Broken Dreams: Lamborghini Bravo. A Missed Opportunity

To prepare the model that was to replace the Urraco, Bertone presented a prototype at the 1974 Turin Motor Show that had already been secretly tested in Sant’Agata, based on the same mechanics and the Urraco’s V8: the Bravo. It was a true masterpiece of style, born from the great creativity of Marcello Gandini, who focused on clean and simple lines, where the proportions themselves give it its breathtaking beauty.

This rear view highlights the geometries of the design with flat surfaces and the slats on the hood.

Among the many striking details, the horizontal line that cuts through it, giving it momentum, the very geometric slats that perforate both the front and rear bonnets — turning the air intakes into a harmonious design that lightens the whole — and the rigorously flush-mounted glass panels that create a wrap-around effect, all combine to make it an authentic object of desire.

The Bravo was ready to go to market, but it never made it into production, dashing the hopes of the company and the many who wanted one.

Unfortunately, however, these were difficult years for Lamborghini due to the departure of its founder Ferruccio and the subsequent oil crisis, which dealt a harsh blow to the international car market. Additionally, a period of labor unrest forced the new owners to make painful decisions, and the Bravo — despite its warm reception — remained a prototype that still exists today.

The geometries of the exterior are repeated in the decidedly minimal design of the horizontal dashboard.

Like many other show cars of the time, the Bravo was repainted early in its life. Its original light metallic yellow was replaced with a darker shade of green before finally being finished in pearlescent white. For years, it remained in Bertone’s private museum before being sold to its current owner, Swiss collector Albert Spiess, for €588,000 ($665,500) at the RM Sotheby’s auction at Villa d’Este in 2011.

The Lamborghini Bravo was painted in different colors throughout its history, initially in light metallic yellow, then dark green, and finally white.