Lamborghini Urraco

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Lamborghini
Lamborghini Urraco P111 (France) .jpg
Urraco
Production period: 1973-1979
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Coupe
Engines:
Petrol engines : 2.0-3.0 liters
(134-184 kW)
Length: 4250 mm
Width: 1760 mm
Height: 1110 mm
Wheelbase : 2450 mm
Empty weight : 1100-1308 kg
successor Lamborghini Jalpa
Lamborghini Urraco P300
Engine and (in the background) rear of the Urraco with characteristic slats over the rear window.

The Lamborghini Urraco was a 2 + 2-seater mid-engine coupe that the Italian car manufacturer Lamborghini produced from 1973 to 1979.

Design features

The Urraco, first shown as a prototype at the Turin Salon in 1970 and going into series production in 1973, complemented Lamborghini's model range downwards. The Urraco, whose name was derived from a Spanish breed of fighting bull, was supposed to compete with the Ferrari Dino 246 and the Porsche 911 , but suffered from technical problems and the price was comparatively high. Paolo Stanzani was instrumental in designing the Urraco.

Drive technology

The Urraco had a self-supporting all-steel body and, like the Ferrari, a mid-engine. As with the Miura , the engine was installed across the direction of travel in front of the rear axle.

Unlike the previous models, which were powered by twelve-cylinder engines, Lamborghini used an eight-cylinder engine for the Urraco with a cylinder angle of 90 degrees, which had been designed by Stanzani. The engine block, like the cylinder head, was made of aluminum. The engine called L240 was available in three different versions during the production period:

  • Initially, the P250 was brought onto the market with a displacement of two and a half liters; it developed 162 kW (220 hp).
  • On the occasion of the Turin Motor Show in 1974, it was supplemented by a three-liter version ( P300 ) with a longer stroke, which developed 195 kW (265 hp).

This engine had four chain-driven overhead camshafts, the others only two, which were driven by toothed belts.

  • Also in Turin 1974, a version with a reduced bore with a displacement of two liters ( P200 ) and an output of 134 kW appeared especially for the Italian market, where in the 1970s the VAT rate was 38% instead of 17% for cars over two liters (182 hp).

The body

The Urraco had a self-supporting all-steel body in a shell construction. Components were a base plate made of pressed steel with box-like stiffeners and a steel body frame with standing walls, roof pillars, etc. placed on it and firmly welded to the base plate. The principle corresponded to the Lamborghini models Espada and Jarama , which were built in higher numbers , but differed from the tubular space frame of the other early Lamborghini models like the 350 GT , 400 GT , Miura or later the Countach .

dashboard

The body of the Urraco was designed by Marcello Gandini for Bertone . The Urraco was - similar to the Ferrari 308 GT4  , also designed by Bertone - a so-called 2 + 2 seater with two emergency seats behind the driver and front passenger seats. This approach, together with the mid-engine concept, was responsible for the unbalanced proportions of the body, as it required a very short front section and an elongated structure. Bertone designed a light, heavily glazed structure with conspicuous ventilation openings above the rear axle, which continued in wide slats above the rear window. The passenger cell was visually shortened. The Urraco is often seen as the most stylish 2 + 2 seater with a mid-engine. The interior was conspicuous, designed in very fashionable colors and ergonomically problematic, especially on the dashboard. The speedometer and tachometer were located to the left and right of the steering wheel and were mostly covered by the driver's hands while driving, while the subordinate displays for water temperature etc. were placed right in front of the driver. Bertone first developed this design in 1968 for the Alfa Romeo Carabo show car .

For cost reasons, Lamborghini used numerous add-on parts from mass-produced vehicles for the Urraco. The taillights, for example, came (as in the case of the Jarama ) from the Fiat 124 Coupé (third series) , the door handles were taken over from the Fiat X1 / 9 , and the locks and switches also came directly from Fiat.

The landing gear

The Urraco had independent wheel suspension on front and rear suspension struts and triangular wishbones. The four disc brakes came from ATE . The rack and pinion steering without steering assistance required four turns from lock to lock.

