Description
Details:
Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this 1974 Lamborghini Uracco P250.
According to the Lamborghini factory records, this car was completed on the 2nd May 1974. This factory right hand drive example was fitted with factory air conditioning and delivered new to the UK. The car was originally ‘giallo’ (yellow – paint code 2469019) with a ‘nero’ (black) interior.
The early history of this car is not known, though it is understood to have come to Australia early in its life.
A long term Sydney owner, who originally found the car advertised in Unique Cars magazine, commissioned Lamborghini specialist Henry Nehrybecki to give the car a more aggressive look, similar to a Lamborghini Silhouette.
The template for the wheel arches was taken from a Lamborghini Silhouette and made from sheet metal. This work was completed by Graham Watson from Ralt Australia. Nehrybecki fabricated the front spoiler, custom alloy grill, front and rear bumpers, the three piece wheels and modified the front suspension. The car was painted by Con Papoulis from Hi Tech Paintshop. A that time the colour was changed to dark metallic blue. It is understood that this work was completed in c1997.
The project took approximately 9 months from start to finish.
The car was featured in Issue 17, the April June 1998 Lamborghini Club of Australia magazine – The Bull’s Roar.
The car changed hands and remained with its then owner from Glenmore Park in Sydney, NSW through until November 2008. At that time the car was registered with the personalised plates CRETE1.
The car’s new owner was from Hornsby in Sydney, NSW and at the time he acquired the car the odometer read 75, 703 miles. It was then registered in NSW as AW99RR. In his ownership the car was serviced and maintained by Eagle and Raymond Automotive in Asquith, NSW. There are several invoices on file documenting the service history of the car.
The car then found its way to the Gosford Classic Car Museum where it was displayed before being acquired by the current owner in July 2017. At that time the odometer read 81, 982 miles.
Since then it has had a mechanical refresh which included a new clutch, suspension rebuild, gearbox rebuild, replacing the head gasket and other miscellaneous works by classic Lamborghini specialist Sports and Classic Car Services in Braeside, Victoria. The car has only travelled c2, 000 miles since the majority of that work was completed.
The most recent annual service was executed on 1st July 2022 and at that time the odometer read 83, 833 and in April 2024 the carburettors were cleaned and rebuild by Classic Fix in Brisbane.
Today the odometer reads 83, 987 miles.
This Lamborghini Urraco certainly has a presence about it. The flared wheel arches, front spoiler and aftermarket wheels give the car a very aggressive stance. The dark metallic blue colour really suits the car. Overall, the paint is still in a good condition having retained a strong depth of colour and a high gloss finish. Up close you will see a few imperfections, consistent with an older repaint and with a car that has been used occasionally. The most noticeable defects are a chip on the B pillar on the driver’s side about half way up and a few scratches on the front of the car, most likely caused by the bonnet stand. There is also some gravel rash evident on the front of the rear flared wheel arches and some small stone chips on the front spoiler. The louvered engine cover and the louvers on the side of the car have been finished in black and are in good condition.
Besides the window frames and badges there really isn’t much bright work on a Lamborghini Urraco. The frames and badges, along with the lights, lenses and the glass are well presented and in good condition.
The Silhouette style wheels are in very good condition with no evidence of any curb rash. The centre caps are faded and replacing these would lift the presentation of the car. The wheels are shod with Toyo Proxes T1R tyres, 205/ 45 ZR16 at the front and 245/ 45 ZR16 at the rear. The front tyres are date stamped 0910 (week 9, 2010) and the rear tyres are date stamped 3718 (week 37, 2018). The front tyres, whilst they still appear to be in good condition, should be replaced based on age.
Open the door and you are welcomed by a sharp looking interior. First impressions are good. The grey upholstery provides a perfect colour contrast with the blue exterior. The seats are in a good condition and provide ample support. The centre section of the front and rear seats have been upholstered with a velour style fabric. On the front seats the fabric has started to slightly stretch, though there are no rips or tears. The rear seats have probably never been used since the car was retrimmed. The car is fitted with an aftermarket steering wheel in a matching colour. All the instruments present well. They are clear and appear to be in good working order. The dashboard itself also presents well with no marks or discoloration evident. We did notice that the headlining has a few marks and could use a little bit of attention.
One of the previous owners must have been short as the front seats have been raised to provide a more comfortable driving position (for a smaller person). To suit a driver of average size or above, both seats would need to be lowered.
These baby bulls are underrated and great fun to drive. It was a wet week in Brisbane and when we finally got a break in the weather, it was with great anticipation that we got to take this Urraco out for our test drive and photo shoot.
