This model immediately stood out for having introduced technical solutions that were very innovative for the time, thanks to the contribution of engineer Paolo Stanzani, the technical father of the Urraco and Lamborghini’s Chief Technical Officer at the time.
The styling of the project was entrusted to renowned designer Marcello Gandini, who in that period was the principal designer for Carrozzeria Bertone.
The Urraco is a fast 2+2 coupé, with a mid-mounted V8 rear engine and independent suspension using MacPherson strut system on both front and rear for the first time in a production car.
Initially presented with the 2.5-litre V8 producing 220hp at 7,800rpm to give it a top speed of 245kph, the Urraco featured the double novelty of an eight-cylinder engine and the distribution of a single overhead camshaft per bank.
The technical refinement was completed by the use of a “Heron chamber” engine head with flat inner part and the combustion chamber contained in a depression in the top of the piston.
This solution made it possible to use a higher compression ratio without increasing the costs.
Another novelty for Lamborghini was the four Weber double-body 40 IDF1 type carburettors.
The production system for the car was another innovation, planned from the early stages of the project to be much less artisanal than the other Lamborghini models.
The creation of the Urraco was attributed to an express wish of Ferruccio Lamborghini, who was eager to expand the company’s products and make a Lamborghini that would be accessible to a wider, albeit limited, public.
At only 4,250mm-long, the Urraco’s interior space was highly innovative in terms of ergonomics from the dashboard, the position of the instruments and the dished steering wheel.
Introduced as the P250 Urraco, where the “P” stood for the rear (posteriore) position of the engine, and 250 for the engine capacity (2.5 litres), it was produced from 1970 to 1976.
The Urraco was then proposed at the 1974 Turin Motor Show in the P200 version with a reduced displacement (1,994cc producing 182hp), intended for the Italian market, from 1975 to 1977.
The next version, the P300 came with a 2,996 cc and that produced 265hp and debuted in 1974 with production starting from 1975 to 1979.
The Urraco, with its V8 engine, was the main Lamborghini that brought about its more recent V10 cousins - the Gallardo and Huracán.
