Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2

Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2

The Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2, introduced in 1966, was the improved successor to the 350 GT that had launched Ferruccio Lamborghini's automotive venture. Where the 350 GT had been a somewhat raw first effort, the 400 GT refined the formula with an enlarged engine, additional rear seating, and improved build quality that signaled Lamborghini's intent to compete directly with Ferrari on every level.

The heart of the 400 GT was Giotto Bizzarrini's magnificent V12 engine, now enlarged from 3.5 to 3.9 liters and producing 320 horsepower. Fed by six Weber downdraft carburetors, the all-alloy engine featured double overhead camshafts per bank and was remarkably smooth and powerful. This was essentially the same engine architecture that would power Lamborghini's most iconic cars, from the Miura to the Countach, in evolved forms for decades.

Touring of Milan was responsible for the bodywork, crafting an elegant and understated coupe using their patented Superleggera construction technique. The 2+2 configuration stretched the wheelbase slightly compared to the 350 GT, accommodating two small rear seats that expanded the car's practical appeal. The design was conservative by later Lamborghini standards but possessed a quiet confidence that suited the car's grand touring mission.

The chassis featured all-independent suspension with double wishbones and coil springs at all four corners, a more sophisticated arrangement than the live rear axles used by some Ferrari contemporaries. Four-wheel disc brakes and a ZF five-speed manual gearbox completed the mechanical specification. The car's relatively light weight of 1,280 kilograms ensured that the 320-horsepower V12 provided genuinely exhilarating performance.

Ferruccio Lamborghini had created the company after a disagreement with Enzo Ferrari over the quality of clutches in his Ferrari 250 GT. The 400 GT represented his vision fully realized: a refined grand tourer that could match Ferrari for performance while exceeding it in comfort, fit, and finish. The car was quieter, better trimmed, and arguably better built than its Maranello rival.

Approximately 247 examples of the 400 GT 2+2 were produced before it was succeeded by the Islero in 1968. Today, the 400 GT is revered as the car that established Lamborghini's credibility and set the stage for the revolutionary Miura that would follow. Its combination of Bizzarrini's V12, Touring's elegant bodywork, and the ambitious vision of Ferruccio himself makes it one of the most historically significant Italian grand tourers of the 1960s.