The Lamborghini Jalpa is a sports car produced from 1981 to 1988. Designed by Guido Alfieri, the father of the 3500 GT and Birdcage, it made its debut at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show and was the last Lamborghini to be produced. Lamborghini to use a V8 engine, right up to the Urus.
Lamborghini was not in great financial shape at the time. Bought out by the Mimran brothers after the setbacks of the 70s, the Taurus brand now has only the Countach in the catalog in the early '80s! Sales had to be increased at all costs, and the range had to be broadened once again, while the Uracco and Jarama had not lasted long!
A more civilized Lamborghini
The Jalpa wasn't exactly new, and was based on the development of the commercially unsuccessful Silhouette, itself based on the Urraco. Named after the Jalpa Kandachia bull breed, its mission was to be a more "affordable" Lamborghini than the Countach. Compared to the Countach, the Jalpa was much easier to drive, with a smoother clutch and better visibility. On the other hand, everything was done to give it typical 80s styling, half sporty, half futuristic. Appendages were added, tracks were widened, and the car was given leather seats, carpeting and a handsome Nardi steering wheel. On the other hand, the finish is a little scary...but it wasn't much better at Ferrari in the same period!
An old-fashioned V8
The Jalpa was equipped with a 3.5-liter double overhead camshaft version of the V8 engine used in the Silhouette. The Jalpa version was rated at 255 hp at 7,000 rpm and 305 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm according to European specifications. The engine on American models was rated at 250 hp. Fuel flow was managed by four Weber 42 DCNF carburetors with double overhead camshafts. According to Lamborghini, the Jalpa could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.0 seconds, with a top speed of 249 km/h and an unladen weight of 1,510 kilos. Performance was comparable to that of the entry-level Ferrari 328, itself based on the former Ferrari 308.
Neither success nor failure
When the car was sold in 1981, the plastic components (bumpers, air intakes and hood) were black, and the car featured the Silhouette's rectangular taillights and targa styling on the body. In 1984, the styling evolved with round taillights, while the black plastic parts were replaced by body-colored ones. A rear wing like on the Countach was optional. In 1988, after sales plummeted, the new owners, Chrysler, decided to end production of the Jalpa, even though it was Lamborghini's second most popular V8 car to date (after the Urraco), with 410 units sold. This was better than the 53 poor examples of the Silhouette. So the Jalpa kept Lamborghini afloat.
Adrian!
The Jalpa didn't exactly make its mark on Lamborghini's history, but it did have its moment in the silver screen. In Rocky IV, released in 1985, the Jalpa was given a great deal of publicity: first, Rocky Balboa is seen polishing it down to the last nook and cranny (with a red Countach LP500 in the background), while his son teases him.
In a second phase, the Jalpa becomes the central character of the video for the hit "No easyway out", which is integrated into the film's montage. After Apollo's death, Rocky, wounded in his soul by the weight of guilt, takes the wheel of the Jalpa for a nighttime run to take stock of his life, against a roaring V8 backdrop. The clip showcases the monster with framing shots of the wheels turning, the name of the car, the gearbox, the exhaust, the headlights and the doors Rocky vigorously opens, all punctuated by the eighties sound of Robert Tepper's music. We couldn't have imagined a better way to promote the beast!
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