It doesn’t take a great deal of imagination to understand why the Rambo Lambo resonated so deeply with car enthusiast across the globe when it launched. Lamborghini, the marque behind so many poster cars including the Miura and Countach, had built an all-terrain military vehicle for mere civilians, ready to inject your daily grocery run with some Esercito Italiano flair. Its shape was so angular that the most primitive gaming consoles would have no issue creating a faithful digital rendition and even boasted the Countach’s V12 underneath that monolithic bonnet, good for 450 bhp and 0-60 mph in just 7.8 seconds — blistering by the standards of the 1980s.
Not long after its unveiling, a certain Sultan of a tiny sovereign state on the island of Borneo decided he would quite like to add one to his collection, but like almost all of the Sultan of Brunei’s cars, it had to be unique. After the Sultan took delivery of this 1986 LM002 from Singapore Lamborghini, he sent it to Salvatore Diomante for a conversion from pickup to station wagon, hence its official name: the LM002 Carrozzeria Diomante. In total, two more LM002s from the 300 car production run were similarly converted to wagons, but this is the sole example that was sanctioned by Lamborghini.
The conversion was as thorough as you’d expect from a car destined for royal ownership, and involved closing the back, raising the roof, and installing a U-shaped bench, allowing this LM002 Wagon to transport 7 people including the driver and front passenger. Inside, it’s packed with creature comforts, including air conditioning, electric windows, central locking, a sizeable stereo system, leather seats, a custom dashboard and wood paneling, a DVD player and television, and a sunroof. In total, these changes added a not inconsiderable 499 kilograms to the LM002’s already hefty curb weight, taking the Sultan’s LM002 Wagon up to 2,994 kg and no doubt adding a few seconds to that 0-60 mph time.
Finally in possession of the world’s rarest Rambo Lambo, you might think the Sultan of Brunei would spend as much time behind the wheel of his LM002 as possible, but if you’re aware of the rest of the Sultan’s mostly factory-mileage collection, it shouldn’t be surprising that this wasn’t the case. In total, he covered a mere 1,100 miles before shipping it to Germany, where it was sold to Bernd Pischetsrieder, former CEO of Volkswagen and BMW.
However, after being cared for by these two titans of the automotive world, this LM002 Wagon would lead a far more sedate life, one that was probably a close fit with its original intended purpose. A Swedish lady purchased this LM002 and used it as her daily driver, with the car residing in Sweden since. Whether she knew that she was driving her kids to school in one of the world’s rarest raging bulls is unclear, but either way it must have earned her children some major playground kudos.
Now approaching 40 years old, this LM002 Wagon remains in good condition, but is starting to show signs of its age. The paint, which was original Nero and later changed to Argento Metallizzato, is showing signs of bubbling and scuff marks, while the interior is fading in places with a few cracks to be found on the leather seats. Its service history shows that its clutch, gearbox, pressure plate, oil lines and flywheel were removed and renewed in 2006 at 4,460 km at Auto-Konig GmbH in Germany. Recently, the battery was replaced, while the oil and oil filters were also changed, and the underside of this rare Lamborghini appears to remain in solid condition, as does its suspension.
Now looking for a new home with SBX Cars, this LM002 Wagon is the rarest of an already exceedingly exclusive breed of raging bull, boasting a fascinating history and extensive documentation confirming its authenticity. Unmodified since its conversion, this represents an unmissable opportunity for any Lamborghini collector to add the only officially recognised LM002 Wagon to their garage. Might we suggest a sympathetic restoration to its original Nero colour combination, perhaps?
Uppsala, 28 Aug
