Lamborghini P200 Marzal – L’Orient-Le Jour

Lamborghini Marzal, named after a kind of fighting bull (the brand’s emblem), is a concept car first introduced by the Italian manufacturer at the 1967 Geneva Motor Show. This concept, imagined by Marcello Gandini from the design firm Bertone, was given to Ferruccio Lamborghini 400 GT 2+ It was designed to provide a suitable four-seater for its range, which includes the 2 and Miura – another name for fighting bulls. However, although its design and many of the new ideas it contained were later reproduced in the Lamborghini Espada (a four-seater coupe produced in 1968 and 1978), the Lamborghini Marzal was never put into production and remained a unique model.

First presented by Lamborghini at the 1967 Geneva Motor Show, the P200 Marzal was a revolutionary four-seater sports car reminiscent of a spaceship. However, it never went into production and remained a unique model. Photo Doctor

The style of the Lamborghini Marzal for its time was downright radical, so much so that the specialist magazine Road & Track wrote about it: “It’s such a fresh Bertone design, everything else looks old-fashioned. The gull-wing was distinguished by glass doors, a strong hexagonal pattern, including a louvered rear window, unique interior trim and Campagnolo wheels made of magnesium. Other innovative elements included silver interior trim and six SEV Marchal headlights at the pointed, wedge-shaped front end. The chassis was based on the chassis of the Lamborghini Miura, but was lengthened and strengthened by 120 mm. The resulting wheelbase was 2.62 m. The hood was aluminum and the rest of the unglazed body was steel, all weighing in at 1,220 kg (gross weight). In addition, the Lamborghini Marzal had a total length of 4.45 m, a width of 1.70 m and a height of 1.10 m.

The car was powered by a 2.0-liter inline six-cylinder power unit producing 175 hp (130 kW) at 6,800 rpm and maximum torque of 18.2 kg/m at 4,600 rpm. Its maximum speed was estimated at 190 km / h. This engine – a half-split version of Lamborghini’s 4.0-liter V12 paired with a 5-speed gearbox – was designed by Gian Paolo Dallara and mounted transversely to the rear of the car (entirely behind the axle). The air intakes were equipped with three Weber 40 DCOE carburetors located directly behind the heads of the rear passengers. As for the transaxle, it came from the Lamborghini Miura with a higher final drive ratio to improve acceleration.

First presented by Lamborghini at the 1967 Geneva Motor Show, the P200 Marzal was a revolutionary four-seater sports car reminiscent of a spaceship. However, it never went into production and remained a unique model. Photo Doctor

The interior of the Lamborghini Marzal, also called the P200 Marzal, was futuristic: the hexagonal honeycomb theme on the instrument panel, the center console with most of the instruments and controls. This hexagonal theme even carried over into the shape of the seat cushions and backrests, while the decorations were literally stand out with a highly reflective finish. This space-age layout may have even inspired the great French-American designer Raymond Loewy, whose Skylab space station design developed from 1967 relied heavily on hexagonal patterns.

Finally, for a little historical anecdote, the P200 Marzal made a notable appearance at the Monaco F1 Grand Prix on May 7, 1967, when it was driven on the street circuit by Prince Rainier III, accompanied by his wife, Princess Grace.

Source: editorial