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This rare 1984 Lamborghini is now heading to auction

By Bryan Hood 8 May, 2024
1984 Lamborghini Jalpa

The Jalpa is one of three models released while the Countach was in production

A rare example of the Lamborghini Countach’s little brother is heading to auction.
A 1984 Jalpa coupe is set to go up for bid later this month during Mecum Auctions’ annual Indianapolis sale. The sporty two-door dates back to an era when the Italian marque might only build a hundred cars per year as opposed to the thousands it makes annually today.

How big of a shadow does the Countach cast? So big that even some Raging Bull enthusiasts forget that the automaker released three other models during the 16 years when its most iconic supercar was on the market. The second of these was the Jalpa, which was also Lamborghini’s attempt at building an “affordable” sports car. It may have a wedge shape just like its older sibling, but its general design is more restrained and it comes with a V-8 instead of a V-12. It’s hard to imagine someone buying a Lamborghini that wasn’t a Countach during the 1970s and ‘80s, but 410 examples left the factory between 1981 and 1988. It may not have been a hit per se, but it helped lay the groundwork for the brand’s “starter” supercars to follow, like the Gallardo and Huracan.

1984 Lamborghini Jalpa
Photo by Mecum Auctions
This particular Jalpa, serial no. ZA9J00000ELA12127, dates from midway through the model’s production run and is finished in bright red Rosso Siviglia. It may not be as brash as the Countach, but its angular body features removable roof panels—it was the brand’s second targa after its immediate predecessor, the Silhouette—and rides on a set of white Route Z alloy wheels. The interior, meanwhile, is covered in black leather and has a gated shifter, its factory air-conditioning system, and an Alpine stereo system.
The vehicle is powered by a mid-mounted 3.5-litre DOHC V-8. The eight-cylinder mill produced 255 hp and 345 nm of torque, all of which was sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. The coupe is capable of launching from zero to 100 km/hr in six seconds, and reaches a top speed of 249 km/hr. This example has 30,096 kilometres on the odometer and looks to be in great shape, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if it’s still almost capable of those performance figures.
1984 Lamborghini Jalpa
Photo by Mecum Auctions
This Jalpa is scheduled to hit the auction block on Saturday, 18 May 2024. Mecum hasn’t announced an estimate for the car, but Jalpas in decent condition sell for around US$85,000 and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this example exceed that number.
This story was first published on Robb Report USA