Lamborghini celebrates Gallardo’s 20th anniversary

Automobili Lamborghini is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Gallardo.

Per the storied Italian automotive brand, the Lamborghini Gallardo was first presented to the public in 2003 at the Geneva Motor Show. Right from the start, the carmaker pointed out, it became an incredible commercial success achieving sales record after sales record for the marque.

Development for a “small” Lamborghini started in 1970. Considered as the groundwork that will soon pave the way for the Gallardo were models such as the Uraco and Jalpa.

In 1987, the Sant’Agata Bolognese-based brand started the development of the L140 project, specifically to create a more compact Lamborghini. Over the years several prototypes were developed, and various technical solutions were explored, including a V8 in the first instance and then a V10 engine.

“The L140 had a 72-degree V10 engine with the gearbox integrated into the oil pan area, designed by Lamborghini, and not practical to produce for the type of car it was intended for. Furthermore, the position of the gearbox under the engine generated a high center of gravity, which wouldn’t guarantee the drivability and handling characteristics that a super sports Lamborghini should have. So, when we started the project codenamed ‘baby Diablo,’ a V8 was chosen and it was decided to look for a potential engine among those already on the market, including the eight-cylinder Audi. With the subsequent acquisition by Audi, it was decided to produce a completely new car with an aluminum tubular frame and a 10-cylinder engine, designed by Lamborghini, and a brand-new transmission, both manual and robotized,” commented Lamborghini Technical Director (from 2006 to 2022) Maurizio Reggiani.

In 1998, Lamborghini engineer Massimo Ceccarani built a brand-new powerplant that would later power the first Gallardo: a 5.0-liter, 10-cylinder V90 DOHC (dual overhead camshaft) engine with four valves that can deliver up to 500 horsepower (hp).

Instead of the classic choice of a V72, a 90-degree angle was favored to limit the height of the engine, thus gaining advantages in the layout of the vehicle and lowering the center of gravity for improved dynamics.

Other changes made were the adoption of “crankpins” with an 18-degree offset and the use of a dry-sump lubrication system.

“So that it could be produced in the planned quantities, the V10 had to have a 90-degree V, and so it was decided to adopt a ‘split pin’ on the crankshaft, which allowed regular firing even if the crankcase had 90-degree cylinders. The crankcase, which up to then had inserted liners and Nikasil coating on the liner, was revised and redesigned by Lamborghini engineers, to be made with a hypereutectic aluminum alloy that allowed the liner to be cast directly on the aluminum. This allowed the distance between the cylinders, and consequently, the length of the engine, the weight, and costs, to be reduced. This gave rise to the 5-liter 90-degree V10 MPI engine which was installed on the first Gallardo series,” explained Reggiani.

Complementing the state-of-the-art engine was a six-speed gearbox with the latest-generation double- and triple-cone synchronizers with optimized control and engagement system. Further, Lamborghini added that the transmission also featured a robotized sequential system, which was then offered as an optional add-on to the Gallardo.

With the heart of the Lamborghini Gallardo already completed, the house of the Raging Bull was ready to begin designing the car’s exterior and interior.

In 2000, Lamborghini began the design development of the Gallardo under an initial “Italdesign-Giugiaro” proposal. The said plan was then optimized and carried out by the newly established Lamborghini Centro Stile headed by Luc Donckerwolke.

The result was a car with strong aeronautics influence, seen in the cab-forward cockpit integrated into the body of the vehicle; in the sharply angled windshield with tensed pillars; in the complex treatment of flat surfaces crossed by distinct markings; and in the orientation of the cooling system elements in the direction of airflow.

“What really made the Gallardo stand out when it came to market however, was its performance combined with drivability, reliability, and everyday practicality, so much so that it could be comfortably used as a daily drive,” Lamborghini wrote in a press release.

Three years later, the Lamborghini entered production.

Lamborghini Gallardo through the years

In 2004, Lamborghini began donating Gallardo units to the Italian police. Since the Gallardo was no ordinary car, the provided automobiles were used for special purposes, such as the transport of organs or life-saving medicines.

Initially, the Lamborghini Gallardo was offered in a coupe-only version. On that note, Lamborghini introduced an open-top variant of the nameplate in 2005.

In 2007, Lamborghini presented the Gallardo Superleggera was presented in Geneva. The said iteration of the so-called “baby Lambo” enjoyed a 10hp increase as well as a 100-kilogram weight reduction.

Additionally, the Lamborghini Gallardo Gallardo Superleggera had plenty of carbon fiber appointments and a carbon ceramic brake.

At the Geneva Motor Show in March 2008, the LP 560-4 was presented, the revamped version of the Lamborghini Gallardo. It was 20kg lighter and had a 5.2-liter V10 engine that made 552 horses.

The new engine featured some significant and unexpected technical modifications.

“For the subsequent version (of the Gallardo), with the 5.2-liter engine, it was decided to change the geometry of the crankshaft, removing the split pin and thus accepting an irregular firing order in favor of increased crankshaft rigidity. Direct fuel injection technology was also adopted, which increased the efficiency in the combustion chamber with greater power and fewer pollutants,” Reggiani commented.

No later than a few months, the Italian automotive brand followed it up with the release of the open-top version of the LP 560-4.

In 2009, Lamborghini unveiled the “Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni.” With only 250 units produced, the special Gallardo offered a technical solution never seen before on this model: 550hp and rear-wheel drive.

Lamborghini unboxed the Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera sometime in 2010. It was, as the marque explained, presented with the aim of continuing the success of the 2007 version of the same name.

Compared to the previous Superleggera, the Gallardo LP 570-4 had shed 70kg and was complemented by a maximum power output of 570 horses.

Also in 2010, Lamborghini presented the Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante and the Gallardo LP 570-4 Blancpain Edition.

Two years after, Lamborghini gave the Gallardo an update that made the nameplate look bolder. Dubbed the new Gallardo LP 560-4 and Gallardo LP 570-4 Edizione Tecnica, the auto brand described them as “representing a further stylistic evolution of the first Lamborghini V10 model.”

The following year, Lamborghini announced the development of a new GT3 program based on the 2013 model year of the Gallardo. Likewise, the limited-edition Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse (which was inspired by the Gallardo Super Trofeo) was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

On November 25, 2013, the last Lamborghini Gallardo left the production line at the historic Sant'Agata Bolognese plant. The last unit assembled was a Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante in Rosso Mars color.

“Over ten years of production, the Gallardo was made in a large number of special editions, was sold in 45 countries, and, counting the 32 variants, reached a total of 14,022 units produced. These are numbers that, in their own right, make the Gallardo one of the most highly-rated super sports cars ever, with a place guaranteed among the icons of Italian design and automotive engineering,” Lamborghini said in a press statement.

Photos from Lamborghini

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