It’s hard to get your head around the fact that Lamborghini made cars that weren’t popular. The sheer amount of road presence posed by a Lamborghini is second to none. However, before the brand became what it is today, they had a phase where experimentation took a good amount of time and revenue. One such experiment that turned out to be not so great back in the ‘80s was the Lamborghini Jalpa.

Its unreliable nature and not-so exotic looks saw the Lamborghini Jalpa become unpopular. The entry-level Lambo didn’t catch on as expected and ended up having a short run of 7 years, with around 410 units sold.

In today’s market, a Lamborghini Jalpa costs between $60,000 and $100,000 depending on the mileage and condition. However, Hemmings has one listed for sale with an asking price of $54,000.

The Jalpa comes across as one of the least expensive pre-owned Lamborghinis.

Lamborghini Jalpa: A Refined Take On The Wedge Design

Lamborghini Jalpa parked outside
Via motorauthority.com

Lamborghini at the time was doing pretty good in terms of sales as the Countach brought in decent money. With the success and an interest in diversifying to accommodate possibly a cheaper Lamborghini, they decided to bring the Jalpa. However, it was neither an original design for Lamborghini nor was it their first Targa-roofed vehicle. That honor goes to the little-known Lamborghini Silhouette, which saw just 54 being made.

The Jalpa debuted in 1981 along with the LM002, the OG Lamborghini SUV. Bertone was responsible for the design of the Jalpa and that its similarity to the Countach was pretty obvious. As you can probably tell, the Jalpa looked a lot like the more expensive Lambo albeit with a bit more refined exterior design. By refined, the sharp edges of the Countach gave way to a sleeker design in the Jalpa.

Lamborghini Jalpa
Via: autogespot.ca

The Lamborghini Jalpa exudes ‘80s automotive culture. Pop-up headlights, boxy wheel arches, fog lights, and turn indicators housed within the bumpers were all part of the Jalpa’s charm. It looked distinctive as a Lamborghini but Bertone was pretty famous for experimenting with a template, part of the reason for its close resemblance to any other 80’s car let alone the Countach.

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Lamborghini Jalpa: A V8 Inside

Unlike the Countach, the Jalpa featured a smaller V8. Instead of 12 cylinder Lamborghini decided to opt for a V8 citing the car being a smaller alternative to the Countach. Being the entry-level Lambo, the Jalpa made 255 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. The transmission was a 5-speed manual with a dog clutch design, giving it a satisfying click during gear changes. However, dogs-leg gearboxes were not the best in terms of delivering the smoothest of shifts but were a lot more engaging than the synchronizer designs that came afterward.

Contrary to the clutch inside the Countach, the Jalpa had a much lighter unit but wasn’t the lightest out there. Exploiting the 3.5-liter V8 wasn’t an easy task as the engine wasn’t the most reliable, as is the case with Lamborghinis of that era. One thing to point out would be the Jalpa V8 being transverse. Much like the Miura, Jalpa made use of a transverse-mounted V8 and gave the car more room at the back despite being mid-mounted.

Lamborghini Jalpa: As Quirky As Any ‘80s Lambo

Lamborghini Jalpa shifter
via cz.pinterest.com

Driving the Jalpa was as much of a pain as it was to maintain one. First of all, the clutch was light enough but the accelerator pedal was a lot harder to depress. At the time, Italian cars, especially early Lamborghini and Alfa Romeos were riddled with quirks. Another quirk that comes to notice is the appalling steering. The steering was much heavier than it was in the Countach and maneuvering it around town was a task on its own.

Gearshifts are not the smoothest, but the dog-box's engagement is something solely part of the bygone era. The 255 horsepower in the Jalpa helped it touch 60 mph in under 6 seconds which was quite the feat considering it was an “entry-level” car. Also, the Jalpa had better visibility than the sharp-edged Countach and was much easier to live with. The Cabin was particularly roomy unlike its V12 counterpart and was largely made of quality materials.

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Lamborghini Jalpa: An Early Demise

Lamborghini Jalpa side profile
Mecum

However, when Lamborghini saw a change in ownership things started to fall apart for the Jalpa. Chrysler, in 1988 decided to stop the production of the Lamborghini Jalpa citing appalling sales figures. Pointing to bringing profits and cutting costs, the Jalpa soon saw a demise, and the Countach was responsible to represent Lamborghini until the Diable came about.

However, it should be noted that the Japa was the second most successful Lamborghini with a V8 after the Urraco. The Jalpa started appearing on the list of forgotten supercars after reliability concerns. Its successor the Lamborghini Gallardo saw good fortune and became one of the most successful Lamborghinis ever.

Turns out today you can own for a relatively cheap price. Examples of Lamborghini Jalpas are rare but they’re bargain if you can find one. Its non-exotic nature whilst boasting a Lamborghini logo can be attributed to its failure and being a cheap bargain in today’s market. A similar story can be told for the Urrraco as well.

Sources: YouTube, Hemmings, Classiccars

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