Perhaps the most astonishing fact we unearthed about the Lamborghini Diablo SV while researching the example we’re offering is that unlike all the hardcore special-edition supercars of today, this Raging Bull was priced less than its ‘standard’ production counterpart, not more.

That’s right, when Lamborghini revealed its lighter and more powerful ‘Sport Veloce’ variant of its 12-cylinder flagship, it was 10 percent cheaper than the ‘standard’ Diablo. We’ll admit, this move was designed to stimulate sales in especially dire economic circumstances, but still. We don’t remember Ferrari slashing the price of the F430 when it introduced the Scuderia in the thick of the 2008 financial crisis.

Beyond the price, there was nothing ‘less’ about the Diablo SV. Especially the revised and uprated 1998 model, which saw the introduction of a new variable valve timing system and raised power from the legendary Bizzarrini V12 to a heady 530bhp and 446 ft lbs.

That meant 204mph flat-out – not for the faint of heart. Beyond all its credentials as a serious segment-leading supercar, there’s one thing we adore about the Diablo SV more than any other, and that’s the way it looks. Has there ever been a more ‘Lamborghini’ Lamborghini? The styling is proper poster-car dramatic, from the two huge air scoops aft the cabin and the vast wing dangling off the tail to the wide hips at the back and sharp chiselled snout.

One of a mere 33 right-hand-drive Diablo SVs built, chassis number 12039 was delivered new to one Mark Rubens from Manchester, England, on 14 August 1998. It was finished in Nero over a Champagne leather interior – an understated specification compared to most other Diablo SVs. Less than a year later, this Lamborghini was acquired by its second owner, who’s kept and cherished the car ever since. With just 7,411 kilometres on the odometer, this is, simply put, one of the very best examples of Lamborghini’s hardcore Diablo in the United Kingdom, if not Europe.

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