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9:35in productionCh. 1 · First steps/ 9:35 · ceiling 15 min
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Lamborghini 350 GT

Franco Scaglione · 1964

Lamborghini’s first car wasn’t a statement—it was a delivery: a polished, Touring-bodied GT that got the company out of the tractor shed and onto the autobahn.

The Lamborghini 350 GT is Lamborghini’s first production car. It is a grand tourer built between 1964 and 1966. It was based on the 350 GTV prototype. It has a 3.5 litre V12 engine. Its body is a 2-door coupé by Carrozzeria Touring. Lamborghini built 120 units.

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Chapters & takeaways4
  1. 1:10
    First steps

    It was Lamborghini’s first production car—and it launched at Geneva in March 1964.

  2. 3:09
    Two designers, one name

    The 350 GTV was Scaglione’s prototype; the 350 GT was Touring’s production version.

  3. 4:52
    How it’s built

    A 3.5 litre V12 up front, driving the rear wheels, wrapped in a 2-door coupé body by Touring.

  4. 6:06
    Small numbers, big start

    Production ran from May 1964 to 1966. Just 120 units left the factory.

Worth your time?

Yes. Drive the whole thing.

4/ 5
What works
  • established Lamborghini as a production carmaker
  • delivered a usable, refined grand tourer
  • bridged the gap between prototype and series production
What does not
  • Franco Scaglione designed the production 350 GT
Drive it if
  • students of post-war Italian GT development
Skip it if
  • fans of Scaglione’s avant-garde styling
The written brief1 min read

What the car is and where it came from

The Lamborghini 350 GT is a grand tourer. It is Lamborghini’s first production car. It was built from 1964 to 1966. It is based on the 350 GTV prototype. It debuted at the March 1964 Geneva Motor Show. Production began in May 1964.

How it works, in terms someone would actually use

Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. A 3.5 litre V12 sends power to the rear axle. The body is a 2-door coupé built by Carrozzeria Touring.

What it gets right

It delivers on its purpose: a refined, road-going grand tourer. It prioritises usability over drama—comfortable seating, usable luggage space, and a smooth V12 suited to long distances.

What it does not

It does not carry Franco Scaglione’s design into production. Scaglione conceived only the 350 GTV prototype; Touring designed the production 350 GT.

What it changed

It proved Lamborghini could build a production car. It shifted the company from tractor-maker to GT manufacturer in under a year.

Who it is for, and who it is not

It is for someone studying how Italian GTs evolved in the mid-1960s. It is not for someone seeking Scaglione’s styling or raw performance theatre.

Is it worth your time

Yes—if you need to understand how Lamborghini established itself as a maker of grand tourers, not just supercars.

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