Highlight
of the weekend was, for fans of the older cars at least,
the first public appearance of Piet Pulford's twelve year
project- a perfect recreation of the long lost Lamborghini
Jota, the Miura based creation which Bob Wallace developed
for racing during 1969-70 but which was destoyed in a
road accident soon afterwards. This 'new' car was displayed
in the factory lobby throughout the weekend, and was finally
wheeled out into the sunshine for the crowds on the Sunday
before the tour began.
Its huge megaphone exhausts promised aural excitement,
even with temporary silencers fitted. Piet's conspiratorial
grin and a word from him in the mechanics ears soon saw
them wrestling with the silencers, and in a matter of
minutes the Jota's rear had an even more menacing look.
Piet is now sitting in the car, fuel pumps primed, tick
tick tick, and then a push on the starter button. I was
standing behind and I could not believe the sound. Forget
your sports exhausts, SVJs, SVRs and all the rest- this
was absolutely deafening but sensational. Like a fully
blown racing car, say a Ferrari 512S. You could not stand
there without earplugs, and that was just up to 3,000rpm.
Unbelievable...
Amongst Lamborghini 'personalities' spotted at the weekend:
Giuseppe Greco (CEO), Valentino Balboni (no intorduction
needed), Jim Heady (US Club), Jim Fox (US Club), Enzo
Moruzzi (factory museum), Giorgio Gamberini (restoration
dept), Stefano Pasini (historian/ author), Pierre LeMounier
(French club), Simon Hutson-Flynn (UK club), Steven Hoyle
(UK), Steven Keen (UK), Marcel de Lange (NL), Francesco
Gandolfi (I), Winston Goodfellow (USA), Sergio Fontana
(factory PR), Rick Lee (UK), Piet Pulford (UK), Paolo
Stanzani (designer), Giotto Bizzarrini (designer), Luc
Donckerwolke (designer), Roland Affolter (Swiss importer),
Giorgietto Giugiaro (designer) and many, many more...
The new Gaillardo was also shown and I must say that it's
less overblown than the Murcielago and looks very good.
At Eu.120,000 including tax they should sell like hot
cakes. |
|
|
)
)
)
)
)