For Sale at Auction: 1991 Lamborghini Diablo in Carmel, California

Chassis No. ZA9DU07P0MLA12137

In its earliest form, the Lamborghini Diablo was truly the proper successor to the generational Countach. The same man who penned the Countach and the Miura, Marcello Gandini, created what he described as a car that would make "people be astonished when they saw it." Matching Gandini's aggressive proportions, the earliest cars were defiantly analog, with non-assisted rack-and-pinion steering and no ABS. Taming the Diablo's 485 horsepower from its naturally aspirated 5.7-liter V12 was purely a matter of driver talent, as all that power was sent exclusively to the massive 335/35 ZR-17 rear tires.

This 1991 Lamborghini Diablo left the Sant'Agata Bolognese factory in January 1991 finished in Rosso Diablo over a Champagne leather interior. Delivered to Meadowland Car Imports in North Bergen, New Jersey in April of that year, the Diablo is believed to have remained on the East Coast since new-its clean CARFAX Vehicle History Report notes only two owners since new in Connecticut and South Carolina.

Now offered with just 12,846 indicated miles at cataloging, this first year Diablo is furnished with its owner's manuals in their leather pouch, stamped original warranty booklet indicating a 7,500-mile service performed by the dealer of origin, and Lamborghini-branded Diablo toolkit. More recently, within the last several hundred miles of use, the Diablo was treated to a comprehensive service including the fitment of new tires and replacement of fluids including engine oil, transmission oil, and brake fluid. Further sorting and tuning included a new distributor cap and rotor, new spark plugs, fuel pressure regulators, and a fresh battery.

Equipped with rear-wheel drive, a gated five-speed manual transmission, and Lamborghini's magnificent naturally-aspirated V12, the original Diablo represents the final chapter of the Raging Bull's truly analog supercar era. Free from electronic intervention yet civilized enough to be comfortably enjoyed in most driving scenarios, it boasts a raw, unfiltered driving experience that has made the early Diablo an increasingly important fixture in the collector market. This 1991 Lamborghini Diablo, presented in a commanding color combination and preserved with respectfully low mileage, is a compelling example of one of Sant'Agata Bolognese's most bedroom wall poster-worthy creations.