The 1980s were not a quiet period for Lamborghini. After the bankruptcy that forced founder Ferruccio Lamborghini out of the company, the Italian brand came under the control of the Mimran brothers. Their ambition is clear: to relaunch the automaker... even if it means exploring unexpected ideas.
And they're not lacking in daring. Between V12 engines for racing boats, the launch of the spectacular LM002 and diversification in all directions, Lamborghini is trying to reinvent itself. It's in this context that a totally improbable project emerges: a motorcycle stamped with the bull.
The Lamborghini... designed in France
Rather than develop the bike in-house at Sant'Agata Bolognese, Patrick Mimran made a surprising choice: to entrust the project to Boxer Design, a French workshop renowned for its high-end motorcycles and aeronautics-inspired technologies.
The project began in 1986, under the direction of engineer Claude Fior, a respected figure in the motorcycle world. The objective was clear: to create an exceptional machine, capable of competing with the best sports bikes of the time.
The result is radical. The Lamborghini Design 90 adopts an all-aluminum hand-built frame, with welding techniques derived from aeronautics. Even the fuel tank is made of aluminum to save weight. The suspension is adjustable just like on a racing motorcycle, and the components are top-of-the-range: Brembo brakes, Fournalès rear suspension, parts machined from ultra-light alloys. But the biggest surprise lies elsewhere.
A Kawasaki engine under the bull logo
Beneath its wraparound fiberglass body, the Design 90 houses not an Italian engine, but a Japanese one. Lamborghini chose a Kawasaki in-line four-cylinder, available in 900 cm³ or 1000 cm³, developing between 120 and 130 hp. A pragmatic choice: reliable, high-performance and already proven. But also a choice that contrasts with the brand's image, accustomed to its spectacular engines.
On paper, the bike had everything to seduce: around 170 kg dry weight, a top speed of over 250 km/h, advanced technology and a virtually hand-crafted design. A sort of “Countach on two wheels”, according to some observers of the time.
A motorcycle that's too expensive... and too strange
And yet, the project came to nothing. The main problem? The price. In 1986, the Design 90 was priced at around $13,000, more than double that of an equivalent sports bike. An enormous sum for even an exclusive motorcycle.
Added to this is a very distinctive design, far removed from the iconic lines of the Miura, Countach or Diablo. Its integral fiberglass body, which almost entirely covers the powertrain, is as disconcerting as it is intriguing. As a result, customers don't follow.
The initial project called for 25 units, but the reality was much more brutal. Only six bikes were built before the program was discontinued. Today, only five remain.
The story of the Lamborghini Design 90 doesn't end there. In 2018, one of the rare examples was put up for auction in the UK, with a starting price of around $58,000. But even with its extreme rarity and unique history, the bike finds no takers. It doesn't even reach its reserve price.
Curiosity turned collector's item
Today, the Lamborghini Design 90 remains a fascinating anomaly in the brand's history. A bold attempt at diversification, born in turbulent times, it illustrates the extent to which Lamborghini was able to explore unexpected terrain.
With its Kawasaki engine, Franco-Italian DNA and ultra-limited production run, it embodies an era when anything seemed possible... even for Lamborghini. And if nobody wanted it in the 80s, it has now become a rare item, sought after by the most discerning collectors. A story reminiscent of the Ferrari 900 motorcycle of the '90s.
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