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Friday, February 28, 2025

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Lamborghini Silhouette: The First Targa-Top Lambo

Defiant Rarity - Lamborghini is often associated with breathtaking speed, luxury, and groundbreaking engineering. However, beyond its legendary V12 supercars, there exists a rare and often overlooked chapter in its history—the Lamborghini Silhouette. More than just a car, the Silhouette represents Lamborghini’s bold attempt to expand its market while battling financial struggles, making it one of the most intriguing models ever produced.
The 1976 Lamborghini Silhouette designed by Marcello Gandini of Carrozzeria Bertone. (Picture from: LamboCars)
By the mid-1970s, Lamborghini was facing serious financial difficulties. The Urraco, a more affordable V8-powered alternative to the brand’s flagship models, had failed to generate the expected sales. Despite significant investments—including Ferruccio Lamborghini’s own money—the returns simply weren’t there. 

Still, Ferruccio believed that refining the Urraco P300 could turn things around. Instead of developing an entirely new model, he turned to the renowned design house Bertone, hoping that a fresh look and some modifications could breathe new life into the struggling V8 lineup.
The Lamborghini Silhouette made its debut at the 1976 Geneva Auto Show. (Picture from: LamboCars)
The result was the Lamborghini Silhouette, first unveiled at the 1976 Geneva Auto Show. At first glance, it still carried the DNA of the Urraco, but with a modernized, more aggressive design. The biggest transformation was the introduction of a removable roof, making it Lamborghini’s first-ever production convertible. However, this new open-top configuration came at a cost—the rear seats were eliminated to create space for the roof panel when stored.
The 1976 Lamborghini Silhouette was a targa-style version of the Urraco P300. (Picture from: LamboCars)
Inside, the Silhouette introduced notable improvements over its predecessor. The seats were redesigned into striking bucket-style sports seats, adding to the car’s aggressive persona. The standard fabric upholstery featured elegant vertical stitching, while leather remained an optional upgrade. Yet, this decision led to an amusing problem—getting caught in the rain with fabric seats could turn an exhilarating drive into a soggy mess.
The steering wheel and dashboard view of the 1976 Lamborghini Silhouette. (Picture from: Supercars.net)
On the exterior, the Silhouette boasted a deep front spoiler and squared-off wheel arches, accommodating its distinctive "telephone dial" wheels wrapped in cutting-edge Pirelli P7 tires. Wheel sizes were increased from 14 inches to 15 inches, significantly improving grip and handling. To complement these upgrades, the suspension geometry was revised, ensuring that the wider 285mm rear tires maintained optimal traction at all times.
The 1976 Lamborghini Silhouette used a V8 engine derived from the Urraco P300 is driven up to 265 hp. (Picture from: LamboCars)
Under the hood, the Silhouette retained the Urraco P300’s 3.0-liter V8 engine, tuned to produce 265 horsepower. The Miura-inspired engine cover design from the Urraco was removed during the redesign, replaced by a new tunnel-back structure that integrated a rollover cage to meet safety regulations for open-top cars. While the added weight from structural reinforcements for the open-top design could have slowed it down, the Silhouette managed to keep up with the Urraco P300, delivering an exhilarating driving experience worthy of the Lamborghini name.
The 1976 Lamborghini Silhouette was kept in production for only two years, with a total at no more than 52 units from which only 27 to 31 are believed to have survived today. (Picture from: LamboCars)
Despite its striking design and thrilling performance, the Silhouette struggled to gain traction in the market. Lamborghini only produced 52 units over two years, making it one of the rarest models in the company’s history. Even worse, the car never received certification for sale in the United States—arguably the most important market for a vehicle of its kind. Without access to American buyers, sales remained disappointingly low, and the Silhouette failed to provide the financial relief the company desperately needed.

Though the Silhouette did not achieve commercial success, it played a crucial role in Lamborghini’s evolution. Its DNA lived on in the Lamborghini Jalpa, introduced in 1981, which finally brought the V8 line to more significant production numbers. 
Today, the Silhouette is more than just a rare collector’s item—it’s a symbol of Lamborghini’s resilience, a bold experiment that shaped the company’s path forward. For those lucky enough to own one, the Silhouette is not just a car, but a piece of Lamborghini’s history, a glimpse into what might have been, and a testament to the brand’s fearless pursuit of innovation. *** [EKA [21032020] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LAMBO CARS | SUPERCARS.NET ]
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