Lamborghini P200 Marzal – L’Orient-Le Jour

The Lamborghini Marzal, named after a strain of fighting bulls (emblem of the brand), is a concept car that was first presented by the Italian manufacturer at the 1967 Geneva Motor Show. This concept, imagined by Marcello Gandini of design firm Bertone, was designed to provide Ferruccio Lamborghini with a proper four-seater for his range which already included the 400 GT 2+2 and the Miura – another name for a strain of fighting bulls. However, the Lamborghini Marzal was never put into production, remaining a unique model, although its design and most of the new ideas it incorporated were later reproduced in the Lamborghini Espada (a four-seater coupe produced in 1968 to 1978).

First presented by Lamborghini in 1967 at the Geneva Motor Show, the P200 Marzal was a revolutionary four-seater sports car reminiscent of a spaceship. However, it never entered production, remaining a unique model. Photo DR

For its time, the styling of the Lamborghini Marzal was downright radical, so much so that the specialist magazine Road & Track wrote about it: “A Bertone design so fresh that everything else looks old-fashioned. It was distinguished by gull-wing glass doors, a strong hexagonal pattern – including the louvered rear window –, the unique interior trim and Campagnolo wheels being made of magnesium. Other innovative elements included silver interior upholstery and six SEV Marchal headlights in its pointed, wedge-shaped front end. The chassis was based on that of the Lamborghini Miura, however lengthened by 120 mm and reinforced. The resulting wheelbase was 2.62 m. The bonnet was aluminum and the rest of the unglazed bodywork was steel, all weighing 1,220 kg (gross weight). Furthermore, the Lamborghini Marzal had a total length of 4.45 m, a width of 1.70 m and a height of 1.10 m.

The car was powered by a 2.0-liter straight-six power unit, which developed 175 hp (130 kW) at 6,800 rpm and produced a maximum torque of 18.2 kg/m at 4,600 rpm. Its maximum speed was estimated at 190 km/h. This engine – a halved version of Lamborghini’s 4.0-litre V12, mated to a 5-speed transaxle – was designed by Gian Paolo Dallara and it was mounted transversely at the rear of the car (entirely behind the axle ). It was fitted with three Weber 40 DCOE carburettors, with air intakes positioned directly behind the heads of the rear passengers. As for the transaxle, it came from the Lamborghini Miura, with a higher final drive ratio to improve acceleration.

First presented by Lamborghini in 1967 at the Geneva Motor Show, the P200 Marzal was a revolutionary four-seater sports car reminiscent of a spaceship. However, it never entered production, remaining a unique model. Photo DR

The interior of the Lamborghini Marzal, also dubbed the P200 Marzal, was futuristic: a hexagonal honeycomb theme on the dashboard, with the center console housing most of the instruments and controls. This hexagon theme was even carried over into the shape of the seat cushions and backrests, while their trim literally stood out with a highly reflective finish. This space-age layout may even have inspired the great French-American designer Raymond Loewy, whose design for the Skylab space station, developed from 1967, would rely heavily on hexagonal patterns.

Finally, for the little historical anecdote, the P200 Marzal made a notable appearance at the Monaco F1 Grand Prix on May 7, 1967, where it was driven on the street circuit by Prince Rainier III accompanied on board by his wife, the Princess Grace.

Source: editorial