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Old 10-25-2005, 04:41 AM
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drakkie drakkie is offline
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As promised, here is the rest of the document.

This time, however, Ferruccio seemed to have bitten off more than he could chew. The in-house technical team and the company’s suppliers, workers and employees could barely keep up with this explosion of activity, for which everything virtually had to be made from scratch. Until the Miura phenomenon exploded in the first half of 1966, the firm was working as any as hard engineering company in the area. Subsequently, however, the company had to work at a dizzying pace and everyone had to double their efforts, while also dividing their attention among several models. This inevitably triggered a series of problems that was reflected in the longer time it took to produce these cars and in the growing impatience of customers, who – now that they had seen the future of sports cars – did not want to wait too long for the Lamborghini they had ordered.
The bottleneck created by the transformation of prototypes into road cars undoubtedly represented the main obstacle to the company’s financial success. In 1968, Lamborghini managed to deliver a total of 37 Espadas and 187 Miuras, plus a few Jsleros – and that was it. Certainly not much to back the financial efforts of the company founder, who was nevertheless quite confident, and rightly so: in less than five years, the automotive company he had founded was already a legend.
Despite the logistical and organisational problems of the period, no one could stand idle. The production lines of the three models (Jslero, Espada and Miura) had barely been started up in 1969 when improvements began to be considered. The most important operation undoubtedly involved approving an entire series of modifications, which were effectively required for the Miura, and incorporating them into a single new version. The outcome was the S version, created in November 1968. Its presentation was naturally a must at the Turin Auto Show that year, and the new Miura offered customers a 370-hp engine, i.e. 20 more than the previous version. It also featured electric windows, the whole interior was more luxurious by finished and options included air conditioning (an innovation bordering on the extravagant, at least in Europe) and natural leather upholstery. Only the chrome finish on a few minor exterior parts and a small metal S shaped like a lightning bolt, mounted on the tail panel of the car, distinguished the new version of the Miura from the old one, which therefore ended its career.
But Miura S wasn’t the only Lamborghini novelty. Ferruccio had never concealed his admiration for the comfort offered by Citroën cars. As a result, on the Espada he offered an option that was unheard of at the time, namely a hydropneumatic suspension system, inspired by the one made by the French automaker, named Lancomatic. This was indubitably a bold initiative, because it strived to offer a truly superior level of comfort for the company’s four-seater. Naturally, this option was destined to have very little success, as was the case with the automatic transmission, which was also offered as an option on this car. Nevertheless, this detail underscores the quest for excellence underlying the research done on the various models. The Jslero was subsequently elaborated, boosted in terms of power and refinished, and as a result, the GTS version was brought out on 31 May 1969. Despite its performance features, the 350-hp engine, the car’s overall comfort and its alluring lines, the Jslero was overshadowed by the Espada and, above all, by the Miura, and it was too close to them in price not to suffer because of this.
The year 1970 was marked by the temporary stabilisation of the Lamborghini model range. The Jslero thus left the stage quietly, though only a relatively small number had been produced (225 between Jslero and Jslero GTS version). What remained were the Miura S and the Espada, restyled and updated in a Series II that was presented at the 1970 Brussels Motor Show, and their production gradually increased. This new series was much improved, was fitted with the 350-hp engine, more powerful ventilated brakes and a more conventional dashboard. It was a glorious year for this model, which represented an ideal winning post not only for the company but also for Ferruccio and the objectives he had set for himself at the start of this adventure. In 1970 alone, 228 Espadas were sold, an outstanding figure for such an expensive and important car.
However, not everything turns out as it should. Lamborghini insisted that it was essential to complement the four-seat Espada and the two-seat Miura with an ‘in-between’ model, a 2+2 that would represent the finest in the arena of the Italian Gran Turismo. Bertone responded with a model that was essentially the stylistic evolution of the Jslero, taking up many elements from the Espada and thus – theoretically – a model that would incarnate its ideals. This was the Jarama. Despite its chic launch at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show, however, it failed to make the right impression on car buffs. It was a powerful, distinctive and well-finished car, but perhaps it lacked that touch of daring, the spectacular lines of a true masterprice. In a certain sense, the Jarama was the perfect child of the Seventies: a bit angular with a straight and clear-cut roof panel, it gave the overall impression of a certain lack of balance between the front and rear forms. The influence of some of Pininfarina’s projects is evident nonetheless, particularly in the tail, giving the car an air of overall elegance. Like the Jslero, though, it did not achieve the hoped-for success. By this time, around the world Lamborghini was considered the symbol of excess, of something that went beyond the philosophy and designs of other automotive companies. When it built reasonable, rational cars that were almost normal, it did not respond to these criteria and thus did not achieve the expected success.
The other great project that announced and presented in 1970 was another Lamborghini, but a radically new and ‘different’ one. It was the P250 Urraco once again, the name of a fighting bull, once again, a transverse-mounted rear engine, once again an extremely sporty line with a powerful visual impact. This time, however, the target was a broader market and a vaster clientele. In fact, the Urraco featured a 2.5-litre engine specially designed by Stanzani, with single overhead camshaft distribution. It was built to criteria that would permit large-scale production (by Italian sports car standards), it had a lovely line designed by Bertone, and – at least on paper – it offered excellent performance at a much lower price than the Miura.
To make this car, Lamborghini expanded the Sant’Agata factory, constructing a spacious new building behind the one already being used, thus adding nearly 500 square metres of new factory space. The basic assumptions couldn’t have been better: the car, presented on time at the Turin Auto Show in October 1970, aroused enormous excitement and the orders poured in. As was the case with the Miura, the public was highly enthusiastic over the new Lamborghini and this time, there was no perplexity over a somewhat obscure make or an overly high price that would discourage potential buyers. Sales immediately went well.

Last edited by drakkie; 10-29-2005 at 04:03 AM.
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