1999 Lamborghini Diablo Roadster VT
$465,000
Berkeley,, CA
Highway:
13 MPG
Manual
V12, 5.7L; DOHC 48V
Titanium Gray
AWD
Gasoline
19,000 Miles
ZA9RU31B2XLA12228
VT
Price and Mileage of Similar 1999 Lamborghini Diablo Roadster in CA
Estimated Payment
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About This 1999 Lamborghini Diablo Roadster
In Lamborghini s first 35 years, the company had more than half a dozen owners and spent nearly the entire time being unprofitable. Despite this tumult, the cars wearing the raging bull were remarkably consistent: exotic, extraverted, and extremely high-performance. The follow-up to the sensational (but aging) Countach, the Diablo emerged from this uncertain environment, but it sure wasn t obvious. Its gestation was waylaid by Chrysler s 1987 acquisition of Lamborghini, which necessitated substantial rework of Marcello Gandini s styling to please the new management. Chrysler also demanded a more powerful engine, while their styling tweaks made the shape considerably slipperier. Its coefficient of drag was reduced by nearly 25% while the 48-valve evolution of Bizzarrini s iconic V12 was expanded to 5.7 liters and fitted with electronic fuel injection. The car was immediately identifiable as a Lamborghini, and to keep up with the times, it was engineered from the outset to accommodate four wheel drive. The system eventually debuted in 1993 in the Diablo VT, while power steering arrived in the same year. An open-roofed concept appeared in March of 1992 at the Geneva Motor Show, which was not initially intended for production, although a production version of the car did eventually appear in late 1995. It had a removable carbon fiber roof panel which could be affixed to the top of the engine lid, which was redesigned to accommodate mounting points for the roof panel and preserve engine cooling when the roof panel was installed. The roadster also gained a few other external differences including revised rear air intakes, a different arrangement of lights and vents on the front bumper, a revised rear bumper, and new wheels.In 1998, a host of refinements appeared, including larger brakes (and 1 inch larger wheels to clear them), and variable valve timing, which increased power from 485 HP to 529 HP. In 1999, afixed rather than pop-up headlamps were introduced, as was a new, more flowing dashboard design and ABS.This particular example has covered approximately 19,000 miles and is one of fewer than 200 examples produced. The current owner purchased the car in 2023 at an RM auction, and just prior to that, the car received a service at a cost of approximately $6000, which included new front shocks, oil change, brake fluid flush, power steering flush, and suspension calibration.