The 2000s weren't a great time to spend on ostentatious displays of wealth. A hot single could lead to endorsements, sold-out tours, and piles of cash, but the cars and houses available to make a splash didn't have the quality on the inside to match the flash visible from the outside. The early Diablo would fall squarely within this category of lackluster quality propping up an impressive design.
Somewhere along the line, high-quality and durable goods became status symbols. Say what you will about the cost to repair, but a modern Rolls-Royce Ghost, designed and manufactured by BMW, must pass the same durability tests as a lowly, high-volume 1-series. The result is a pretty appealing product that can boast of innovative technology and first-class engineering as much as it can of exclusivity. And, just take a look at the sorts of mansions that rappers are building today. In the 2000s, 50 Cent basically had his home appointed with the same level of construction that you'd see in a bowling alley or chain restaurant - bespoke, but just vinyl stapled to particle board at the end of the day. Today, you see Drake building a Limestone mansion in Toronto; the contrast in quality is stark.
How often have you heard of someone who had a Lamborghini Countach hung up on their bedroom wall in their childhood? We weren't around for Cannonball Run, so we never bonded with the Countach. Instead, we idolized the Diablo - in scale model form in place of the bedroom poster. And, the reason we picked this particular Diablo is due to its resemblance to the 1993 Diablo featured in Dumb & Dumber.
Really, the red on tan caught our eye because of the movie association. The movie car was actually not a VT model like this one, so it would have been a more hardcore Diablo, lacking the AWD and power steering of the VT models. We've always been puzzled by AWD roadsters when a RWD version exists, but the two features don't necessarily need to be utilized at the same time.
If you missed your opportunity to buy a Countach, there still may be hope for finding a Diablo. That's especially true if you prefer the earlier iterations of the two models. Whereas the first iteration of the Countach, the P400, demands top money in the Countach world, it's the later Diablos, now under Audi engineering direction, that Diablo collectors seem to snatch up. Even late Countach's are priced at multiples of an early Diablo.
As far as we're concerned, these early cars are alright. You get the 485hp V12, a descendent of the original Bizzarrini design. AWD had not been offered on the car yet, so a simple mid engine, RWD layout exists. Chrysler involvement seems to be limited to funding, and - unfortunately - styling. The Diablo is an attractive car in every possible sense, but when you see what Gandini had intended for the car, it's just a bit disappointing. Chrysler really watered down the styling of the P132 that Gandini originally proposed. The plus side of this is that the design has aged better, although we prefer the more daring of the two designs.
The Italians break the 200mph mark with this amazing V12 Monster back in 1991. It was no surprise then, that the Diablo was the fastest production car in the world for the 1991 model year. Finished in pearl white on cocoa brown interior this car is a gorgeous piece of automotive history. Iconic body lines show nicely in this well preserved example. No major dents or scratches to note paint has minor stress cracking on the rear spoiler. Headlights pop up evenly and function perfectly. All gaps between panels are perfect and car has never been wrecked. Original 17 inch wheels wrapped in pirelli tires all around factory suspension drives very smooth. Brembo brakes all around to stop you safely for high speed driving.
Interior is in excellent condition Seats are in great condition finished in a cocoa brown color these seats look fantastic. The leather wrapped dash in in excellent condition. Door shocks in good condition has an aftermarket alpine radio functions well has 6 CD Changer alpine as well located conveniently behind the passenger seat. Gated manual is one of the sexiest parts of this car in its convenient height for quick downshifts or upshifts. AC functions well and blows cold.
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The white exterior fits perfectly the car's current locale of Miami - not to mention the cocoa brown interior. Options were limited on Diablos, and this car lacks power steering based on the year (power steering wasn't added until 1993). Early cars also lacked ABS, although we aren't entirely sure whether this car is too early to feature ABS or not. In 1991, the optional rear spoiler probably had its appeal, and it's nice to have the option of running it, but we would remove it, were we to buy this car. Also, leather dashes can be tough to keep pristine, though this one doesn't look terrible. They're nice for five years or so, and then become a nuisance.
So, for manual Gallardo money, you can pick up an early Diablo. Not bad. The Gallardo will drive like a modern car, of course, and that is admittedly more in the spirit of Lamborghini's founder. But, we'll make an exception for a Diablo. Mid-engined V12 manual transmission cars are hard to come by, and few make them anymore. This could be a good opportunity to find yourself in the seat of one.
We'll admit that we have some serious Diablo research ahead of us. Today's background information comes courtesy of Wikipedia, but don't take that as any indication of indifference toward the Lamborghini brand - we just haven't gotten around to ordering ourselves a Lamborghini Diablo history book. It should complement our existing Urraco, Silhouette, and Jalpa book nicely. But, when you find a Verde Hydra Diablo VT 6.0 - you post it.
While the Diablo, a softened Gandini design, was released during Chrysler ownership of Lamborghini in 1990, the model would continue under the ownership of multiple entities. Once Audi AG was in control of Lamborghini in 1998, a serious reengineering was commissioned in parallel to the development of the future Murciélago. The exterior was tweaked to include the signature one-piece phone dial wheels, previously seen on the Countach, while the interior was brought up to the standards of the Audi brand. The engine was stroked to 6.0L and fitted with VVT, to allow for more civilized engine breathing at lower engine speeds.
Owner Car - Driven Exotics Exhaust - Clear Bra - Service Just Performed
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Details are sparse on this example, but as always, likely available from the seller. The seller claims that this Diablo is one of one in the world finished in Verde Hyrdra, which strikes us as a shame! Are we alone in loving the green over tan interior, with the gold wheels? We hope not.
We're glad to see that this one has been driven some during its lifetime. Pricing seems to reflect both the rarity of the color, and the general rarity of the most refined model of the Diablo lineup. Vinyl wraps seem to be popular these days - might we recommend picking up a more affordable Diablo and wrapping it in this green color, then driving it everyday? Someone please get on that and report back.
