The Lamborghini Jarama 400 GTS

Named after a Spanish river famous for the fighting bulls bred on its banks, the Lamborghini Jarama was the final front-engined twelve-cylinder GT launched under the watchful eye of company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini.

The successor to the Islero, the Jarama filled the gap in Lamborghini’s model range between the ultra-sporty Miura and the Espada, which was very much a long-legged GT car. It was also the first Lamborghini designed to satisfy U.S. homologation requirements, opening up a potentially hugely lucrative market for the marque.

The Jarama’s striking 2+2 bodywork, which treads the fine line between svelte and muscular, was the work of Bertone and the great Marcello Gandini. It’s an imposing design, boasting a number of characteristically Lamborghini quirks, such as the eyelids covering the headlights and the NACA ducts on the bonnet.

In 1972, the hotter GTS version appeared. Power from the 3.9-litre V12 raised from 350bhp to 365bhp, a scoop appeared on the bonnet to satisfy the engine’s increased appetite for air and the dashboard was retrimmed with sporty sheet aluminium. Ferruccio himself summed up the appeal of the Jarama. “I preferred the Jarama to all the others, because it is the perfect compromise between the Miura and the Espada.”

The boss was right. To drive, the Jarama is a delicious blend of sporting prowess and long-distance refinement. The cabin is incredibly spacious and airy thanks to the generous glasshouse, which also increases all-round visibility. And how cool is the roof-mounted radio? In addition to sounding glorious, the soul-stirring V12 is lively and provides ample torque for every driving situation – the Jarama is certainly not a one-trick pony.

Between 1972 and 1976, just 150 Lamborghini Jarama 400 GTSs left Sant’Agata. Over four decades would pass before another front-engined Raging Bull, the Urus, entered production. We know which we’d prefer to drive home.

This Lamborghini Jarama 400 GTS

Of the 150 Jarama 400 GTSs built by Lamborghini, just 18 were right-hand drive. The wonderful matching-numbers car we’re delighted to be offering for sale is one of those 18. Stamped with the chassis number 10608, this Jarama left the factory on 24 May 1974, finished in the elegant colour combination of Oro Metallizzato over Blu Connolly leather and specified with the optional Miura alloy wheels. It was sold new via Lamborghini Great Britain and assigned the UK registration ‘JSP 343N’ on 12 February 1975.

In 1993, this Jarama changed hands, the new UK-based owner taking the decision to return the upholstery to Connolly to be reconditioned. In 1998, chassis 10608 was acquired by Paul and Paula Cooke from The Fuel Agency in Victoria, Australia. A decade later, the car was imported to Australia and reregistered with the number ‘26516 H’. A comprehensive restoration was subsequently undertaken by Old Timer Queensland and Astuti Motorsport, the extensive work including a full engine rebuild and a bare-metal respray.

During the course of the restoration, the handsome Bertone-designed bodywork was finished in Grigio Avalon, a stealthy factory shade offered on the later Murciélago. The shade of the interior was also retrimmed in black.

The freshly restored Lamborghini changed hands once again and returned to England, where it was deemed of a sufficiently high quality to appear in the Cartier Style et Luxe Concours d’Elegance at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The following year, chassis 10608 returned to Goodwood House to be offered by Bonhams at its flagship auction. The Jarama was acquired by a collector in Japan, which is where the car was then imported.

Girardo & Co. acquired this Jarama in the summer of 2021 and returned it to the United Kingdom. We took the decision to have the car thoroughly inspected and professionally detailed prior to photography here at Belchers Farm. An ultra-rare Raging Bull which has undeservedly lived in the shadow of the Miura for far too long, this matching-numbers Jarama 400 GTS is a fantastic choice for the discerning enthusiasts who prefer not to follow the crowd.  

Price: £98,000 (GBP)