1974 Lamborghini Urraco

Introduced at the 1970 Turin Auto Show, design was by Marcello Gandini, then working for Carrozzeria Bertone, the all-new Uracco or "Little Bull" was a direct response to Ferrari's then-new Dino 246 GT and a shot across the bow of other European sports cars of the era like the Maserati Merak and the Porsche 911. This baby Lambo followed the Miura in using a transverse powertrain mounted directly behind the cabin, with the engine being an all-new, compact 90-degree aluminum unit with iron wet cylinder liners. The V8 was a clean-sheet design by Lamborghini's head engineer, Paolo Stazani, an 86- x 53-mm bore and stroke brought a 2,462.9-cc displacement, and with a 10.4:1 compression ratio and four Weber 40 IDF 1 downdraft carburetors, this engine made 220 hp at 7,500 RPM, and 166-lb.ft. of torque at 5,750 RPM; significantly more than the Ferrari 246 GT's 195 hp at 7,600 rpm. This V-8, along with the exclusive alloy-case five-speed manual transmission and the rear suspension, was mounted in a rubber-isolated rear subframe that could be separated by removing only four bolts for easy servicing. In October 1972 an improved Urraco "S" was introduced, and while we'd love to say it added 50 more horsepower, instead the "S" package added a full leather upholstery, lightly tinted power windows and the option of metallic paint, while the engine received new Weber 40 DCNF carburetors. These modifications made the Urraco "S" more user-friendly than earlier model Urracos'.