After assembling its parts, the division tasked with preserving the Raging Bull’s bloodline was able to recreate the design.
Lamborghini’s Polo Storico division was founded in 2015 and is made up of fewer than a dozen specialists focused on restoring classic models, from the 350 GT of the 1960s to the Diablo of 2001.
“Our goal with Polo Storico is to preserve the company’s heritage and the value of its cars to the maximum possible level,” Alessandro Farmeschi, Lamborghini’s global aftersales director and head of Polo Storico, explains. Our main focus is certification, restoration, and reconstruction of parts that fit classic cars.
One of Farmeschi’s greatest accomplishments, he says, has been the complete reconstruction of a one-off 1971 Countach LP 500, undertaken at the client’s request. A prototype of the brand’s first model line, the LP 500 was designed by Marcello Gandini and engineered by Paolo Stanzani. The LP 500 established the marque’s reputation for aggressive aesthetics and raw performance.
As Farmeschi explains, the original “was destroyed during a test and eventually disappeared” in 1974. In spite of the fact that we didn’t have the same chassis, we were able to rebuild it, recreate the design, and create and assemble all the parts.” The project adhered to period-correct components and processes, including beating metal and building shapes using wood molds. The Pirelli tires were also authentic, since they were replicated from the originals and Lamborghini was encouraged to test it at its Vizzola Ticino track.
At the 2021 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como, Polo Storico debuted its reborn LP 500 after investing about 25,000 hours. Farmeschi sat in the car and started the engine. “Goose bumps.” The feeling from the past.
