The Bull is Born: The Audacious Evolution of the Lamborghini 350

In the annals of automotive history, few stories are as compelling as the birth of Automobili Lamborghini. It is a tale born not of racing pedigree or decades of engineering tradition, but of pure, unadulterated spite. The protagonist was Ferruccio Lamborghini, a wealthy industrialist who had made his fortune building tractors. The antagonist was Enzo Ferrari, the imperious patriarch of Italy’s most famous sports car marque. When Ferruccio complained about the fragile clutch in his personal Ferrari, Enzo famously dismissed him, reportedly telling the tractor magnate to stick to what he knew. This dismissal was the spark that ignited a revolution, a V12-powered rebellion that began with one definitive statement: the Lamborghini 350 GT. This is the story of its evolution, a journey from a wild prototype to a refined grand tourer that established a legend.

The Spark of Rebellion: The 350 GTV (1963)

Before the polished production car, there was the raw, untamed concept: the Lamborghini 350 GTV. Unveiled as a prototype at the 1963 Turin Motor Show, the GTV (Gran Turismo Veloce) was Ferruccio’s opening salvo. He had assembled a dream team of automotive mercenaries, many of whom were ex-Ferrari talent with their own scores to settle. The engine was the work of Giotto Bizzarrini, the genius engineer behind the Ferrari 250 GTO. Bizzarrini was tasked with creating a V12, and he delivered a masterpiece—a 3.5-liter, quad-cam, 60-degree V12 that was, in essence, a pure racing engine. With a dry-sump lubrication system and six downdraft Weber carburetors, it produced an astonishing 360 horsepower at 8,000 RPM.

The body was penned by the brilliant but eccentric Franco Scaglione. The GTV was a vision of futuristic aggression, with knife-edge creases, retractable headlights, and a fastback profile that was worlds away from the softer, more classical lines of contemporary Ferraris and Maseratis. It was a stunning declaration of intent.

However, the GTV was more of a showpiece than a functional car. The frenetic pace of its development led to a now-legendary problem: Bizzarrini’s race-bred engine, with its tall downdraft carburetors, was physically too high to fit under Scaglione’s low, sloping hood. For its debut in Turin, the GTV was famously displayed without an engine installed; a crate of ceramic tiles was placed in the engine bay to simulate the weight and achieve the correct ride height. The GTV was a magnificent, tempestuous concept, but it was too raw, too impractical, and too extreme for Ferruccio’s vision of a refined, comfortable, and devastatingly fast grand tourer. It was a brilliant proof of concept that needed to be civilized.

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From Prototype to Perfection: The 350 GT (1964–1966)

The task of transforming the wild GTV into a production-ready road car fell to Milan’s esteemed Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. Touring’s designers, led by Federico Formenti, took Scaglione’s basic form and masterfully refined it. The aggressive pop-up headlights were replaced with elegant, fixed oval units that would become the car’s visual signature. The sharp edges were softened, the roofline was raised for better headroom, and the overall proportions were made more harmonious and sophisticated. The result was a car that retained a sense of drama and purpose but exuded an elegance the GTV lacked.

The construction method was Touring’s patented Superleggera (super light) system, featuring a network of small-diameter steel tubes forming a rigid frame, to which thin, hand-beaten aluminum body panels were attached. This made the 350 GT both strong and lightweight.

Beneath the new body, the engineering was just as transformative. Bizzarrini’s V12 engine was comprehensively detuned for civility and reliability on the road. The complex and costly dry-sump lubrication was replaced with a conventional wet-sump system. The temperamental downdraft carburetors were swapped for six twin-choke, side-draft Weber 40 DCOE carburetors, allowing the engine to finally fit under the hood. Compression was lowered, and the redline was brought down to a more manageable level. The result was a much more tractable engine producing a still-mighty 280 horsepower. This powerhouse was mated to a robust five-speed ZF manual transmission, sending power to the rear wheels.

