Lamborghini Marzal

Vehicle Overview

The Lamborghini Marzal, designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone, was built with the intention of creating for Ferruccio Lamborghini a granturismo with four real seats. Among the hallmarks were the doors with large glass surfaces and gull-wing opening made, as was the roof, by the Belgian company Glaverbel. The interior was entirely done in silver color to further accentuate the brightness of the cabin. The central motif of the design was the hexagon, which was repeated in the dashboard, rear window and door trim, among other things. The Lamborghini Marzal was powered by 6 cylinders engine with 1,965 cm³ displacement, and was obtained by sectioning the 12-cylinder Lamborghini Miura in two. The transmission was 5-speed. Mechanically, it was the only six-cylinder Lamborghini. The Lamborghini Marzal’s engine was turned 180 degrees from that of its forerunner, causing the first gear to be located low down, away from the steering wheel. The top speed was 225 mph. Room for 4 passengers was achieved by a Miura chassis lengthened by 12 centimeters and through a cantilevered engine placement behind the rear wheel axle. The Lamborghini Marzal remained a one-off, although it served as stylistic inspiration for the lines of the later Lamborghini Espada. Marcello Gandini’s design was so innovative that it attracted several model car manufacturers, including Politoys, Dinky and Matchbox, who reproduced it, albeit in non-original colors such as orange. Although classified as a concept car, it was fully functional, to the point that it was driven by Princess Grace and her husband at the 1967 Formula 1 Monaco GP and that Quattroruote magazine, after testing it, published its driving impressions. During the weekend of the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique (May 11-13, 2018), Prince Albert II of Monaco retraced the traditional parade lap of the Monegasque royal family behind the wheel of the car. One of the Lamborghini Marzal prototypes is currently at the museum dedicated to Ferruccio Lamborghini in Dosso, in the province of Ferrara. Its name comes from bullfighting, like other models from the Bologna-based manufacturer. Marzal is, in fact, the name of a breed of bulls used in the arenas.

The Lamborghini Marzal’s main styling feature is the design of the doors, which balance the proportions of front and rear in a harmonious whole. The car’s aesthetics were completely new, above all due to a revolutionary balance between panels and glazed areas, and show Bertone at his most creative.