V8 power? Check. Gandini styling? Check. Reliability issues? Oh yeah; a true classic Lamborghini in every way.





For those who aren't devoted followers of Lamborghini, there are a few models that came out in the 1970s that you may not be aware of. Without question, the Miura and Countach were the star attractions, with the latter being in production for 16 years.Not only did these two firmly establish Lamborghini as a true supercar builder, but they also paved the way forward in terms of outrageous styling never seen before on four wheels. Ferrari's suddenly looked (to some) somewhat bland.

Along with other classic 70s era Lambo's such as the Islero, Espada and Jarama, the Urraco was another classic Lambo that's often been forgotten in the pages of automotive history.First introduced to the public at the 1970 Turin Auto Show, the Marcello Gandini-designed coupe was not a true supercar like the Miura. Instead it was meant to be a direct competitor to the likes of the Ferrari Dino and Maserati MerakThese so-called "more affordable" exotics allowed entry to these brands for many people who never thought it'd be possible.



Still, the cars weren't exactly cheap and their general maintenance bills and other mechanical issues (there were plenty) soon proved that all Italian-made exotics came with a steep price, both up front and later on. The Urraco didn't begin production until 1973. Power originally came from a 2.0-liter V8 with 180 horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque. Going from 0 to 62 mph in 7.2 seconds and a recorded top speed of 134 mph, the P200 model Urraco definitely came up short in terms of performance. However the second-gen model, the P250, was a solid improvement due to its larger 2.5-liter V8 with 217hp and 162lb-ft.





As expected, it also had a faster 0 to 62 mph time of 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 149 mph. For comparison, the Countach at the time had a 4.0-liter V12 with 370 hp and 266lb-ft and a 0 to 62 mph time of 5.4 seconds and a top speed of 192 mph.Lamborghini did update the Urraco one last time before it ceased production in 1979. The P300 had a larger V8, now a 3.0-liter unit, and final top speed of 162 mph. Clearly this wasn't anything close to the Countach's abilities, but the idea of a cheaper Lambo was definitely appealing despite the Urraco's many flaws.



For example, "Top Gear" fans will recognize the car as James May's choice from the 2005 episode when the fab three were given £10,000 for the purpose of buying a supercar. Captain Slow's Urraco arrived on a flatbed truck due to some electrical problems, issues quite common with old Italian cars.This particular 1976 Urraco P300 that's currently up grabs on eBay is quite rare because it's just one of six made specifically for the French market. It's been fully restored and has just over 37,500 miles on the clock. Its black exterior is in excellent condition as is the blue leather interior.



Unearthed: 1976 Lamborghini Urraco P300

 

Well I'd certainly give it garage space, lovely little car.

 

Just a little remark here, the Urraco P250 was introduced in 1970 on the Turin Auto Show, first deliveries were in November 1972 however. Still it had the 2.5 liter V8 engine with 220 hp, later on the US version became the Typo III which due to legislation only managed 180hp and gained 200kg along the way.

The Urraco P200 was a 2 liter version made specifically for the Italian market to avoid high taxes on larger displacement engines, it still had a V8 but with 182hp it was a little underpowered ... only 66 were ever built between 1975 and 1977.

The final, and most interesting Urraco was the improved P300 edition, the 3 liter V8 engine pumped out 250hp ... still only 190 were built between the end of 1974 and 1979, instead of belts this 3 liter model used chains so it was to be more reliable.

This specific Urraco on eBay is in fact one of the special French models, it has a different engine cover as the original louvers weren't legal in France in those days ... take a close look at this engine cover ... it looks like the one used on the Silhouette no ?

Sources :
Urraco P250 on LamboCARS
Urraco P200 on LamboCARS
Urraco P300 on LamboCARS