Journal: Driven by Design: Lamborghini Urraco

Driven by Design: Lamborghini Urraco

By Yoav Gilad
November 3, 2014

(This article is part of the Driven by Design series.)

Over the last fifteen years Lamborghini has actively sought to increase production and market share by building a lower-performance, higher-margin model. It’s also flirted with manufacturing an SUV and sedan, much like company-brethren Porsche. But the quest for margins and profitability is not a new phenomenon. Building supercars is a wonderful business in years of economic growth, but when growth flattens or stalls, people pull back their spending on luxury items.

The Urraco was developed as a competitor to the Dino 246GT and Maserati Merak, but also as a hedge against the Countach’s limited customer base. Built with a [relatively] small displacement V8 and with two extra seats, it was clearly designed to appeal to those with a slimmer wallet and [slightly] more practical needs.

It was penned by Marcello Gandini, at Bertone, and bears a striking resemblance to another one of his cars developed almost simultaneously for a competitor—more on this in a bit though. The Urraco maintains a traditional mid-engine proportion with the doors pushed nearly as far forward as possible. However, the proportion lacks the visual speed that the Countach has because of the disconnect between the a-pillar and slope of the hood (much like the Gallardo, actually).

In Gandini’s defense a more upright windshield makes for a functionally better car. However, it is the flat hood line that makes this a three-box design, rather than a one-box (not that one is better than the other). The Urraco’s stance is OK, but its not terrific. And once again, the long, flat hood bears much of the blame. Additionally, viewed from the front, the car has a front-engine proportion because of the hood’s length.

The surfacing is controlled and pretty, with the crisp shoulder catching light under which the side surfaces roll gently under the body. Another concession to practicality is the relatively upright greenhouse. While it does start to flatten slightly as it approaches the rear, the daylight opening (DLO) adds some visual mass by remaining vertical.

And in stunning contrast to most Italian cars of the era, the detailing is excessive. Particularly questionable are the “wings” mounted on the Urraco’s c-pillar, as they direct your eye up, rather than back. They also visually extend the greenhouse needlessly. If you’d like to know how much better the Urraco would look without them, simply check out the car I namelessly alluded to earlier, the Maserati Khamsin.

In many ways, the Maserati Khamsin is the Urraco done right. It has a 2+2 layout, a V8, but is front-engined. And with a front engine, the proportion and stance are actually helped by a long, flat hood. Additionally, the rake of the windshield doesn’t matter quite as much because whether it’s upright or not, it essentially must have a different angle from the hood.

The Urraco is not a bad looking car, but there seems to be some confusion in its theme. And when compared against one of its designer’s stronger forms the strangeness is amplified. Ironically, while the car was intended to become Lamborghini’s volume leader, (and did outsell the Countach while in production) it was only built for six years before evolving into the Silhouette, then Jalpa, both two-seaters.

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frauki athans
frauki athans
5 years ago

Both cars are mine or many peoples dreams cars so these all are very impactful car in https://heartsgameonline.net automobile industries so i really impressed your work.

samir shirazi
samir shirazi
9 years ago

I am glad to see artivles of other cars than Ferrari & Porsche here!
I am not a fan of any brand but its better now.many thanks

Stépahne
Stépahne
9 years ago

I don’t think the comparison with the Khamsin is the right one.

If one wants to go that way, I’d rather said that the 308 GT4 is the Urraco done right: same designer, better and more refined shape (my personal taste nonetheless) and what looks to be a better thought interior.

In any case, the GT4 would be my choice if I had to purchase a 70’s sport GT 2+2

Nick DePaolo
Nick DePaolo
9 years ago

Of course all I see is GTv6 with this design in terms of mass market coachbuilding. Karlton Spindle … I like the the 928 headlights in your Urrraco but not as much as the fact that you bought the same car 2x! Re-re building seems commonplace in terms of the search for style. The louvers are what do this wedge for me and I’d take one over a Ferrari 308 GT4 in a heartbeat. Before Ferrari sells out to the sedan marketplace you must respect Ferruccio Lamborghini’s decision not to go into racing. Its the ultimate 4-wheel juxtapose and almost as cool as the De Tomaso Mangusta man ; )

Karlton Spindle
9 years ago

Love the Urraco! Bought one at auction in the late 70s when I was in high school. It had suffered a small motor bay fire due to a header gasket letting loose on a “spirited” drive up Hwy 18 in California. Easy fix had just over 9,000 into the little bull, then my father sold it.. He had his Espada and his “Goose” (69) Mongusta. It was not until the week after his death I found the little bull on eBay all burned up.. We are not rebuilding the car dubbed, “The Twice Baked Bull” into a moder version / vision of the car.

Our first go around bring the car back to life was with a company that I will not name, who butchered the car and made it look like a 928 meets Pinto. we have pulled the project from the hack and are re-re-building the little bull in the style of Urraco Bob modern day. Ted’s rod Shop in Riverside Ca. is taking charge of the beast now sporting a 4.2L Audi power plant.

Follow us on Facebook we have ov er 900K fans.

Long live the URRACO and its fans!

TJ Martin
TJ Martin
9 years ago

The Urraco . Much like its Jalpa sibling a severely underrated and undervalued little gem of a car from the fine folks at Lamborghini well before they ever even thought about becoming todays AudiGhini .

Eeesh . Another fine example from the past showing how far the mighty have fallen today …… sniff ….

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