Development of the Lamborghini automobile began in 1962 and, within a matter of months, the company revealed its first creation – the Franco Scaglione-designed 350 GTV. In a remarkable feat for an upstart manufacturer, Lamborghini quickly transformed this one-off prototype into the production-ready 350 GT, which debuted at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show. Fashioned from lightweight alloy panels, in Touring’s patented Superleggera method, the 350 GT featured distinctive ovoid headlamps, an expansive glass greenhouse, and richly appointed cabin, with all the amenities expected of an upscale Italian GT. Like the GTV, the 350 GT was based on a steel-tube chassis with independent wishbone suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, and Borrani wire wheels. Bizzarrini’s magnificent four-cam V-12 engine was tuned to produce a reliable 270 bhp, with power transmitted through a ZF five-speed gearbox and Salisbury differential. Performance was impressive, with the sprint to 60 mph taking less than six seconds and a top speed of 158 mph. In all, Lamborghini built approximately 130 examples of the 350 GT between 1964 and 1966, when it was succeeded by the 400 GT – an updated version with steel bodywork, a four-liter engine, and nearly twice the production.

According to Lamborghini factory records, chassis 0226 was completed in July 1965, fitted with engine no. 0181 and finished in Azzurro Fiat (Fiat Blue) with Senape (Mustard) upholstery. Delivered new in Italy, this 350 GT eventually made its way to the US as a second-hand car. In the 1990s, well-known Ferrari collector Philippe Lancksweert purchased the Lamborghini in California and brought it back home to Belgium. In fall 1999, when he sold the 350 GT to fellow collector Hubert Fabri, 0226 reportedly remained in largely original condition, finished in Azzurro Fiat with its original upholstery intact.

Early in Mr. Fabri’s ownership, the Lamborghini crisscrossed Europe between race meetings and on numerous tours. Between 2013 and 2016, the 350 GT underwent an extensive restoration overseen by well-known European specialists: Top Motors of Modena; Pichler GFG AG of Gstaad, Switzerland; and Markus Scharnhorst of Toffen, Switzerland. Cosmetic elements were entrusted to Bacchelli & Villa’s renowned Carrozzeria Autosport in Bastiglia, Italy. During this process, the Touring coachwork was refinished in a striking dark metallic blue, while the interior was trimmed in bright red leather hides and fitted with a single, centrally mounted rear seat, as found on the very earliest 350 GTs. Mr. Fabri enjoyed nearly two decades with the 350 GT before selling it to the current American owner.

Rare, technically advanced, and undeniably stylish, the 350 GT is one of the most outstanding Italian GT cars of the 1960s and represents its maker’s first great achievement in the automotive world. The car offered here is an ideal representative of this seminal model – an enduring testament to the vision of Ferruccio Lamborghini.