Preservation

Description

Like all the makers of heavy-hitting supercars in the late sixties, Lamborghini were faced with the commercial reality of requiring a model that offered slightly greater practicality, at a more achievable price. In the face of the benchmark that had been set by Porsche with the 911, they set out to appeal to a market that would be interested in a sporting GT that was fast, but offered potentially two occasional rear seats, and the tractability to use often. The urraco’s conception was thus formulaic; Attractive 2+2 Coupe, in their case, to be penned by Marcello Gandini. Transverse powerplant, rearward of the occupants allowing cabin space, whilst driving the rear wheels – in the case of the Urraco, a V8 with four camshafts, and fed by carburetors. Upon lauch, the Urraco P200 utilized a two-liter V8 as an Italian market tax break, then came the P250, to be followed by what most regard as the best – the P300, as seen in this example. Lamborghini turned out just 791 Urracos from Sant Agata Bolognese, something of a curiosity by comparison to Dino and Merak production, and really insignificant when compared to the number of 911s turned out of Stuttgart in the same period, but its off-beat and atypical personality define it. It was evolved into models like the Silhouette and the Jalpa, and highlighted that Lamborghini were never destined to offer a car for the masses.

This car is the second Urraco of Mr Brian Lewis of Mittagong, and it replaced his first, a P250. He retained this car for 47 years, until his recent passing. It is one of just 40 ‘odd’ right hand drive P300s, all of which were supplied with sodium-filled valve guides. As a consequence, most suffering valve failure due to the engine’s willingness to rev!