www.QV500.com - Lamborghini Jarama Part 3: 400 GT Jarama Rallye
 
It was on a Jarama that Lamborghini’s chief test and development driver, Bob Wallace, based the second in his trio of unique factory sanctioned hot rods. Built up by the experimental department during 1972 on chassis 10350, the Rallye was comprehensively re-engineered into one of the most infamous Lamborghini's. Starting with a bare chassis, the New Zealander's first move was modifying the engine bulkhead in order to re-position the engine further back in the frame and achieve perfect 50/50 weight distribution.
   
Next, huge swathes of the original steel floorpan were cut away and replaced with lightweight alloy fitted over the box sections from underneath to smooth fifth-face airflow. Further enhancements included new competition-spec Koni shock absorbers with adjustable spring platforms, a long-range aluminium fuel tank being custom fabricated and installed where the rear seats would originally have been. Wallace retained the stock Jarama's ventilated disc brakes (as fitted to the Miura S) although additional cooling at the front was provided by NACA ducts housed in the the prominent chin spoiler. Campagnolo cast magnesium wheels were from the Miura S (8 and 10 inches wide at front/rear), Lamborghini's experimental department eventually removing an amazing 300kg to provide chassis 10350 with a 1170kg dry weight. The 4-litre V12 was already producing 350bhp in production tune, this Bizzarrini-designed unit having been continually improved since 1963 to remain at the forefront of high performance engines.
 
For the Rallye, a set of hot Weber 42 DCOE carburettors devoid of any air filters and featuring longer ram-pipes were fitted. There were also lightweight pistons, con rods and a lightened flywheel, all of which were specially balanced. Said to produce over 400bhp, the stock Jarama's five-speed gearbox was retained but did get a much larger oil cooler. It must have seemed a phenomenal machine back in the early seventies with a top speed of over 170mph, 0-60 requiring little more than five seconds. All of this would have been demonstrated to a handful of lucky customers, Wallace himself no doubt providing the ride of a lifetime around the winding country roads and autostradas of Bologna.
   

The Bertone-designed, Marazzi-fabricated steel production body was discarded and replaced by lightweight aluminium and glassfibre panels. These were specially welded throughout, the experimental department also fitting a steel roll cage. Lightweight aluminium was used for the doors and bonnet, the latter now featuring huge extraction vents to allow hot engine and radiator gases out over the car rather than exiting underneath. Re-profiling the regular Jarama’s front end, Bertone’s retractable headlights were junked and replaced with twin lamps under plastic cowls. A jutting chin spoiler featured NACA ducts that fed cool air to the brakes and lent an even more menacing appearance. To further reduce weight, all glass save for the windshield was replaced with Plexiglas, a Monza competition fuel filler peeking through the rear screen. Inside, the repositioned engine meant a new dash, instrument binnacle and transmission tunnel had to be fabricated, all of which was trimmed in a mixture of materials.

 
The dash and low-backed Miura seats were upholstered in alcantara while the huge transmission tunnel and rear quarters were covered in quilted PVC. The driver's view was dominated by a 300km/h speedo and 10,000rpm tach, racing harnesses holding the occupants firmly in place. Having been used extensively by Wallace throughout the seventies, 10350 was sold off before winding up complete but dumped in the Saudi Arabian desert. It was discovered during the mid eighties and shipped to then UK Lamborghini Concessionaires, Portman, who carried out a ground-up restoration. 10350 has subsequently led a more cosseted life as befits one of Lamborghini's most legendary machines.