Lamborghini silhouette

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Lamborghini
Lamborghini Silhouette.JPG
silhouette
Production period: 1976-1979
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Coupe
Engines: Otto engine :
3.0 liters (191 kW)
Length: 4320 mm
Width: 1880 mm
Height: 1120 mm
Wheelbase : 2450 mm
Empty weight : 1247 kg
successor Lamborghini Jalpa

The Lamborghini Silhouette is a Targa- style sports car made by the Italian automaker Lamborghini . The model, known internally as the P118, complemented the mid-engine coupe Urraco , which was presented in 1971 ; it was also the predecessor of the Jalpa introduced in 1981 . The Silhouette was the first open-top Lamborghini to be mass-produced. With this model, Lamborghini tried to compete with the open- top Porsche 911 Targa and the Ferrari 308 GTS . Contrary to the previous brand tradition, the sales name of the vehicle did not refer to bulls or bullfights Reference, but referred to the Formula Silhouette, a Group 5 championship of the FIA ​​for series sports cars held between 1976 and 1980.

body

The silhouette was derived directly from the Lamborghini Urraco. Its external shape and technique were largely the same as the Urraco. In contrast to the closed, 2 + 2-seater Urraco, the Silhouette was designed as a Targa Coupé, so it had a removable roof section over the seats. The conception of the Silhouette as a “convertible replacement” made some changes to the bodywork necessary compared to the Urraco; in addition, the chassis was modified.

The body of the Silhouette was again designed by Bertone's designer Marcello Gandini . He took over the basic structure of the Urraco body, but succeeded in giving the silhouette an independent note. The front section was identical to the Urraco, as was the shape of the doors (apart from the missing door frame) and the rear end. However, behind the door there was a massive roll bar that was trapezoidal in shape and gave the vehicle stability. The sloping rear section was provided with eye-catching, black-painted plastic attachments on both sides, which supplied cooling air to the engine and also served to loosen up the look. The rear window was almost vertical behind the seats; the characteristic slats of the Urraco were also omitted. Also new were the widened and now trapezoidal wheel cutouts that cited the shape of the roll bar. They offered space for the recently used Pirelli P7 tires, which had the dimensions 195/50 (front) and 285/40 (rear) and sat on magnesium rims in a five-hole design from Campagnolo .

Unlike the Urraco, the Silhouette was a pure two-seater. The plastic roof section could be accommodated behind the driver and front passenger seats.

In the interior, the instrument panel has been completely redesigned. All instruments were combined in a housing behind the steering wheel. The new dashboard was generally rated as ergonomically advantageous.

technology

The technology of the Urraco has been slightly revised for the Silhouette by Lamborghini's new chief engineer Franco Baraldini, Paolo Stanzani's successor. The chassis had MacPherson struts at the front with lower wishbones and anti-roll bars . The rear suspension also consisted of MacPherson struts, but with lower wishbones and anti-roll bars. The springs and dampers were made harder than the Lamborghini Urraco, and the stabilizers were stronger.

The drive was the 3.0 liter eight-cylinder engine with four overhead camshafts known from the Urraco P300 , which had been developed by Paolo Stanzani. Apart from an increase in output to 260 hp (191 kW), it was adopted unchanged. As in the Urraco, it was installed as a mid-engine transversely in front of the rear axle and powered the rear wheels via a fully synchronized Lamborghini five-speed gearbox .

The braking system came from Girling. The brake discs had a diameter of 275 mm. The Silhouette was equipped with a dual-circuit brake system and brake booster. It had rack and pinion steering without power assistance. As with the Urraco, the driver needed four turns from lock to lock.

production

The Lamborghini Silhouette was developed in the course of 1975 and presented to the public in March 1976 at the Geneva Motor Show . The new model was well received by the press; in particular, the impression arose that the silhouette had largely overcome the deficits of the Urraco. Lamborghini hoped to be able to sell the Silhouette in larger numbers in America in order to generate new income for the company, which had been in a severe economic crisis for some time. However, Lamborghini did not succeed in homologating the Silhouette for the American market in the following months, so that it could not be sold there. Only four vehicles (chassis numbers 40.066, 40.068, 40.074 and 40.076) were made to a USA specification. They were imported independently by the respective buyers and had an exhaust-gas decontaminated engine with significantly lower power.

