Ranking All the Lamborghinis From the 1980s and 1990s
Welcome to Graded. Here we discuss legendary marques, models, or trim packages and affix a letter grade to a selection of vehicles falling under that topic. The grades mean nothing and are completely arbitrary. I fully encourage you to tell me what I got wrong and how you would grade them instead. Have some fun with it.
Before the days of Diablos, Gallardos, Huracáns, Murciélagos and Aventadors, Lamborghini had a large lineup of vehicles that included front-engine 2+2 coupes, lightweight sports cars and even at one time, a hardcore off-road pick-up truck. For this instalment of Graded we are going to focus on Lamborghinis from the 1970s and 1980s.
1972 Lamborghini Miura P400SV
Grade: A+
This is one of the most beautiful cars ever made, bar none. The P400SV is the ultimate version of the car (minus a few super rare special editions). This is automotive perfection.
1973 Lamborghini Espada Series III
Grade: B-
This front engine 2+2 coupe was powered by a V12 engine and was less about all-out performance compared to some other Lamborghini models. Refinements continued throughout its model run and the final Series III was the most refined. An exclamation on the car’s purpose in life is highlighted by the fact it could be had with a 3-speed automatic transmission.
1973 Lamborghini Jarama GTS
Grade: B
Basically, an Espada restyled to meet the North American market. The car succeeded in that aspect as I prefer the looks of this car over the Espada.
1974 Lamborghini Countach LP400
Grade: A-
This is where the legend started. Although it was yet to be on the poster in every child’s bedroom, the original Countach LP400 was still a great performer. I love the look of the clean body lines and high sidewall, chunky tires.
1975 Lamborghini Urraco P300
Grade: C+
The Urraco was a lower tier sports car released in 1972. Instead of the usual V12 engine, the car came with a choice of small displacement V8s. It was a good-looking car with decent performer, but was missing some of that Lamborghini prestige.
1977 Lamborghini Silhouette P300
Grade: B-
The Silhouette was essentially a Urraco with a removable targa roof panel. The overall styling and coolness factor of the removable top puts it ahead of the Urraco in my books.
1985 Lamborghini Jalpa
Grade: B
The Jalpa was a successor to the Silhouette and used a 3.5-liter V8 engine. With more angular ‘80s styling and the optional Countach wing later in the model run, I quite like the looks of this car. It wasn’t exactly a performance monster, but it was fairly quick for its time.
1987 Lamborghini LM002
Grade: A
A purpose-built off-road truck with a Lamborghini V12. What’s not to love? Well, maybe the fuel bills.
1988 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition
Grade: A
A true icon. Do I really need to get into why this car is special? The Countach made Lamborghini a household name around the world.
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A 20+ year industry veteran, Mike rejoins the AutoGuide team as the Managing Editor. He started his career at a young age working at dealerships, car rentals, and used car advertisers. He then found his true passion, automotive writing. After contributing to multiple websites for several years, he spent the next six years working at the head office of an automotive OEM, before returning back to the field he loves. He is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). He's the recipient of a feature writing of the year award and multiple video of the year awards.
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