The Story of the Lamborghini 350 GT and Its Iconic V12 Engine

Introduction to Lamborghini

Nestled in the small town of Sant’Agata in Italy, Lamborghini was initially a company known for its tractors and other farm equipment. During its early years, the company’s vehicles sold well, but they were far from the niche world of fire-spitting supercars. History took a pivotal turn when the founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, decided to build the brand’s first-ever supercar with a powerful engine. This ambition led to the creation of the iconic 350 GT in 1964, marking the beginning of Lamborghini’s legacy in the world of V12-powered supercars.

The Origin of the 350 GT

The story behind the origin of the 350 GT and its stunning V12 engine is just as interesting as the brand itself. Initially, Lamborghini lacked the technical expertise required to design and build a high-performance road-going sports car engine, prompting Ferruccio to seek assistance from Giotto Bizzarrini, a brilliant engineer recognized for his work in high-performance car engines.

Collaboration with Giotto Bizzarrini

Born in 1926, Bizzarrini was a motor racing enthusiast and had always aspired to build a Formula One engine. When consulted by Lamborghini for a powerful engine for their new sports car, he had clear guidelines. The new engine was required to:

• Have 12 cylinders arranged in a V configuration (V12).
• Displace 3.5 liters and produce at least 350 horsepower.

Understanding the challenge, Lamborghini promised Bizzarrini a bonus for every additional 10 horsepower he could extract from the V12.

Benchmark Tests and Surprising Results

The moment of truth arrived in July 1963 when Bizzarrini’s V12 engine underwent its first benchmark tests. At that time, achieving around 300 horsepower was considered impressive, but Bizzarrini’s engine astonished everyone by delivering an incredible 360 horsepower at 9,000 rpm. Consequently, Lamborghini honored the contract and paid Bizzarrini his well-deserved bonus. However, there was a complication.

Adapting the Engine for Road Use

While Bizzarrini’s engine was powerful, its design resembled that of a Formula One engine, which is not suitable for everyday driving. The task of making the V12 more road-friendly was assigned to Lamborghini’s in-house engineer, Paolo Stanzani. Stanzani modified Bizzarrini’s design to enhance its performance at lower and medium revs without sacrificing too much power.

The First Production Lamborghini 350 GT

Finally, in 1964, the first production Lamborghini 350 GT was unveiled, featuring a 3.5-liter V12 engine that produced 280 horsepower at 6,500 rpm—an impressive feat for one of the world’s first production-scale V12 engines. With this powerhouse, the Lamborghini 350 GT could reach a top speed of over 250 km/h, a remarkable figure for 1964.

Legacy and Historical Significance

The very first 350 GT was delivered to Giampiero Giusti, a renowned drummer from Italy. This car is now recognized as the oldest Lamborghini in existence and won the ‘Best in Show’ award at the Lamborghini & Design Concorso d’Eleganza in Trieste in 2019. Notably, the V12 engine first designed by Giotto Bizzarrini remained in production, with modern modifications, until the 1990s—truly a legendary masterpiece of engineering.