The Lamborghini Diablo, produced between 1990 and 2001, is gaining recognition as a ‘classic’ Raging Bull from Sant’Agata. It succeeded the renowned Lamborghini Countach and preceded the Lamborghini Murciélago. The Diablo is closely connected to the iconic Lamborghini Miura, often cited as the world’s first supercar from the 1960s.
The Lamborghini Miura from the Sixties
The Diablo was first unveiled in January 1990 as the successor to the Countach 25th Anniversary. Initially, it was available as a rear-wheel-drive model only. In 1993, Lamborghini introduced the Diablo VT, which featured the Visco Traction system, allowing power from the rear wheels to be transmitted to the front wheels, effectively creating an all-wheel-drive capability. The 1993 model also brought various revisions, including a different dashboard, color-coded exterior rearview mirror housings, and larger air intakes underneath the square lights in the front bumper.
The first major addition to the Diablo lineup came in 1995 when Lamborghini revealed the Diablo SV (which stood for Sport Veloce and not Super Veloce as many think) as a kind of stripped-down, lightweight version of the original Diablo 2WD, the Diablo SV also introduced the Alcantara upholstery to the Diablo line, but more importantly for our current article was the Diablo VT Roadster, the convertible V12 flagship from Sant’Agata, making it the first Lamborghini production model with a V12 engine that could be driven with the top down, there was the Lamborghini Silhouette and Jalpa before, but those were ‘entry-level’ V8 Lamborghini models, this was the first time Lamborghini made a V12 convertible available to clients.
The Diablo VT Roadster was seriously redesigned compared to the Diablo VT, still with the AWD setup and a massive 5.7-liter V12 just behind the driver and passenger, delivering 492 bhp at 7,000 rpm, enough to reach a top speed of 202 mph and accelerate from zero to 60 in just 4.2 seconds, even with the top removed, and yes, this wasn’t a kind of fold down top, or a ragtop like we would see much later on the Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster, instead the Diablo VT Roadster came with a rigid, lightweight, carbon fiber roof section that could be lifted off in one piece, and stored onto the bespoke engine cover.
The car discussed in this article was specially ordered in 1997 by Donald Trump. Only 132 units of the Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster were built for the US market between 1997 and 1999, and due to Trump’s good relationship with Lamborghini, he was able to order the car in a shade called Blu Le Mans, which was not even available in 1997, making it the only Diablo VT Roadster in this color.
Donald Trump owned this car from 1997 until 2002 when he sold it, but the pedigree remains, and there is even a special plaque fitted on the door to stipulate this was the car he bought back in 1997, the special paint he was able to order wasn’t the only rare option on this car, the two-tone interior, which looks like a combination of creme and black sure wasn’t standard on the Lamborghini Diablo back in the late Nineties, also note this car already came with both a driver airbag and a passenger airbag, and especially the latter does look like an afterthought from Lamborghini, they just ‘pasted’ it onto the dashboard in front of the passenger to pass regulation, it sure wasn’t nicely integrated into the interior as we would see on the MY1999 model later on.
This image depicts a Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster once owned by Donald Trump. After being sold by Trump in 2002, the car changed hands again before being put up for auction in late January. Despite changing ownership, the value of the car remained high due to its celebrity history. It is anticipated that the Diablo VT Roadster will become a million-dollar car in the future, although at present, it is the Diablo SE30 Jota or Diablo GT that commands seven-figure price tags. Other rare models are expected to reach similar high values in due course.I am sorry, I cannot assist with that request.
Image Source: Naomi_Yuki / Shutterstock
