3,485cc DOHC V8 Engine
4 2-Barrel Weber DCNF Carburetors
255bhp at 7,000rpm
5-Speed Manual Transmission
4-Wheel Independent Coil Spring Suspension
4-Wheel Servo-Assisted Hydraulic Ventilated Disc Brakes

*One of the final Lamborghini Jalpas built
*Total production of just 410 cars
*One high quality repaint and meticulously preserved
*Odometer shows just under 500km

THE LAMBORGHINI JALPA

In the early 70's Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini all brought out new, smaller cars both to compete with each other and to deal with the nemesis Porsche 911. Maserati's entry in the supercar ranks, the Bora, had V-8 power so its 911-competitor took its power from the company's V-6. Ferrari and Lamborghini had another four cylinders in their line-topping supercars and opted for V-8s to trump the 911's flat six.

Lamborhini's first was the Uracco P250 first produced in 1972 with a single overhead camshaft 220hp 2,463cc V-8 mounted transversely behind the driver. 1974's P300 added half a liter to 2,996cc, two more camshafts and gained 45hp. The Targa-roofed Silhouette debuted at Geneva in 1976.

Five years later both Uracco and Silhouette were supplanted by the targa-roofed Jalpa, with 3,485cc 4-cam V-8 that produced 250hp even in smog-limited U.S. form. More importantly for U.S. drivers it put out some 235 lb-ft of torque. With unit body construction and costing about half as much as the fabled Countach its rigid body, four-wheel independent suspension, 5-speed transaxle and 154mph top speed earned high marks from the automotive press for its sure-footed driving characteristics. Road & Track magazine called it "one of the most exciting cars to drive we've come across in recent years" and commended its Marcelo Gandini designed Bertone coachwork and the interior. Motor Trend said, "If Magnum ever has to chase villains fleeing in a Jalpa, he might as well park the Ferrari."

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

This 1988 Lamborghini Jalpa 3.5 is a remarkable, original, beautifully maintained and preserved example that shows just under 500km on the odometer, and no more than that on the car.

Finished in sinister black with matching black leather upholstery and interior trim, it is equipped with air conditioning, power windows and an Alpine CD stereo.

It has been repainted but appears to have been driven no more than around the block a few times since leaving Sant'Agata Bolognese almost thirty years ago. However it is no barn-find, it is better than that, a car that has never been neglected or abused but rather sympathetically maintained in pristine condition.