The Weber carburettors on these early Lamborghinis are thirsty and require plenty of fuel to start the car. The correct starting procedure is to turn the ignition on, let the fuel pump do its work for at least twenty seconds, then give the accelerator pedal a few pumps, then turn the key further to start the car. If you follow these steps the engine will burst to life with relative ease. The sound is fantastic and these little V8’s make a growl like no other!
These cars always feel a little ‘stiff’ to start. But as everything warms up properly the car becomes better and easier to drive. This is most noticeable with the gear changes which become an absolute delight once the gearbox is warm. The engine revs freely through the rev range and the car has plenty of power on tap. The car handles well and feels incredibly stable on the road. There is an occasional knock from the front suspension which we are currently investigating. The brakes work well and they pull the car up quickly and in a straight line when needed.
This Lamborghini Urraco P250 is a delightful ‘junior super car’. It is a real joy to drive and we think a great alternative to the more ubiquitous Ferrari 308 GT/ 4, Maserati Merak or Porsche 911.
You won’t win the concours with this car and it may not appeal to the purist, but we think it is rather cool. It will most certainly turn heads and make an impression wherever it goes.
Accompanying the car is a good history file with a copy of an owners manual, the original and often missing Lamborghini libretto di assistenza e garanzia (service and warranty booklet) and some historical documentation and service records.
The spare wheel is missing.
Highlights:
- Factory RHD example.
- Good history file with original service book.
- Not your average Urraco P250!
- Recent mechanical work.
- Ready to use and enjoy.
Price AUD $114, 950.
Background:
The Lamborghini story is fascinating in itself, but for the company to have survived all these years and indeed celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2013 is quite amazing. Ferruccio Lamborghini was an entrepreneur, a very successful businessman and a lover of the finer things in life, including sports cars. He was fortunate enough to own some wonderful cars including Ferraris however, he found fault with them all. According to the legend following a meeting with Enzo Ferrari to discuss some of the short comings of his cars Enzo dismissed Ferruccio and he subsequently decided that he could build a better car.
Not long after, in May 1963, Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini SPA was established and the small town of Sant’Agata Bolognese, located between Modena and Bologna, was chosen as the location to build the factory. Born under the Zodiac sign Taurus Lamborghini chose the raging bull as the emblem for his sports cars.
Lamborghini knew what he wanted and he put together a highly skilled team. His first car the 350 GTV was shown at the Turin Motor Show in October 1963. This car received mixed reviews; however, Lamborghini was not deterred and made a number of improvements and design changes to the original concept. The first Lamborghini production car the 350 GT left the factory in mid-1964.
The 350 GT evolved into the 400 GT 2+2 and later the Islero. In parallel to building these classic front engine V12 GT cars Lamborghini wanted to build a super car, enter the Miura first shown as a rolling chassis in 1965, and also a GT car that could comfortably seat four people, enter the Espada in 1968. The mid to late sixties were good times for Lamborghini and his cars were revered the world over.
In 1970 the Islero was replaced by the Jarama. Lamborghini also wanted to enter the junior supercar market and introduced the Urraco or ‘little bull’, named for the fighting bull which killed the toreador Manoleten, at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. The Urraco attracted huge interest from the motoring world and Bertone’s classic wedge shape received critical acclaim at the time.
It wasn’t until some two years later, in 1972, that the first production cars rolled off the Sant ‘Agata production line. Lamborghini hoped to build the Urraco in big numbers, however, this never eventuated and only 520 of the P250’s were built up until 1975 when the P300 was released. The world economy changed quickly and the early 1970’s were a tough time for Lamborghini. Additionally, the Urraco had some teething problems early on and the car unfortunately developed a reputation as unreliable. This was perhaps unfair as once Lamborghini ironed out the bugs the car was in fact a little gem and properly sorted was a genuine threat to Ferrari’s 308, Maserati’s Merak and the Porsche 911 of the day. The Urraco P300 was indeed a fabulous little car and in Sports Car World magazine July – September 1976 Mel Nichols wrote: ” . . . I was not hard pressed to conclude that the Urraco 3-litre is the most enjoyable car I have ever driven.” In the October 1978 issue of Car Magazine Nichols pits the Lamborghini Urraco against a Ferrari 308 GTB and a Maserati Merak SS. The article is compelling reading and Nichols picks the Urraco as his favourite.
Only 205 Urraco P300’s were built. Lamborghini also built 66 Urraco P200’s (with a 2 litre V8 engine) specifically for the Italian market.
