Over the past half century, the Lamborghini name and its Sant’Agata Bolognese factory have become the stuff of legend. In the early 1960s, following a dispute with Enzo Ferrari, successful industrialist Ferruccio Lamborghini began an automobile company of his own, and the automotive world was forever changed. Ferruccio set out to build his own supercar and, in the 1961 Ferrari “palace revolt,” journeymen designers Giotto Bizzarrini, Gian Paolo Dallara, and Franco Scaglione jumped ship to join the effort. Ferruccio added test driver Bob Wallace and enlisted the services of the Neri and Bonacini workshop, and work began in earnest in late 1962. Between them, they developed and built the first Lamborghini prototype, the 350 GTV, which became the sensation of the 1963 Torino Motor Show. It provided an ideal starting point from which to design the production car.

The first model was christened 350 GT and featured stunning Superleggera (Super light) coachwork by Touring. Elegant one-piece ovoid headlamps replaced the retractable units of the GTV, and Lamborghini’s V-12 engine was tuned to a stout 270 bhp. The 350 GT was greeted with great acclaim at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1964, and the first customer car was delivered in July of that year. The car found success as a grand tourer, capable of 0–60 mph in 5.8 seconds with a top speed of 158 mph. Each engine was dyno tested for 20 hours before installation, and the finished cars were each extensively tested prior to delivery. Between 1964 and 1966, approximately 130 of the magnificent 350 GTs were built. The car offered here, chassis 0114, represents a well-cared-for early example of these fantastic gran turismos, and is now being relinquished by its long-term owner.

A sports car enthusiast whose stable has included exotic machinery such as a Maserati 5000 GT, the long-term owner purchased 0114 at an auction in May 1976, while living in Indiana. In the late 1970s, the owner was invited by Tony Hulman to drive the Lamborghini on the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where it reached a blistering 154 mph on the straights. In addition, the car was regularly maintained by noted local mechanic John Hadjek.

After more than four decades of continual ownership, 0114 was treated to a thorough refreshing between 2017–2019. The Lamborghini received a comprehensive mechanical and cosmetic service from Automotive FantomWorks in Norfolk, Virginia, with receipts totaling nearly $90,000. For driver comfort, the seats were rebuilt, re-covered, and moved 2" rearward. The engine was removed and resealed, and the cylinder heads given new guides, valves, seals, and timing chains, with attention also given to the carburetors and suspension.

An exciting contemporary to its crosstown rival from Maranello, the Lamborghini 350 GT still cuts a striking figure. Now offered Without Reserve, with sale proceeds to benefit the work of the Community Foundation of Collier County, this handsome example is fresh from a major service and ready for its next passionate steward.