1976 Lamborghini Silhouette P300

The Lamborghini Silhouette P300 places the compact V8 sports-car theme in an open-body production form. Its broad wheel areas and removable roof give it a distinct identity between the Urraco-related concepts and the later Jalpa.

Origins and the correct historical identity

Lamborghini dates Silhouette to 1976 and reports 52 constructed in its retrospective. Mecum’s custodial prototype catalogue reports 54 including two prototypes. The differing scope is preserved: the profile establishes a small complete programme without labelling either number as a reconciled customer-car manufacturing total.

Design: what makes Silhouette P300 distinctive

The red car has a low front, dark cabin enclosure and prominent wheel surrounds. Five-hole wheels are clearly visible in the supplied view. The squared body treatments give the compact shape a purposeful appearance, while the open-body theme can be studied through the roof and cabin boundary. The photograph establishes the named Silhouette subject; it does not establish that every fitted part remains in first-delivery condition.

Engineering and the concept brief

The factory model record describes a three-litre V8 and a reinforced Urraco-related chassis. A removable-roof car raises structural and packaging questions that differ from those of a fixed-roof coupe. The individual dossier should connect the roof equipment, body and component identifiers to the relevant model configuration. A general roadster label would lose those useful distinctions.

Why this Lamborghini belongs in the design archive

Silhouette provides a practical comparison with Bravo and Jalpa: a concept, a small production programme and a later model with related design themes. Each keeps its own count scope and technical record. The unusual production scale makes careful documentation valuable, but it does not establish how many survive today. A survivor register would need dated individual identities.

Recognising and documenting the physical subject

Lamborghini Silhouette P300 3.0 photographed by Vauxford at Salon Privé; red physical production-model subject with visible five-hole wheels. The original file record identifies the named subject, and the visible configuration supports the match. The photograph is a record of this appearance rather than a certification of every concealed component. Preserve its creator and individual licence when uploading the image. Further views of the cabin, rear, identification plates and mechanical areas would extend the dossier, provided they are connected to the same model or documented object. A chassis number should enter the individual record only when a clear source establishes it.

Reading the road-car record

A historic model specification and an individual vehicle dossier answer different questions. The model record describes the engine arrangement, body form and equipment offered for a defined series. The individual dossier establishes what one chassis left the factory with and what has happened to it since. Keeping those records connected is particularly useful when cars have been restored, repainted or updated. A published model output remains a period reference; it does not measure the present condition of the photographed engine. Likewise, a period optional feature should not be described as installed on every surviving example without configuration evidence.

For a collector, a useful sequence begins with the chassis identity, continues through the original delivery configuration, and follows the dated history of repairs and changes. That approach gives the attractive exterior photograph a documentary foundation. Engine and gearbox identifiers, build sheets and restoration invoices can add precision where the broad model record ends. The production reference describes a finite original programme; a current survivor register is a separate record that may grow as previously unrecorded cars emerge.

Collector significance and future research

The value of a concept archive lies in preserving the relationship between an idea, the people who developed it and the object that made it visible. A strong collection record keeps the original name, reference year, credited photographs and source links attached to that relationship. If new photographs or factory documents emerge, they can add a show appearance, a construction detail or a later change without replacing the original identity. This is particularly useful for a car whose published pictures may span several exhibitions and whose name may have acquired different spellings.

A finite model family and one of its named variants must not be added together as if they were separate manufacturing programmes. Where this profile uses a parent-family reference, it establishes the low-volume context without assigning that total to the named derivative. Published estimates and conflicting series counts retain their qualifications. A future exact tally should identify the chassis and definitions it covers, including whether prototypes, conversions or later rebuilds are included. Survivor counts require a separate dated register. This keeps the car’s rarity connected to a clear historical scope while allowing better evidence to refine the record.

Reading the evidence for this profile

The original source links below identify the programme and the historical statements used in this article. The photograph has its own creator and licence record, separate from the manufacturer’s vehicle history. Keep both when transferring this profile into a collection catalogue. A manufacturing tally describes how many cars belong to a defined original programme; it does not measure how many survive, how many are publicly visible, or how many retain all their original components. Those individual questions require dated chassis and restoration evidence. The reference year likewise describes the programme’s introduction or named historic configuration, while the supplied caption states the photographed setting and any established individual identity. This lets future research expand the car’s history without blurring the scope of the record already assembled here.

Specifications and verified rarity

Frequently asked questions

What two production references are retained?

52 in the factory retrospective and 54 including prototypes in the custodial catalogue.

Is an exact customer-car tally assigned?

The differing scopes remain qualified.

Is Silhouette merged with Jalpa?

They are separate production programmes.

Does production equal the survivor count?

Survival requires a separate dated register.

What rarity or archive scope is verified?

Verified complete Silhouette programme below 7,500. Factory retrospective reports 52 constructed; Mecum prototype catalogue reports 54 including two prototypes. Scope distinction retained; exact reconciled customer-car tally unknown.

Who took the supplied photograph?

Vauxford via Wikimedia Commons, under CC BY-SA 4.0. The original file and licence links accompany the image. Retain that credit when the photograph is uploaded, exported or reused.

Related Lamborghini profiles

• 1974 Lamborghini Bravo
• 1982 Lamborghini Jalpa P350

Sources and photo credits

• Lamborghini Silhouette retrospective
• Mecum custodial prototype catalogue, lot S92

Photograph: Vauxford via Wikimedia Commons original file, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source-provided photograph supplied without local cropping, retouching or text removal. A source thumbnail is used where available. Lamborghini Silhouette P300 3.0 photographed by Vauxford at Salon Privé; red physical production-model subject with visible five-hole wheels.