The Jarama has held itself up pretty high after half a century thanks to the design by Gandini and the compliments placed by Ferruccio Lamborghini.
Automobili Lamborghini is celebrating the Jarama– the 2+2 grand tourer which made its debut 50 years ago today. Named after an area located to the north of Madrid which is famed for breeding of fighting bulls, the car was the at the time the one to carry forward the 2+2 grand touring sedan powered by the signature Lamborghini V12. The underpinnings of the car were based on the 400 GT and the Islero, but the body was designed by the legendary designer Marcello Gandini for Carrozzeria Bertone and featured sharp lines. It is a car to remember as the Jarama was the last front engined car Lamborghini ever made, until the recent Super SUV the Urus.
The Chassis for this car was based on the Espada but improved and featured a new brake system with front ventilated discs. The track was widened to 1,490mm and light 15” Campagnolo magnesium wheels were added to make the Lamborghini apt for its time. The V12 engine used six double-body Weber 40 DCOE carburetors with double overhead camshafts per bank i.e. one on each side comprising six cylinders. It delivered 350hp which would propel the Jarama to a top speed of 260 kmph with the five-speed manual transmission.
The founder of the Italian sports manufacturer, Ferruccio Lamborghini in an interview in 1991 placed the Jarama above several much more popular Lamborghini’s like the Miura. He said,“I preferred the Jarama to all the others, because it is the perfect compromise between the Miura and the Espada, the perfect car if you just want to have one car.” Validation by Ferruccio created a legacy for the Jarama which otherwise has been overshadowed by cars like the Miura, Countach and the Diablo.
The initial prototypes were made by Carrozzeria Marazzi located in Caronno Pertusella near Milan who had previously worked on the Lamborghini Islero, while later production took place in Turin at the Carrozzeria Bertone plant. The interiors were also updated to match the market, featuring leather upholstery, air conditioning, spacious passenger seats and functional trunk. It was rather a luxurious car, something that one does not associate the Raging Bull with.
A later version named the Jarama GTS came in 1972, which had more power at 365hp. It featured aerodynamic improvements, like the hood air intake and outlets behind the front wheel arches. The interiors were also redone, dashboard and instrument panel were redesigned along with the front seats that created more room for the rear passengers. The wheels were changed to alloys, but missed out on the central lug nut design which was one of the highlights of the original car.
The Jarama has carved out a niche for itself as being one of the more elusive Lamborghini’s today. With only 328 produced, the car is fairly rare and is a collectors item thanks to it’s reverence as being the last front engined Lamborghini which were made while Ferruccio was alive and the designing done by one of the greatest – Marcello Gandini. After this era only mid-engined cars have been made by the company.
Favourie Car: Nissan GT-R R35
Quote: What you do in life echoes in eternity- Russell Crowe, Maximus, Gladiator
- Aero India 2021: List of rotary wing aircrafts/helicopters on display - June 2, 2021
- Aero India 2021: List of fixed wing aircrafts on display - June 2, 2021
- What you get in 3 new variants of Tata Altroz i-Turbo? - February 15, 2021
