Lamborghini produced the 400 GT 2+2 into 1968, replacing it with the new Islero that year. The 400 GT’s V12 would become more famous later when it was fitted to Lamborghini’s most definitive model, the LP 400 Countach in 1974.

This 1967 400 GT 2+2 is one of just 267 regular-production examples built. Its all-steel body is finished in a sophisticated hue of Brown Metallic paint and wears the badges of its designer Touring Superleggera on its hood and front fenders. The interior is finished in a complimentary Cognac shade of leather. A numbers-matching example, the original four-liter V12 breathes through three pairs of Weber 40 DCOE side-draft carburetors and has covered less than 29,000 km from new. Power moves through the fully-synchronized five-speed manual gearbox to the rear wheels. It rides on 215/70 radial tires mounted on 15-inch Borrani chromed wire wheels over four-wheel Girling disc brakes with vacuum assist.

Since it was first delivered in April 1967 to Parisian importer Voitures Paris Monceau, this example has had five owners and has spent its entirety in France. It benefitted from an extensive overhaul between 2008 and 2011. The engine was later rebuilt in 2014.

Despite their undeniable rarity and unquestionable significance to automotive history, the earliest V12 GTs from Lamborghini - from the 350 GT to the Islero and including this 400 GT 2+2 - have often been overshadowed by the decidedly more exotic Miura and Countach models. However, recent years have seen appreciation for these models grow to match their importance.

Italian industrialist Ferruccio Lamborghini found success building tractors in the years following WWII. In 1958, he purchased a Ferrari, but was unsatisfied with the refinement of the car and the poor service he received from the company. When confronted with Signore Lamborghini’s concerns, Enzo Ferrari famously suggested his customer stick to building tractors and let him build sports cars.

Lamborghini felt he could build a more refined GT car than what was coming out of Modena, and in 1964 introduced the company’s first car. the 350 GT. It featured a 3.5-liter V12 developed by Giotto Bizzarini and coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring in Turin. The two-seat coupe or convertible was a refined grand tourer that directly challenged Ferrari’s V12 GT offerings and outshone Maserati’s six-cylinder 3500 GT.

Its 280 horsepower soon felt inadequate, however, and for 1966 Lamborghini answered with the more powerful 400 GT. Boasting a 3.9-liter iteration of the original V12 (rounded up considerably to 4 liters), the new engine now made 320 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. It also featured “+2” rear seating. The former ZF gearbox was replaced with a Dallara-designed five-speed and new rear end, both produced in house by Lamborghini.

The first run of 400 GT coupes carried over the 350 GT’s bodywork. These so- called “Interim” models, of which only 23 are said to have been built, are unique from the 400 GT 2+2 models that followed. The 2+2 featured rear seats for additional accommodations. This change required significant revisions to the bodywork, particularly the roof line. As a result, no body panel is shared between the 350 GT or 400 GT Interim models and later 400 GT 2+2 despite sharing similar overall appearances. The two oval composite headlights were also updated to four individual round lamps with an eye on American lighting regulations. The design was adapted by Touring, but when the firm ceased operations in 1966, production of these models moved to Carrozzeria Marazzi.

This example is finished in an uncommon color combination for an Italian supercar of the 1960s, looking more sophisticated than the boy racer aesthetic more commonly associated with Lamborghini today. The color scheme is, in fact, more in line with its “gentleman’s GT” personality. With a restoration in recent years, this 400 GT 2+2 would be equally at home on a concours field or on a continental road trip. You’ll arrive in style either way, and there’s little chance you’ll ever see another one like it wherever you find yourself. In that regard, it’s a true original.

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