Lamborghini Jalpa turns 40

The Lamborghini Jalpa, the Countach’s lesser-known sibling, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Lamborghini’s transverse mid-engine rear-wheel-drive sports car was first introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1981.

The prototype that was presented in Geneva was based on a Silhouette. It had a special metallic bronze color as well as some unique aesthetic features that were not used on the production car.

When the Jalpa entered into production in 1982, it had a semi-supporting steel body, black bumpers, and engine air intakes, as well as horizontal rear lamps, 16-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli P7 low-profile tires taken directly from the Athon prototype.

Inside, the production unit — albeit being an entry-level bull — was luxuriously finished, with the extensive use of leather and carpeting.

Two years later, Lamborghini presented the “second series” Jalpa at the 1984 Geneva Motor Show. It featured slight aesthetic modifications like body-colored bumpers and air intakes, rounded rear lamps, and a revamped interior.

As is with most of Lamborghini’s models, the Jalpa was named after a breed of fighting bulls — the Jalpa Kandachia.

According to the Italian automaker, the Jalpa is the last evolution of the grand touring sedan concept with an eight-cylinder engine mounted in a rear-mid position. It was also the final development of the Urraco and Silhouette project, retaining the general architecture, but equipped with a larger engine, increased to 3.5 liters.

The Jalpa also featured the final iteration of the brand’s 90-degree V8 engine made completely of aluminum, with four chain-controlled overhead camshafts, originally installed on the Urraco and Silhouette.

Jalpa’s powerplant generated 255 horses and a maximum torque of 314Nm allowing the Jalpa to reach a top speed of 248kph.

The Lamborghini Jalpa saw a total production of 420 units running from 1981 to 1987.

Photos from Lamborghini

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