Lamborghini 350 GT
1964–1966 · Lamborghini 350 GT — Grand Tourer, V12, designed by Carrozzeria Touring.
The Story
This is where it all begins — and it begins, as legend has it, out of spite. Ferruccio Lamborghini, a fabulously successful tractor magnate, owned several Ferraris and judged their clutches weak — the very same clutch, he noticed, that his tractors used. He took his complaints to Enzo Ferrari, who (so the story goes) told him to stick to making tractors. Whether those exact words were ever spoken is disputed; what’s certain is that Ferruccio resolved to build a better grand tourer than Ferrari, and did.
In barely a year he had a factory at Sant’Agata and, in 1964, a car: the 350 GT. Beneath a Touring Superleggera aluminium body — handsome to some, ‘perhaps too bug-eyed to be beautiful’ to others — sat a 3.5-litre V12 penned by Giotto Bizzarrini, the engineer behind the Ferrari 250 GTO, deliberately detuned for smooth, durable road manners. This was the anti-Ferrari: refined, quiet, reliable; a gentleman’s express, not a racer for the road.
Just 120 were built, which makes the car that founded Lamborghini one of its rarest. Every Miura, Countach and Revuelto that followed traces back to this elegant, slightly awkward, gloriously stubborn grand tourer.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Carrozzeria Touring
Milanese coachbuilder famed for ‘Superleggera’ construction (alloy panels over a tubular frame). Federico Formenti penned the DB4/DB5/DB6 – among the most beautiful GTs ever. Source: Wikipedia.
Studio Motors POV
The 350 GT is the cornerstone: own it and you own chapter one of the entire supercar story. We don’t chase any 350 GT — we hunt a numbers-matching, documented example, because with the founding Lamborghini, provenance is the whole point.
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About 350 GT
Worth Knowing About the 350 GT
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- It exists because — as the founding legend has it — Enzo Ferrari told tractor-maker Ferruccio to stick to tractors.
- Its V12 was designed by Giotto Bizzarrini, the same engineer behind the Ferrari 250 GTO.
- Only 120 were built — one of the rarest Lamborghinis of all.
5 Fast Facts
- Lamborghini's first production car, launched 1964 (Turin show).
- 3.5L Bizzarrini V12, 280 hp, ~158 mph; 120 built.
- Body by Carrozzeria Touring (Superleggera alloy-over-tube construction).
- Deliberately detuned from race spec for refined road manners.
- The foundation of every Lamborghini that followed.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
No individual owner is firmly documented in this pass; survivors are museum- and collector-held. (We don’t guess owners.)
Studio Buyer’s Brief
With only 120 built, any 350 GT is rare; matching-numbers cars with documented history and honest Touring bodywork lead the market (~$400K–800K+). A correct, well-sorted Bizzarrini V12 is the prize — rust and incorrect engines are the value-killers.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Lamborghini 350 GT
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1964–1966
- Units built
- 120 total
- Variants
- 350 GTS (spider, ~2 built)
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- V12
- Engine family
- Bizzarrini V12
- Displacement
- 3.5L (3,464 cc)
- Power
- 280 hp
- Torque
- 240 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 6.8 s
- Top speed
- 158 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 193 hp/tonne · 11.4 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 5-speed ZF manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 3197 lb
Questions
350 GT FAQ
Was the Lamborghini 350 GT the first Lamborghini car?
Yes. The 350 GT was Lamborghini’s first production road car, debuting at the March 1964 Geneva Motor Show. It established the Lamborghini formula of a powerful front-mounted V12 in a grand touring body, with only 120 examples built across two years.
What engine does the Lamborghini 350 GT use?
The 350 GT uses a 3.5-litre V12 designed by Giotto Bizzarrini, a key Ferrari engineer who also led development on the Ferrari 250 GTO (which used Ferrari’s own Colombo V12). For the 350 GT it was detuned to 280 hp for refined road use, driving the rear wheels through a ZF 5-speed manual gearbox.
Why did Ferruccio Lamborghini start making cars?
According to the founding account, Ferruccio Lamborghini approached Enzo Ferrari with a complaint about the clutch in his Ferrari — the same clutch used in his own tractors. Ferrari reportedly dismissed him and told him to leave cars to the experts. Lamborghini resolved to build a superior grand tourer himself.
How much does a Lamborghini 350 GT cost?
Lamborghini 350 GT values range between approximately $400,000 and $800,000 or more for the finest examples, with matching-numbers, documented cars commanding the strongest premiums. As the founding Lamborghini production car with only 120 built, provenance and condition are the primary value drivers.
Can you buy a Lamborghini 350 GT?
Yes. The 350 GT surfaces occasionally through specialist classic-car dealers, marque registries and established auction houses.
The Lamborghini Lineup
Explore every Lamborghini
350 GT ’64400 GT ’66Miura ’66Espada ’68Islero ’68
Jarama ’70Urraco ’72Countach ’74Silhouette ’76
Murcielago ’01Gallardo ’03Reventon ’08
Aventador ’11Veneno ’13Huracan ’14Centenario ’16Huracan Performante ’17Urus ’18Aventador SVJ ’18Sian ’19
Huracan STO ’21Countach LPI 800-4 ’21Revuelto ’23Temerario ’25
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