Introduced at the Turin Motor Show in late October 1970, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Lamborghini Urraco. Owing to the contribution of engineer Paolo Stanzani, the technological father of Urraco and then Chief Technical Officer of Lamborghini, this model quickly stood out for having implemented technical innovations which were very revolutionary at the time. The project’s styling was assigned to the famous designer Marcello Gandini, who was the lead designer for Carrozzeria Bertone at the time.
With a front and rear MaPherson strut system, for the first time in production car, the Urraco is a fast 2+2 coupe, with a mid-mounted V8 rear engine and separate suspension.
The Urraco, initially introduced with a 2.5-liter V8 producing 220 hp at 7800 rpm and a top speed of 245 km / h, displayed the double innovation of an 8-cylinder engine and a single overhead camshaft distribution per bank. The use of a “Heron chamber” engine head with a flat inner portion and the combustion chamber located in a depression at the top of the piston completed the technical development. This combination of the solution has enabled a higher compression ratio to be used without cost increases.
The four Weber double-body 40 IDF1 style carburetors were another innovation for Lamborghini.
Another innovation, intended from the initial stages of the project to be much less artisanal than the other Lamborghini models, was the manufacturing procedure for the vehicle. The production of the Urraco was due to Ferruccio Lamborghini ‘s express wish, who was keen to extend the productivity of the company and make a Lamborghini that would be available to a larger, but limited, audience.
The Urraco ‘s interior sections, which were just 4.25 meters long, were particularly advanced in terms of the dashboard configuration, the placement of the instruments and the steering wheel.
It was built from 1970 to 1976 and was presented as the P250 Urraco, where the ‘P’ stood for the rear (posteriore) location of the engine and 250 for the engine volume (2.5 liters). At the 1974 Turin Motor Show, the Urraco was then proposed in the P200 variant with reduced displacement (1.994 cc, 182 hp), designed for the Italian market, from 1975 to 1977. The next P300 (2,996 cc, 265 hp) variant, released in 1974, was manufactured between 1975 and 1979. The idea that the Urraco successfully tested and introduced to market led to the later 8-cylinder models and the newer 10-cylinder models, such as the Gallardo and the present Huracán.
Units produced
P250 Urraco: 1970-1976: 520
P200 Urraco: 1974-1977: 66
P300 Urraco: 1975-1979: 190
Favourite Car: Lamborghini Aventador
Quote: Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality - Robin S. Sharma
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