1982 Lamborghini Jalpa P350

The Lamborghini Jalpa P350 develops the compact open-body V8 sports-car idea into a separate production programme. Its restrained wedge, cabin arrangement and relationship to Silhouette make it a useful counterpoint to the larger V12 cars.

Origins and the correct historical identity

Lamborghini’s model history records 420 Jalpas produced, whereas the workbook uses approximately 410. The factory anniversary account separates the 1981 presentation from entry into production in 1982. This profile uses 1982 for the production reference year and retains the original workbook heading without confusing prototype and customer-car stages.

Design: what makes Jalpa P350 distinctive

The white example has a dark removable-roof area, compact cabin and relatively low front. Contrasting bumpers and side openings organise the pale body into clearly defined sections. Its source describes Silhouette-type wheels on this particular car, so the caption does not imply that the wheel configuration proves a universal Jalpa specification. The photograph is useful precisely because it records the actual appearance rather than an idealised factory rendering.

Engineering and the concept brief

The factory model record identifies a 3.5-litre V8. A collector can use that architecture to distinguish the Jalpa programme from the earlier three-litre Silhouette, while the individual car needs its own component and delivery documentation. Roof equipment, wheel changes and later trim work should be recorded as dated features. A familiar family shape does not make the two production identities interchangeable.

Why this Lamborghini belongs in the design archive

Jalpa broadens the collection beyond the headline V12 models. It allows the open compact-car theme to be compared through Silhouette, Athon and the later production form. Those links are informative without adding one programme’s count into another. The factory’s complete production reference belongs to the Jalpa model; a present-day survivor count would be a separate research task.

Recognising and documenting the physical subject

Source-identified 1988 Lamborghini Jalpa P350 GTS photographed by Mr.choppers at Waveny Park, Connecticut; the source documents Silhouette-type wheels on this example. 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

Which year identifies series production here?

1982, distinct from the 1981 presentation.

What complete programme total does the factory retrospective report?

420 Jalpas produced.

Are the pictured wheels a universal model claim?

The source describes the configuration of this particular example.

Is Silhouette counted as Jalpa production?

It is a separate model programme.

What rarity or archive scope is verified?

Manufacturer retrospective reports 420 Jalpas for the complete model programme. The workbook’s approximately 410 is preserved as original source data; the profile attributes 420 to Lamborghini. Production-year reference is 1982, distinct from 1981 presentation.

Who took the supplied photograph?

Mr.choppers via Wikimedia Commons, under CC BY-SA 3.0. The original file and licence links accompany the image. Retain that credit when the photograph is uploaded, exported or reused.

Related Lamborghini profiles

• 1976 Lamborghini Silhouette P300
• 1980 Lamborghini Athon

Sources and photo credits

• Lamborghini complete Jalpa model retrospective
• Factory anniversary chronology (original published reference)

Photograph: Mr.choppers via Wikimedia Commons original file, CC BY-SA 3.0. Source-provided photograph supplied without local cropping, retouching or text removal. A source thumbnail is used where available. Source-identified 1988 Lamborghini Jalpa P350 GTS photographed by Mr.choppers at Waveny Park, Connecticut; the source documents Silhouette-type wheels on this example.