Described as ‘probably the greatest car designer ever’ by Flavio Manzoni, chief design officer at Ferrari, Marcello had precisely such a driving-force behind his colossally successful career: a career that had Gandini awarded Car Design News magazine’s first Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, with the additional compliment that his stature within the industry could not be overstated.

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In Gandini’s case his was rather an obverse form of rebellion. Coming from a family in Turin in Italy that was steeped in classical music, with a father who was a former orchestral conductor and composer, it was always assumed that Marcello Gandini would become a pianist.The future world-class car designer was sent to a classical lyceum where he studied the piano. Yet at an early age the boy had developed an intense interest in cars and mechanical engineering. And at his classical lyceum he continued to foster his passion for engines, mechanics and technology. When he left this school – essentially ‘dropping out’, as it used to be described, to study mechanical matters – his decision led to an utter break with his family and rejection by his parents.

You wonder whether at some point Marcello Gandini’s parents appreciated that their son was in fact creating visual and mechanical symphonies for the world to feast on? Or those world citizens who could afford the high-end prices of the luxury motor-cars designed by their son.

For this master Italian car designer, integral to the success of the Italian car design house Bertone with whom he worked, had an unparalleled body of work that included designing the Alfa Romeo Carabo and Montreal, Lancia’s Stratos Zero, Maserati’s Khamsin, Ferrari’s GT4, Fiat’s X1/9, and several Lamborghinis, including the Bravo, Miura, Marzal, Espada, Urraco, Countach, and – last but certainly not least, for we have an example of this today at Beverly Hills Car Club – the Lamborghini Jarama.

The model we have gracing our premises is an extremely rare 1973 Lamborghini Jarama 400 GT, featured with matching numbers. The car comes finished in a yellow exterior complemented by a tan interior.

With only 176 examples of this particular ever built, out of a tiny total of 328 Jaramas of all variants, this makes this Jarama a highly sought-after collector’s item.

In Gandini’s design this iconic vehicle pays homage to the rich heritage of the famous bullfighting region of the Jarama river area of Spain, embodying the spirit of power, elegance, and performance.

Ferruccio Lamborghini intended the car’s name to recall the fighting bulls bred in the district, also the scene of fierce battles in 1937 during the Spanish civil war.

Featured amenities include bucket seats with headrests, center console, Concord FM/AM radio, and an analog clock.

This 2+2 grand tourer is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, V12 engine, power steering, 6 carburetors, four-wheel disc brakes, quad exhausts, rubber/chrome bumpers, Jaeger instrumentation, characteristic Lamborghini semi-concealed pop-out Bosch headlights, wood dash, side marker lights, rocker switches, 3-spoke wood steering wheel, 15-inch Campagnolo wheels, Cooper tires and a full-size spare tire fitted in the trunk.

In 1968 Lamborghini began manufacturing the Islero to meet the demand of the American market. When it came time to replace it, instead of just redesigning the Islero, Lamborghini instead came up with the Jarama, a 2+2 grand tourer.

Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1970, Lamborghini built the Jarama to meet U.S. standards; it employed a version of the Lamborghini Espada chassis that had had its wheelbase shortened by 10.7 inches. In Marcello Gandini’s exterior styling there are similarities with Iso Rivolta’s Lele, which he also designed.

AKA the Jaguar Pirana, this was a concept car created for the 1967 London Motor Show.

Designed by Gandini, it was a sleek GT model based on the chassis and powertrain of the 4.2 liter Jaguar E-type, with a unique steel semi-monocoque body and luxurious interior. Unusually for a show car, the Pirana had been commissioned by The Daily Telegraph, one of Britain’s leading newspapers, as an example of an ‘ideal car.’ The Espada was introduced in 1968, one year after the Pirana. The wooden body buck built for the Pirana was used in the construction of an early Espada prototype.

The Jarama weighs 1,450 kilograms (3,200 lb) dry, heavier than the Islero. It is powered by the same 3.9 L (3,929 cc) Lamborghini V12 engine used in the Islero and Espada, which was heavily derived from the engine used in the earlier  400 GT. The engine was fitted with six Weber 40 DCOE carburetors and sends power to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. The original Jarama (1970–1973) model was claimed to produce 350 bhp (260 kW). Early Jaramas feature center-locking magnesium alloy wheels, as used on the Miura and S1/S2 Espadas.

By the way, Marcello Gandini himself said his design interests prioritized vehicle architecture, construction, assembly, and mechanisms over styling.

Isn’t that why the greatest car designer ever was so great?

-Alex Manos, Owner