Lamborghini Restores Former Formula 1 Car Through Polo Storico
After spending 26 years away from a race course, the Lamborghini powered Minardi M191B is ready to race again.
Lamborghini’s footnote in Formula 1 history is small, but certainly not insignificant. Just after the turbo V6 era in F1 ended, and the rulebook opened up engine displacement to 3.5 liters, Lamborghini teamed up with chassis builder Minardi to create what you see here, the M191B. Having raced in 1992 to limited success, chassis number #003 was succeeded by an all new M192, and as such hasn’t seen a race track for 26 years. But Polo Storico – Lamborghini’s division dedicated to preservation of its classic models – has completed a full nut and bolt restoration of #003 and it is ready to race once more in vintage F1 events.
Safety items, and things that deteriorate with age were replaced. So new items on the car include safety belts, fire suppression systems, fuel bladders and tires. Interestingly, the engine control unit was also replaced, but almost all of the 3.5 liter V12 engine was able to remain original, and reportedly can still push out nearly 700 horsepower just like it did in 1992.
Former Lamborghini engineers who worked with the Formula 1 team in the 1992 season were invited to partake in the car’s restoration and return to the track. Mirko Bortolotti, Lamborghini factory driver, was present, as well as Giancarlo Minardi, responsible for the chassis which bore his namesake. Minardi recalls why this car and this era were significant, saying “Seeing the models of 25 or 30 years ago is still exciting. They are the last cars before the beginning of telemetry and automatic transmissions.”
Restored over a 7 month period by Polo Storico, M191B wasn’t a front-runner in many races, but showcases that no classic Lamborghini is too insignificant to restore to its former glory. A goo majority of Lamborghini‘s classic road cars can now find reproduction parts directly from Sant’Agata. And that should be a relif for many owners from the 350 GT to the Diablo.