The chassis was arguably the 350 GT’s greatest triumph over its rivals. While Ferrari was still using solid live rear axles on its road cars, the Lamborghini featured a sophisticated, fully independent suspension at all four corners with double wishbones and coilover shock absorbers. This, combined with Salisbury differentials and four-wheel Girling disc brakes, gave the 350 GT superior handling, road-holding, and ride comfort. It was precisely the kind of comfortable, high-performance grand tourer that Ferruccio had envisioned.

Production of the Lamborghini 350 GT began in 1964. It was met with acclaim from the automotive press, who praised its potent engine, superb handling, and luxurious interior. It was a machine that could cross continents at triple-digit speeds in supreme comfort. Between 1964 and 1966, a total of 120 units of the 350 GT were produced, firmly establishing Automobili Lamborghini as a serious contender in the high-stakes world of Italian supercars.

Rare Variations: The 350 GTS and the Interim 400 GT (1965–1966)

During the 350 GT’s production run, a few key variations emerged, showcasing the company’s ambition and adaptability.

Lamborghini 350 GTS (1965): Capitalizing on the success of the coupe, Carrozzeria Touring created an open-top version, the 350 GTS (Gran Turismo Spyder). The roof was expertly removed and replaced with a neatly folding fabric top that could be stowed away behind the two seats. Debuting at the 1965 Turin Motor Show, the GTS was a breathtakingly beautiful machine. However, despite its good looks, Ferruccio was not convinced of a strong market for a convertible, and concerns over chassis rigidity meant that production was extremely limited. Only two factory-original 350 GTS models were ever built, making them among the rarest and most sought-after Lamborghinis in existence today.

The “Interim” 400 GT (1966): Toward the end of the 350 GT’s production, Lamborghini’s engineers had developed a larger, more powerful version of the V12 engine, bored out from 3.5 to 4.0 liters. Before the official debut of the updated model, the last 23 cars built with the 350 GT’s body and chassis were fitted with this new 4.0-liter engine. These rare cars are often referred to by collectors as the “Interim 400 GT.” They are visually identical to the 350 GT but pack the increased horsepower—around 320 bhp—of the forthcoming 400 GT, making them potent and historically significant transitional models.

The Evolution Culminates: The 400 GT 2+2 (1966–1968)

The true successor to the 350 GT arrived in 1966 as the Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2. This model represented the final and most mature form of Lamborghini’s original grand tourer design. While it looked similar to its predecessor, it featured several crucial evolutions.

The most significant change was beneath the skin. The 4.0-liter V12 from the interim models was now standard, delivering a formidable 320 horsepower. This extra power was managed by a new, Lamborghini-designed five-speed manual transmission, which replaced the previous ZF unit. This was a critical step for the young company, demonstrating its growing in-house engineering capabilities.

Visually, the most obvious change was the replacement of the 350 GT’s distinctive twin oval headlights with a more conventional quad-headlight arrangement. The body, still crafted by Touring, was subtly modified. The roofline was raised by just a few millimeters, and the rear of the cabin was reconfigured to accommodate two small rear seats, transforming the car into a 2+2. This greatly increased its practicality and market appeal. To reduce costs and streamline production, the majority of 400 GT 2+2s were made with steel bodies rather than the more labor-intensive aluminum of the 350 GT.

The 400 GT 2+2 was a resounding success, proving to be a more commercially viable product than the original two-seater. Between 1966 and 1968, approximately 247 units were built, a testament to its perfected formula of performance, luxury, and usability.

Legacy: The Foundation of a Legend

The evolution from the 350 GTV prototype to the 400 GT 2+2 was a rapid and remarkable journey. In just a few short years, Ferruccio Lamborghini had gone from a disgruntled customer to the head of a company that could challenge Ferrari on its own terms. The 350 GT and its direct descendants were not race cars for the road; they were the ultimate expression of the Gran Turismo ethos. They were sophisticated, mechanically advanced, and ferociously fast, establishing the core tenets of the Lamborghini brand: a magnificent V12 engine, audacious engineering, and a style that could not be ignored.

The 350 GT was the car that proved Ferruccio Lamborghini was not just a dreamer, but a true visionary. It was the foundation upon which an empire of automotive legends—from the groundbreaking Miura to the Countach, Diablo, and every raging bull since—would be built. It was the first, and perhaps the purest, Lamborghini of them all.