In March 1964, Automobili Lamborghini was still in its infancy. Established just a few months previously, it had presented its first prototype in October 1963, known as the 350 GTV designed by Franco Scaglione and built at Carrozzeria Sargiotto in Turin. The production car, derived from that first prototype (which remained a one-off), was the 350 GT, presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1964.
Sixty years after that debut, Automobili Lamborghini is back on the streets of Geneva with the 350 GT with the second chassis number, the oldest existing production Lamborghini, to celebrate the story of its first production car and the origins of the Sant’Agata Bolognese carmaker’s DNA.
Automobili Lamborghini’s commercial story started on its stand at the 1964 Geneva Motor show, with the public presentation of the 350 GT. From that point on, customers were able to buy a car with the iconic bull symbol. Right from its conception, the 350 GT was fast and extraordinary at the same time. The chassis and frame were the result of the work of engineer Giampaolo Dallara, very young at the time and is now considered the best chassis maker in the world.
The 3.5-liter V12 engine with four overhead camshafts was the design of engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, who envisaged it for competitive use and was adapted for road use on the 350 GT by engineer Paolo Stanzani, a key figure in the history of Automobili Lamborghini and GT cars around the world. The aluminum bodywork design and its production were carried out by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan, which in the early 1960s, it was considered the absolute best to deliver sports cars with a luxury finish.
The first production model made by Lamborghini was an immediate hit and caught the attention of much of the media present in Geneva at the time. The interiors of the 350 GT were of the highest level, with widespread use of leather and chrome plating, and characterized by a 2 + 1 configuration, with two front seats and one central rear seat. As well as the design, the engineering was striking: the four independent wheels and engine performance, with 320 CV, were state-of-the-art choices.
The engine captivated every visitor to the stand, where Ferruccio Lamborghini himself showed off the car to onlookers, future customers, and journalists. As confirmation of its qualities, the Lamborghini V12 was taken to 4 liters just a few months later on the 400 GT, and in this new configuration, it would become the cornerstone of Lamborghini’s success. For the next 40 years, the same geometry would be used in various positions and variations and would become one of the key symbols of Lamborghini’s DNA. Indeed, this engine would be used in a front longitudinal position on the 400 GT, Islero, Jarama, Espada and LM 002, in a rear transverse position on the Miura, and in a rear longitudinal position on the Countach and Diablo.
The first 350 GT was delivered to Livorno-born drummer Giampiero Giusti, who was at the height of his success with the band “I 5 di Lucca”, which later became the “Quartetto di Lucca”, considered one of the most important jazz ensembles in Italy. This marked the beginning of a close relationship between Lamborghini and the entertainment world in which many actors and musical performers became passionate customers of the company. The 350 GT took on a starring role in the 1967 Columbia Pictures film “Kill Me Quick, I’m Cold”, directed by Francesco Maselli, where it was driven by the leading couple, Monica Vitti and Jean Sorel.
The car exhibited at the Lamborghini stand at Geneva 1964 was the 350 GT chassis #101, Metallic Geneva Green in color with white interior, the first ever produced. The car, later used as a test model for development and endurance tests, was unfortunately destroyed by a rear-end collision while stopped at traffic lights.
However, the very next 350 GT, with the second chassis number, did survive: metallic gray with red interior, despatched from Sant’Agata Bolognese on 15 August 1964 and delivered brand new to Geneva. The very same car is now the oldest existing Lamborghini production car, perfectly restored and certified by Lamborghini Polo Storico. This year, the Sant’Agata Bolognese carmaker wanted to celebrate its story, bringing it back to life and in top form on the streets of Geneva, the city where it was first delivered and presented six decades years ago.
