While it is a well-known fact that Lamborghinis of almost every variety have become sought-after investment and collector pieces, there’s an upper echelon of cars that stand apart. The Lamborghini Diablo was a shock to the collective system of Lamborghini enthusiasts everywhere, but in the best way possible: after years of effectively converting adolescent fantasy into a rolling sculpture known as the Countach, the company brought loyal customers happily into the next generation of supercars with the introduction of its replacement. The Diablo SV offered here on the Sotheby’s website is one of just two rear-wheel drive roadsters ever made by the factory, and yes, it will be expensive.
The reason for the SV being one of only two made doesn’t have anything to do with Lamborghini purposefully skewing the production line to ensure this car was as limited an offering as possible; rather, it had to do with the interference of its new owner, a company we know today as Audi (seriously, do large corporations ever make anything better?) Audi’s management wanted to push the brand into all-wheel drive vehicles and effectively halted the production of rear-wheel drive-only offerings, leaving just two SV roadsters as the only examples built by Lamborghini’s craftsmen.
While aftermarket companies would take matters into their own hands and convert AWD Diablos into two-wheel drive machines, we all know how much provenance matters when buying cars at this level. The SV trim was also a bit of a “discount” offering, as it slotted below the VT trim, so one could consider this the purest expression of Lamborghini’s DNA at the time when combined with the rear-wheel drive configuration. The SV as shown is in spectacular condition, with a long history of being owned and cared for by Lamborghini collectors since new.
The 5.7L V12 delivered a healthy 530 horsepower and 445 lb.-ft. of torque, which was staggering at the time but seems entirely normal by today’s standards. The spectacular condition on display effectively guarantees this is a low-mileage specimen that has been over-maintained to ensure its collectability was never called into question. The Diablo is coming into its own these days, effectively breaking out of the Countach’s long-standing shadow as a reminder of those wonderful years where the company was still focused on building highly-analog cars and in small batch quantities; the modern-day Lamborghini seems much more commonplace in comparison, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Araknid78 for the find.
I’m sure it’s cheaper to buy the two story house I live in over having to buy this car which I’m sure is in the millions.
This car is about as far from a “barn find” as it gets, but that doesn’t make it any less amazing.
Those “SV” decals look like those cheap “GT” stripes dealers used to put on bottom-rung Chevy Cavaliers to trick customers into thinking they were buying something interesting. Completely unnecessary in this case.
Chevrolet never did a GT. RS and SS but never a GT. That was a Ford thing.
Can I test drive it first. Here’s the keys to my 72 Impala convertible, I’ll just go around the block………
WAIT! WAIT, this isn’t a barn find ……get it correct. This is a castle find…lol
It looks like the interior is very dusty and dirty, for that reason only i am out.
JK, right? I’m seeing a suede like material, not dust.
Seems the more rare, exotic and powerful they are, the more kit-car like the designs appear.
These days the exotics seem more common than Toyotas with their production lines fueled by the signing bonuses of NBA and NFL stars. Copart is populated with those that lasted as long as the sports star’s career, with both ending in an after party crash.
It is amazing how many end up in the dump.
Cant help but wonder what millionaires barn this was found in????
I am certain that, in some peoples’ minds this is a beautiful car. God knows Lamborghini posters adorned my wall as a middle class kid (so did Farrah!!). I still adore beautiful women-but I look at this car and think, “How could I possibly lay down and get in?” Further, “how could I possibly get out?” My neighborhood has “speed tables”-and I think I might hurt my arse going to the grocery bumping over those in this low, yet striking car… I hope whoever gets it can drive it to heaven with no regrets!!!
First I’d like to say great write up but I won’t say great find but I will ask. Is Barn Find the place for highly crafted machines like this? My dad use to keep a subscription of Robb Report in his barber shop. Hardly the place for them but it didn’t offend anyone. I myself can appreciate things out of my reach without it triggering a subtle air of class warfare. Maybe Barn Find is not the place for such things as a Picasso or Tiffany Lamps.Seems to me touch off an air of resentment and I don’t know why. Don’t want to sound antisocial just confused by some of the comments.
My car wouldn’t b that dirty!@