 is a highly desirable example of Lamborghini's first road car
to rival Ferrari. This 350 GT's remarkable, unrestored condition
lends itself to further preservation or an excellent starting point
for concours restoration. The Lamborghini 350 GT is one of the
greatest grand touring cars of the era, delivering equal parts
comfort, practicality, and performance in a distinctive and
beautifully styled package.To view this car and others currently
consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo19.