Lamborghini Marzal

The Lamborghini Marzal was a prototype concept car presented by Lamborghini at the 1967 Geneva Motor Show.

Designed by Marcello Gandini of Bertone, it was created to supply Ferruccio Lamborghini with a true four-seater car for his lineup which already included the 400GT 2+2 and the Miura. It was distinguished by amply glazed gullwing-doors and an equally amply louvered rear window. Propulsion was by a 2L 175 bhp (130 kW) in-line six engine, actually a split-in-half version of Lamborghini's 4L V12, mated to a five speed transmission.

In 1967, Ferruccio Lamborghini had two steady sellers on the market, the 400 GT and the P400 Miura, but what he lacked was a full four-seater. He had a body designed by Marcello Gandini for Bertone. The car was put on a lengthened Miura chassis, it was designated the TP200 Marzal. This car was powered by half a Miura engine, the V-12 was cut in half lengthwise, resulting in a two-litre, in-line six, and was mounted transversely in the rear.

All this weight in the rear probably destroyed the roadholding, but that was a problem to be dealth with once the car was being tested prior to production. The body built by Bertone was too controversive for Ferruccio's taste, it used no less than 49 Sq.ft. of glass, even the lower part of the upward swinging gullwing doors were glass-filled. This glass was built in collaboration with the Belgian Glaverbel company, but it was too excessive for even the most eccentric tastes, and the late Ferruccio didn't like it at all.

However, Bertone thought it could be produced and even built the chassis in his own plant to insure himself of the rigidity to deal with all that glass. The interior of the car was finished in a bright-silver leather upholstery, and provided space for up to four adults. Thanks to the large gullwing doors (in true Mercedes 300SL style), the entry to both the front and rear seats was very easy.

The Marzal was the epitome of the 'Hexagonitis'-period, through which Bertone was going at that time, everything that was designed at his studio's had to resemble, one way or another, with an hexagon. Ferruccio couldn't be convinced about this car, and it remained strictly a one-off unit, that was displayed on various Auto shows on Bertone's or Lamborghini's stand. But the Marzal really became known to the world when it was used by Rainer and Grace of Monaco to open the track at the 1967 Grand Prix of Monaco, some people even claimed this was the only use for this car, in parades.



The Marzal remained a one-off, though the general shape and many of the ideas would go on to be used in the Espada. The Marzal design probably found wider recognition as a die-cast model, with both Dinky and Matchbox making scale models, albeit in other colours such as orange livery, although the original show car was painted in silver. This car was publicly driven only once by Princess Grace and her husband as the Monaco Grand-Prix pace car the same year it was designed.

The Marzal made a second public appearance at the 1996 Concours Italiano in Monterey, California in honor of Carrozzeria Bertone. The Athon was also exhibited at this time. Today the Marzal has a prominent place in Ferruccio's museum on the shores of Lake Trasmine, although some sources continue to state the Marzal is located in the Bertone Design Study Museum.

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