If you're looking to spend more than a quarter of a million pounds on a Lamborghini, then PH is a good place to start, with no fewer than 77 presently up for sale in the classifieds. But while the handful of Miuras, Countachs and special edition Murcielagos might grab your attention, there's one that outranks them all for rarity. This is the only LM002 currently listed on PH, and having just received a fresh restoration, it's potentially one of the best-kept Lambos that you can buy today full stop.
The seller, Hertfordshire-based Bell Sport & Classic, was actually the one to undertake the restoration, giving the LM002 a fully documented refurbishment. The V12-powered car was fully stripped down, with all suspension and driveline components refreshed or replaced - which entailed all sorts of expensive commissioning - along with much love lavished elsewhere, too. Paintwork & interior trim also received a full refresh. You can see the results for yourself.
The idea of forking out a six-figure sum for the LM002 is not a decision many of us will ever have to wrestle with, but it's possible to cling to the fact that (in stark contrast to the Urus) the car can credibly claim to be designed from the ground-up as a proper off-roader. Using that naturally aspirated 12-pot with 369lb ft of torque, this 3.1-tonne (!!) 4x4 has genuine military kudos with a mechanically-adjustable driveline - although the machine it was derived from, the Cheetah, was admittedly a bit of a flop (the promo vid was brilliant). That car, developed in conjunction with Mobility Technology International for the US military, used a rear-mounted Chrysler V8 and eventually lost out to the now-famous Humvee.
It took a revisiting of the project - after a second failed attempt in early eighties - for Lambo to slap its proven Countach engine into the off-roader's front, thereby reducing some of the handling issues of the tail-heavy earlier version. It also added a whole lot of appeal to the model, so the LM002, as it was called to signal its succession from the stillborn LM001, proved far more successful. Not as a military vehicle, mind, but as something offering Range Rover versatility with a heightened off-road ability and Lambo clout. Hence the addition of plush leathers and carpets, air con, stereo and electric windows.
Production ran for seven years but just 300 LM002s were built, which is not surprising given that the model cost $120,000 in America (which back then was the world's biggest car market) back in the eighties. However, a burgeoning SUV market and rising demand for all things retro and butch, has sent used prices skyrocketing in recent years. LM002s have gone for £350k before, so the £285,000 asked for today's Spotted isn't as ambitious as you might think. Just don't try rolling onto Salisbury Plain in one.
SPECIFICATION - LAMBORGHINI LM002
Engine: 5,167cc, V12
Transmission: 5-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 450@6,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 368@4,500rpm
MPG: Ehem
CO2: Good one
First registered: 1997 (first UK registration)
Recorded mileage: 8,506 miles (shown as 13k km)
Price new: US$120,000
Yours for: £285,000
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