Scope of production

520 Urraco P250, 77 Urraco P200 and 190 Urraco P300 were built by 1979.

The Lamborghini Urraco was a commercial failure. Initially, Lamborghini had hoped to sell around 1,000 vehicles a year. In fact, only 674 vehicles were made in seven years. The failure is mostly attributed to errors in Lamborghini's product management. The company presented the Urraco as early as 1971, when the car was not yet ready for series production. At that time, Lamborghini was already taking orders for the Urraco, but had to put off customers for two years before production could actually start. During this time, numerous interested parties canceled their orders and switched to competing products from Ferrari and Maserati. Numerous strikes led to further production delays. After all, the quality of workmanship of the Urraco was extremely poor, so that overall the reputation of the Urraco as well as that of the manufacturer was significantly affected.

Lamborghini further developed the Urraco in the 1980s into the Jalpa model , which sold quite successfully. It is described in the literature as "the car that the Urraco should have been from the start".

Special models and prototypes

Lamborghini silhouette

In 1976 Lamborghini derived a Targa version from the Urraco P300, which was sold as the Lamborghini Silhouette.

Urraco Bob

The Lamborghini Urraco Bob is a 1974 Urraco modified by Bob Wallace for racing purposes. As with the Jarama Sport , Bob Wallace reinforced the body and replaced some sheet steel parts with aluminum. He also retuned the landing gear. There was also a rear wing and a front spoiler that reached deep down. The engine produced an output of 310 hp (228 kW). It has dry sump lubrication and a six-speed manual gearbox. The car was only used once in a race that it won with Bob Wallace as driver.

Lamborghini Bravo
Lamborghini Bravo

Bravo

The Lamborghini Bravo (internally called P 114) was presented as a show car in 1974. The car was designed by Bertone's chief designer Marcello Gandini. It is based on the chassis of the Lamborghini Urraco P300, which has been shortened by 200 mm. It was similar to the Countach, especially the rear wheel arches and the sloping windshield. The Bravo was powered by a V8 tuned to 300 HP (221 kW) with a 90 ° fork angle made of aluminum with gearbox and differential from the Urraco P300. The curb weight was 1285 kg and the top speed was 275 km / h. Lamborghini was thinking of series production, but was unable to implement it because of the energy crisis and the company's poor financial situation. In May 2011, the unique piece was auctioned by RM Auctions on the occasion of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Cernobbio at a price of 588,000 euros.

Competitors

Technical specifications

literature

Web links

Commons : Lamborghini Urraco  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Lamborghini Bravo  - collection of images, videos and audio files

References and comments

  1. The Lamborghini Urraco on the website of qv500.com ( Memento of the original from June 5, 2016 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. (English), accessed September 3, 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.qv500.com
  2. Company monograph " Lamborghini ", Verlag Karl Müller, Erlangen, 1991, 255 pages (with pictures of the basic body structure)
  3. Bachelor, Poole, Robson: Das Große Buch der Sportwagen, p. 246.
  4. Oleski, Lehbrink: Series sports cars, p. 380.
  5. Contemporary and current reports speak of an "ergonomic nightmare" or a "disaster"; see. z. B. Model history of the Lamborghini Urraco on www.qv500.com ( Memento of the original from June 5, 2016 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
  6. Illustration of the Alfa Romeo Carabo
  7. Autocar of September 14, 1974, according to: www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarstuff/4929822414
  8. Model history of the Lamborghini Urraco on www.qv500.com ( Memento of the original from June 5, 2016 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
  9. Bachelor, Poole, Robson: Das Große Buch der Sportwagen, p. 246
  10. Model history of the Lamborghini Urraco on www.qv500.com ( Memento of the original from June 5, 2016 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
  11. Brazendale, Encyclopedia Automobil, p. 355.
  12. Illustration of the Lamborghini Bravo
  13. Motor Klassik, issue 7/2011, p. 80.