Exotic car motors are interesting objects, namely because they oftentimes are as beautiful as they are powerful. Hence, they make compelling conversation pieces whether inside the car or out. This 1975 Lamborghini Urraco motor was used on display in a Lamborghini dealership before the seller acquired it and put it into storage. It’s listed with an opening bid of $4,500 here on eBay and begs the question as to what you would do with it, as there are no internal parts included inside the block.
Notes the seller: “You are getting an aluminum block, heads, and carburetors. There are no internal parts inside the block. What you see is all that comes with the engine. No more.” This mill was meant for a P250 car, which was a 2.5L V8 pushing out around 217 b.h.p. The Urraco as a model was intended to be the affordable stallion in Lamborghini’s lineup, and offered a 2+2 design. It’s far from the most sought-after model today, but a NOS engine for any vintage Lamborghini should tempt some of the brand’s hardcore enthusiasts.
And by that I mean they may find this stillborn engine to be the ultimate centerpiece to a garage or display area, or even the basis of a coffee table that spells out clearly to which brand your loyalty is aligned. While it’s certainly far from practical to invest in for a restoration project, given internal parts will need to be sourced and a full tear-down/rebuild undertaken, perhaps a purchase like this isn’t about logic. If you’ve got a Urraco with an empty engine bay, I’d imagine a find like this is hard to ignore.
The seller says the engine block is clean and that he’s had the motor in storage for 12 years. The asking price doesn’t seem out of line to me, but I also don’t know what a half-built NOS Lamborghini V8 is going for these days. Pictured above is a Urraco, an underappreciated model (in my opinion) that rarely pops up for sale today. I personally hope the motor is reunited with a chassis missing an engine, but you may want it for your new workshop. Which would you prefer?
I remember seeing a Urraco on track many years ago. These were 4 seaters IIRC, but you had better be a very small person if you wanted to get into a back seat.
Anyway, the Urraco looked really good in the pits. No surprise there, since Marchello Gandini, the designer for Bertone, was one of the best, and the car looked like a typically beautiful Bertone design.
Problem was, it was a moving chicane on the track. Not much speed, and passed by every other car on the track. I think that was partly the driver, but it was definitely also because the car lacked grunt.
If you look at the specs for this 2.5 liter engine, it puts out 162 lb-ft, which isn’t much….just a little more than an early 240Z, which was a lighter car. Some of that is probably due to the in-line valves that you can see in this engine, as opposed to a hemispheric design, which most other exotic / powerful cars have. And 4 valves / cylinder didn’t become common until mostly after the ’70s, so the 2.5 Urraco didn’t get them.
Maybe this stripped engine could be useful to someone who has a 2.5 version of the Urraco with a blown engine, but other than that I don’t see $4.5K there.
What exquisitely beautiful aluminum castings, a friend of mine used to call it “castmanship”. I just call it art.
There has to be an Urraco owner out there with a thrashed engine, that could use this to make one useable engine. I remember Wheeler Dealers’ episode on one of these. Lovely design, but I sure wouldn’t want to try to keep one on the road, since my wallet isn’t filled enough.
I’m sure acquiring the rest of the NOS parts to complete this engine would come close to exceeding the value of an Urraco.
If the carbs were Webers it would be worth something. Solex carbs don’t have the following Webers do.
I want the car (I always liked the design) and the coffee table!
Perfect coffee table with thick plexiglass top
Am I only person confused by this photo of the engine ?
On one bank we have –
4 exhausts, 3 valve stem guides, and five valves – WTF ?
I’m not entirely sure of your question, but I see all four intake valve springs, spring retainers and the tips of those valves. I see just one exhaust valve spring, retainer and valve tip, and curiously the assembled height is different from the intakes. The other three exhaust valves and their hardware are missing leaving only the tops of the bronze guides exposed.
Does that help?
Any bets on this being a good block. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out this was a warranty core. Clean it, polish it, clear lacquer, display.
No wait, put it in the front of an old beetle, ZR1 window in the hood. Put speakers front and back with a Lamborghini soundtrack. Snap!!!
Personally I’d get a piece of Glass cut & have it made into a table for the mancave!