The Silhouette was only produced for two years. As early as October 1978, production of the Silhouette - as well as that of the Urraco and Jarama - had to be stopped for financial reasons. The first car (chassis number 40.006) was completed in September 1976, the last (chassis number 40.074) was delivered in November 1978.

A total of 52 copies of the Silhouette were made for sale, nine of which were delivered with right-hand drive. In addition, there were two prototypes made in 1976 that remained in the factory. A model of the Silhouette (chassis number 40.058) was converted as a prototype into the Jalpa model in 1980.

The lack of success of the Silhouette is usually justified primarily with the lack of access to the American market. Added to this was the still extremely poor workmanship of the car and the uncertain future of the Lamborghini brand in view of the economic difficulties, which put off many buyers.

The Lamborghini Athon

Lamborghini Athon
Lamborghini Athon

The Lamborghini Athon was presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1980 . The design of the only 1.07 m high Athon came from Marc Deschamps, a designer at Carozzeria Bertone . It was a flat, angular open vehicle without a folding top. Technically, it was based entirely on the Lamborghini Silhouette. In the interior, the very futuristic instruments caught the eye. In addition, the Athon was one of the first cars with an integrated on-board computer. Only one example of the Athon was built that was fully functional. Due to Lamborghini's economic situation, series production was never planned, and the design did not influence any of the subsequent Lamborghini models. Bertone made the Athon on its own initiative to support Lamborghini.

Competitors

literature

  • Dean Bachelor, Chris Poole, Graham Robson : The Big Book of Sports Cars . Müller, Erlangen 1990, (no ISBN).
  • Matthias Braun, Alexander Franc Storz: Lamborghini sports car after 1964. Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-613-02645-7 .
  • David Lillywhite, Halwart Schrader: Classic Automobiles . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-613-02552-3 .
  • Anthony Pritchard: Lamborghini. The history of the supercars from Sant'Agata. Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2006, ISBN 3-89880-574-3 .
  • Halwart Schrader, Georg Amtmann: Italian sports cars . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4 .
  • Peter Vann, Dirk Maxeiner: The most beautiful cars in the world . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-87943-964-8 , (therein: illustrations and brief review of Bertone Athon).

Web links

Commons : Lamborghini Silhouette  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Lamborghini Athon  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ A convertible version of the Lamborghini 350 GT and a Targa, which was presented in 1968 and developed by Bertone and based on the Miura , remained unique pieces.
  2. ↑ See model history on www.qv500.com. ( Memento of the original from October 8, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Concrete development work for the homologation of the Silhouette as a Group 5 model has not been proven. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.qv500.com
  3. ^ Schrader, Lillywhite: Classic Cars, p. 265.
  4. ↑ The British author David Hodgesa puts it: "The silhouette looks more independent than it actually is". See Hodges: Lamborghini - La légende , p. 54.
  5. ↑ Bachelor, Poole, Robson: The great book of sports cars, p. 248.
  6. ↑ Oleski, Lehbrink: Series sports car, S: 382.
  7. ^ Schrader, Amtmann: Italienische Sportwagen, p. 236.
  8. ^ Schrader, Lillywhite: Classic Cars, p. 265.
  9. ↑ Amtmann, Schrader: Italian Sports Cars, p. 239.
  10. ↑ Oleski, Lehbrink: Series sports car, S: 382.
  11. ↑ Model history of the Lamborghini Silhouette on the website www.qv500.com. ( Memento of the original from October 8, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.qv500.com
  12. ↑ Overview of the chassis at www.qv500.com ( Memento of the original from August 29, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.qv500.com
  13. ↑ Bachelor, Poole, Robson: The great book of sports cars, p. 248.
  14. ↑ Description of the Lamborghini Athon at www.qv500.com ( Memento of the original from August 29, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.qv500.com
  15. ↑ Bertone declared that he “didn't want to see Lamborghini die”. Quoted from Vann, Maxeiner: The most beautiful cars in the world, p. 184.