Correct and it's the only picture I have for this car. It's a scan from Sport Auto June 1978. The car was sold to a Swiss dealer when new but there are rumors that there was a Japanese customer behind. The car was also described as racing car but I've no idea were this refers to.
The Whitefish Montana car is 40070. It was offered for sale at Monterey in August but failed to reach the reserve price.
To the best of my knowledge I do not believe that the red brochure car is is a prototype and I suspect it is 40004. The white brochure car is a prototype. The clock and heater control location and window switch type are all different to the production cars.
Some RHD Urracos also had the LP400 wheel. Of the nine RHD Silhouettes I know that at least one car (40088) has the Ferrara wheel with two holes in each spoke. I had the same wheel on my P300. It was also used on the Jalpa prototype.
I also suspect its #40004, production #2. The white brochure car is #40002 (also known as the 2nd prototype). Image Unavailable, Please Login
so what ever happen to this prototype? http://www.lambocars.com/jal/silhpr.htm i love the round early "walter wolf" inspired flares. i think they used it on the yellow urraco test mule with bravo wheels also which is at the lambo museum today. it seem they are restoring and replicating the flares in alloy but dont look the same as the fiberglass ones on.
cool thread. i should have sought out and bought a Silhouette years ago when they were cheaper. The Jalpas i owned were a disappointment.The early euro Urracco will always have a special place in my list of cars i have had. Strange how the Silhouette never got much exposure, movie usage ect.
yes, i believe there is a movie featuring the silhouette!!! if memory serves it a metallic brown or gold color car it in the background of a scene in for a fraction of a second. P300 urraco's are amongst the most underrated cars of the junior exotics. hf
Initially proto 1, aka chassis #40000, was different from the others; f.e. the flares and a fin in the center behind the rear window, different dash, also no badges or outside mirrors. The last picture shows the car after it was converted to standard modifications. A source says it was crash-tested, another source says it was sold as a standard model to Achilli Motors Milan. Maybe theyre both right The only trace Ive for this car are these period pictures.
The question which is not yet proved with pictures, had this car the hardtop? since you might member the yellow P300 test bed car at the factory which had the same flares, that prototype car might still have had the normal P300 roof. I know it's unlikely but perhaps somebody has a picture which shows the roof/hardtop of this prototype.
raymond, i not sure what your comments are referring to? are you suggesting that early prototype had a hard top? you can clearly see a parting lines of the "targa top" i would deduce that the parting lines along with stout targa style B pillar/sail panels indicates the roof was removable. there was another P300 urraco running around the factory with Bravo wheels besides the yellow test mule. hard to tell exactly what color it was since the photo's are in b&w but im certain it isnt yellow. regards hf
It was a snorkel on the engine cover. Since the car was conceived as a targa I cannot imagine why this prototype should have a fixed roof, and particularly in view of the limited development budget. The profile of the roof is very flat and looks completely different to the Urraco. Do you have a picture of the dashboard? It has been suggested that the lack of badges was an attempt at anonymity whilst road testing.
It sounds unlikely that the prototype had a fixed roof but with Lamborghini nothing is impossible. The Silhouette is reported as presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1976. #40000 was the only finished car at that moment so it must be that car, but in which livery (proto or production)? Any period pictures? Sorry, Ive no picture for the dashboard but it was close to the Urraco dash.
Can you tell us in which area this car is living today? Is it in a museum or in a private collection? Last trace Ive for the car is in 2006 when it was for sale in Canada.
40002 is prototype 2 but it is not production car 1. 40006 is well documented as such and was delivered on the same day that 40002 was tested. The dates relating to their pre customer preparation are documented by Pasini as follows 40000 body 001 (prototype) tested 16.09.76 delivery 19.09.76 40002 body 01 (protoype) tested 01.10.76 delivery 09.12.77 40006 body 1 (production) tested 25.09.76 delivery 01.10.76 40004 body 2 (production) tested 06.10.76 delivery 08.10.76 40006 has *1060*1* stamped at the base of the engine cover strut. As a previous owner of 40002 do you believe it was the white brochure car?
My apologies there were a couple of typos in the dates so here they are correct this time I hope! 40000 body 001 (prototype) tested 16.09.76 delivery 18.09.76 40002 body 01 (protoype) tested 01.10.76 delivery 09.12.76 40006 body 1 (production) tested 25.09.76 delivery 01.10.76 40004 body 2 (production) tested 06.10.76 delivery 08.10.76
#40002 seems to a have a different center console without toggle switches and cigarette lighter. whats the metal thing by the hand brake on the white brochure car?