Ferrucio Lamborghini was already a tremendously successful tractor and air conditioning manufacturer when he decided to produce his own GT car in the early 1960s, one that reflected his personal tastes. Having made a fortune, he certainly had the resources and wherewithal. His first prototype of the 350 GTV was shown at Turin in November 1963, though it was not ready for production when unveiled. Its chassis was by Neri & Bonacini, and the Scaglione-styled body was by Sargiotto, but it was given a lukewarm reception by the press. This was not the first pretender to Ferrari’s crown to come from Italy, the media said, nor would it be the last. However, Lamborghini was determined to make a success of his new venture. With the engineering well advanced, he passed the styling on to Carrozzeria Touring of Milan for refinement.

Wearing its new coachwork, the new Lamborghini was well received at Geneva in March 1964. Despite the short development period, Touring fabricated a sensational aluminum-alloy superleggera body, while production was also contracted out to Marazzi. The body was certainly different from those of Ferrari and Maserati: its lines were sensuous, and the entire package was undeniably distinctive. The car earned rave reviews for its V-12 performance and excellent handling, courtesy of Giotto Bizzarrini. Top speed for the new model was in excess of 150 mph.

Two years later, the car evolved into the 400 GT 2+2, with the addition of vestigial rear seating and subtle styling alterations on the same 100.4-inch wheelbase. Though the style of the 350 GT was preserved, virtually every panel had been revised, and it was given four headlights to differentiate it from its predecessor. The floor pan was lowered, and the roof was raised 2.6 inches; additional interior room was made possible by reversing the upper and lower rear control arms in the front to the rear arrangement. An additional windshield wiper was added, and the body was produced in steel, rather than aluminum, to simplify production. A single 23-gallon fuel tank replaced dual 10.5-gallon tanks on the previous model. The V-12 was enlarged from 3.5- to 4.0-liters, and horsepower was increased from 280 to 320. Suspension was all-around double wishbones with four-wheel disc brakes, along with a Lamborghini-built five-speed gearbox designed by Chief Engineer Gian Paolo Dallara, replacing the earlier ZF-derived gearbox. Just 247 were produced between 1966 and 1968.

This 400 GT is finished in the splendid color combination of red over tan. The exterior is accented by brilliant brightwork and a Talbot-style mirror on the driver’s side. It rides on Goodyear Eagle VR60 tires mounted on Campagnolo-style wheels, with a full spare concealed within the trunk. The interior is a nice place to be, with a large wood-rimmed steering set in front of a black leather trimmed dash housing Jaeger instrumentation. The door cards, console, and seats are all trimmed in a tan leather. A Borletti air conditioning unit is mounted under the glovebox. Additionally, power windows offer a natural relief from the heat.

Lamborghini 400 GTs are quite rare, with just 247 examples built. They make for wonderful driver’s cars with proper GT styling that exemplifies Lamborghini’s earliest design and engineering efforts.