1985 Lamborghini Jalpa At Auction, The Rare Alternative To Ferrari’s 308 & 328

CCA (Classic Car Auctions) have a 1985 Lamborghini Jalpa for sale, a rare and interesting alternative to a Ferrari 308 or even a 328.

Lamborghini may be thought to have arrived a little late on the scene with this mid mounted open top V8 sports car in 1981. The thing is they did have its predecessor the Silhouette, which is all but forgotten. The Silhouette was only made from 1976 to 1979 and was an evolution of the Urraco with its 3 litre engine and now a removable roof. Only 55 of them were produced and the final one was the prototype for the Jalpa.

The most obvious competitor, the Ferrari 308, was launched back in 1975 and had become well established as the car of choice in that market. The Jalpa took the challenge right to Ferrari with a similar specification and performance. Marcello Gandini of Bertone did the styling which is so appropriate for the time. The flared arches, large wing and air ducts giving a bit of a mini Countach look but also fitting in with styling trends of the time. Not too bad considering the car was essentially a 70s design evolved.