Wednesday 30th October 1963

The 350 GTV, Lamborghini’s first prototype design and forerunner of the later 350GT, the marque’s first production model, was unveiled at the Turin Auto Show. Lamborghini had not completed the prototype in time for the deadline, and the 350 GTV was presented with a crate of ceramic tiles in place of an engine. Lamborghini’s first car was not particularly well received, and only one GTV was ever completed. In 1964 a drastically redesigned 350GT capable of achieving 155mph with a maximum 320hp went into production, and Lamborghini managed to sell over 100 of the expensive cars. The elegant Lamborghini 350GT provided a smoother ride than most of its Ferrari counterparts, and Lamborghini’s old tractor factory, located just a few miles from the Ferrari factory, began constructing some of the most desirable cars the world had ever seen, such as the Miura, the Espada, and the legendary Countach. The Maserati ‘Tip 107’ Quattroporte was also unveiled at the Turin Motor Show joining two other notable grand tourers, the Facel Vega and the Lagonda Rapide, which could comfortably do 200 km/h (124 mph) on the new motorways of Europe. However, the Quattroporte was the first car specifically designed for this purpose.