Lamborghini 350 GT Marks 60 Years

While today it’s difficult to imagine the automotive landscape without Lamborghini in the mix, it was only 60 years ago this month that the brand officially launched. Back in March 1964 the Italian automaker revealed the production 350 GT in Geneva during the annual motor show, forever altering the future of performance vehicles.

Legendary designer Marcello Gandini is dead at 85.

To mark that momentous occasion, Lamborghini took the 350 GT to the streets of Geneva, documenting the experience with breathtaking photos.

Lamborghini’s first prototype was revealed just a few months before in October 1963. Called the 350 GTV, it was designed by Franco Scaglione and was built at Carrozzeria Sargiotto in Turin, the automotive capital of Italy.

Even from the beginning, Ferruccio Lamborghini shot for the stars. The 350 GT packed a serious punch for the time with its 3.5-liter V12 engine with four overhead camshafts, adapting a design originally created for racecars.

That engine evolved to be used in several future Lamborghinis, ranging from the 400 GT all the way to the Diablo.

Riding on an innovative chassis, the aluminum body panels were both beautiful and lightweight. And the interior was impeccable, presenting a classy, functional layout with soft leather and chrome highlights. All that, along with the 2+1 configuration, the automotive press ate up at the Geneva Motor Show and the public flocked to get their hands on it.

However, Giampiero Giusti, a popular musician at the time, was lucky enough to take delivery of the first 350 GT. Perhaps that was a sign of things to come as many famous entertainers have become dedicated customers, some even working closely with the automaker to help shape its future.

It was from these humble beginnings that one of the premier automakers of the modern era emerged, forever changing the collector car landscape for the better.

Images via Lamborghini