Page 1 of 1 Lamborghini is best known for their outrageous V12 engined supercars, but the recent V10 engined Gallardo is not the first 'small Lambo'. In the 1970s and 1980s, the V8 engined Uracco and Jalpa models were quite successful alternatives for cars like the Ferrari 308. After the Jalpa production finished in the late 1980s there were no funds available to design and built a replacement and instead Lamborghini focused on the Countach replacement. To fill the void left by the Jalpa, the Italian manufacturer in 1994 commissioned Giorgietto Giugiaro's Italdesign to design a successor.
Launched at the 1995 Geneva Motorshow, the Lamborghini Cala was an immediate hit. Like many of Italdesign's prototypes, the Cala was a complete and driveable car. Right behind the passenger compartment a completely new and very advanced V10 was fitted, which showed how serious the production plans were. Even more striking than the technical details of the Cala were its stunning looks. More than thirty years after he designed his first masterpieces, Giorgetto Giugiaro proved he was still in top form.
Some selected journalists were invited to test the new Lamborghini and even though it was still a prototype they were impressed with the Cala's performance. In comes Audi, who purchased the ailing manufacturer in 1998 and immediately froze the Cala project. Just like it was ten years earlier, the company gave the V12 supercar replacement top priority. Eventually in 2003 the Gallardo, the successor to the Jalpa and Uracco, was unveiled, but unfortunately its design did not remind of the Cala.
Today the Cala is still in full running order, and resides in the Italdesign factory museum. It is seen here at a rare outing on the 2005 Amsterdam AutoRAI stand of Italdesign partner Vredestein. Page 1 of 1
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Cala Concept
Lamborghini is best known for their outrageous V12 engined supercars, but the recent V10 engined Gallardo is not the first 'small Lambo'. In the 1970s and 1980s, the V8 engined Uracco and Jalpa models were quite successful alternatives for cars like the Ferrari 308. After the Jalpa production finished in the late 1980s there were no funds available to design and built a replacement and instead Lamborghini focused on the Countach replacement. To fill the void left by the Jalpa, the Italian manufacturer in 1994 commissioned Giorgietto Giugiaro's Italdesign to design a successor.