Description
It was 1990 when the world became acquainted with the new model from Sant’Agata, as the successor to the then sixteen-year-old Countach. In 1987, the development of the model starts to get going, when Chrysler takes over the company for a sloppy $ 25 million. Marcello Gandini had already had an idea ready for some time, called Project 132, but Chrysler thought it was already too dated and too sharp at the time and pushed Gandini to the background. Chrysler’s own Tom Gale of the Chrysler Styling Center is allowed to revive the project to come up with a smoother and more subdued version of Gandini’s project.
In 1990 the Diablo is ready to be shown to the public during the second Lamborghini Day at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo.
The pop-up headlights, the upward-hinged doors and the extremely thick rear part lower the lower jaw of everyone present, followed by applause.
Under the long tailgate is a 5. 7 liter V12 with two overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and a simple computer-controlled multipoint petrol injection. Ability? An incredible 492 hp plus 580 Nm of torque at the time. With this, the Lambo, weighing 1, 576 kilograms, races to 100 in 4. 5 seconds. It is the brand’s first car to pass the magical 200-mph mark. Only at 202 miles per hour, or 325 km/ h, is the porridge finished. You don’t need to scroll through the option list forever. Standard are fully adjustable seats and steering wheel, power windows, an Alpine radio (who needs that in a Diablo?!) and power steering from 1993. Right, the first three years it comes down to muscular arms.
In 1993, the Diablo VT, which stands for Viscous Traction, Lamborghini’s four-wheel drive system, also appears. In 1995, the open version of the Diablo, the Roadster VT, appeared, of which only about 200 were built.
That is the variant we offer here, delivered on February 28, 1996 in America and received a Dutch registration in 2012. Despite its height of only 1. 10 meters, you cannot overlook the supercar: bright blue metallic paint, an interior made of beige leather with many carbon parts: an absolute attention-grabber, this Diablo.
The body is beautiful, the paint in very good condition. In a word, the Lamborghini looks great, even more striking because of the original chrome-plated multi-part wheels. What an impressive car it is. Built at a time when pedestrian concessions, following an ‘average taste of the target group’ was not yet seen as leading. No, an extremely designed car as it should be in Lamborghini’s eyes.
The interior is also completely uncompromising. The wide center tunnel, the large dome behind the wheel that accommodates all the important instruments. The small, almost anonymous steering wheel, inviting you to grip very tightly as the huge V12 is allowed to show what it is capable of. Everything radiates that this car is capable of majestic performances. At the same time, the car also radiates that it has always been cherished. Beige leather upholstery can quickly start to look used, but with this Diablo everything is still in beautiful condition.
If there is anything important when purchasing a Diablo, it is the state of the technology. Well, with this Lamborghini you don’t have to worry about that. In the past year and a half, the Roadster VT underwent a complete technical restoration at the official dealer. Invoices accompanying the car show that more than € 100, 000 has been invested to get the car back in formidable condition. That restoration included everything that actually comes to light with a car of this age when looking in detail at what could be improved.
The result is astonishing, a Diablo Roadster VT that is actually in mint condition, in a beautiful color scheme. A beloved open version that is ready for a new chapter in its exciting boy’s book. This boys’ book comes complete with invoices, original booklets, in the original suede folder. You will probably not find a better copy.
