Six Classic Lamborghinis headed to auction in Paris
RM Sotheby's Paris auction in February features classic exotic cars
Published: December 30, 2020, 7:00 AM
Updated: October 11, 2021, 8:58 AM
Six Lamborghinis for sale in RM Sotheby's Paris Auction 2021
RM Sotheby’s begins its 2021 European calendar with its eighth annual Paris sale to be held on February 13. The two-part auction will comprise a live streamed sale followed by an Online Only, time-based sale on rmsothebys.com. Among the many exotics on sale will be six classic Lamborghinis that include three front-engined V-12s and three mid-engined variants.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1967 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 by Touring (Est. $550,000 - 670,000 (US))
The earliest of the Lambos on sale is this 1967 400 GT 2+2 by Touring, which is a derivative of the original Lamborghini 350 GT.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1967 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 by Touring
The GT's bodywork is extended in the 2+2 to accommodate two very small people in the rear seat, without compromising the car's classic appearance.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1967 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 by Touring
Of course, the 400 GT 2+2 is powered by Lamborghini's original Giotto Bizzarrini-designed, DOHC V-12 engine, with displacement increased to 4.0 litres.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone (Est. $2.5-$3.0-million (US))
The mid-engined Miura was the prototype for all modern supercars as well as being arguably the prettiest Lamborghini ever.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone
Designed by Marcello Gandini for Bertone, with chassis by Gian Paolo Dallara, the Miura is a masterpiece of design and engineering.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone
Not only was the Miura's V-12 engine located amidships, it was mounted transversely to ensure maximum utilization of space.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone
The Miura's profile set the template for supercars for decades to come.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1968 Lamborghini Espada Series I by Bertone (Est. $220,000-$270,000 (US))
The Espada was one of two front-engined Lambos intended to replace the 400 GT, along with the Islero.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1968 Lamborghini Espada Series I by Bertone
A four-seater GT car, the Espada was, like the Miura, designed by Berone's Marcello Gandini, although the two have little in common visually.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1968 Lamborghini Espada Series I by Bertone
The interior of this particular Espada is very... red!
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1969 Lamborghini Islero GTS
Introduced alongside the Espada as a replacement for the 400GT, the Islera is also a front-engined 2+2 Coupe.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1969 Lamborghini Islero GTS
Ferruccio Lamborghini himself was rumoured to have been the actual designer of the beautifully proportioned Islero, which was built not by Bertone but by Carrozzeria Marazzi. That company's principal, Carlo Marazzi, and much of its staff had been employed previously by the bankrupted Carrozzeria Touring firm, which had built bodies for the 350 GT and 400 GT.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1969 Lamborghini Islero GTS
The Islero was powered by the same 4.0-litre V-12 as the 400 GT, Miura and Espada, longitudinally mounted up front.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 'Periscopio' by Bertone (Est. $900,000-$1.1-million (US))
Arguably the most famous of all Lamborghinis, to the general public, is the Countach, posters of which were as common on the 1970s bedroom walls of teenage boys as those of Farah Fawcett. This first-generation 'Periscopio' model was named such because of a periscope-style, roof-mounted rearview mirror built into the prototype, although that feature never reached production.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 'Periscopio' by Bertone
Like the Miura, which it was intended to replace, the Countach was designed by Marcelo Gandini sat Berone. But it abandoned the Miura's smooth organic form in favour of a wedge shape and sharp angles.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1984 Lamborghini Countach LP500 S by Bertone (Est. $35,000-$425,000 (US))
This slightly later version of the Countach illustrates the beginning of the add-on bodywork phase that tended to mar the car's original design, apparent here in somewhat heavy-handed wheel-opening flares. (Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1984 Lamborghini Countach LP500 S by Bertone
Apart from the wheel flares, this model remains true to Gandini's original design concept, making it one of the most desirable Countach variants, before later versions became festooned with wings that made it a caricature of itself.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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1984 Lamborghini Countach LP500 S by Bertone
What remained consistent throughout the Countach's lifespan was Lamborhini's V-12 engine, originally designed by Bizzarrini, enlarged to 5.0-litres in this model. Unlike in the Miura, however, the Countach's V-12 was longitudinally-mounted, with the transmission in front.
(Photo Credit: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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