This Rare Lamborghini Is the Model’s Benchmark. Now It’s up for Grabs.

The aesthetic ideal is obviously subjective, yet there are those rarefied forms in possession of an inarguable magnetism, whether it be on the silver screen, within a framed canvas, or, in the case of the automobile, this stunning 1966 400 GT ‘Interim’ from Lamborghini. For most true cognoscenti of art, their appreciation is often further sculpted by experiences and perceptions forged from childhood, and such is the case with the consignor of this sublime Raging Bull.

“One bonds with their favorite car the same way a hatchling does with the first creature that brings it food,” says current owner Robert Ross, one of the preeminent authorities on the marque’s early models and Robb Report’s own automotive editor at large. “I bonded with the Lamborghini 400 GT long before I could drive. I encountered the most beautiful car in the world at age 13, and 35 years later, acquired it in 2002.”

The antithesis of the Italian automaker’s now signature styling ethos of angular aggression, first defined by the Marcello Gandini–designed Countach, this Lamborghini is more akin to Maranello’s grand tourers of the day, such as the Ferrari 330 GTC. The successor to Lamborghi’s two-seat 350 GT, which debuted two years earlier, the 400 GT premiered at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show as a 2+2 (a two-door configured to seat four) adorned in bodywork by Carrozzeria Touring.

There was, however, an extremely limited run of “Interim” variants that eschewed the rear-passenger area but still presented the new model’s 315 hp, 4.0-liter alloy V-12 engine. Ross mentions that, In addition to the power plant, “the five-speed manual transmission and differential were both developed in-house by Lamborghini . . . these replaced the 350 GT’s ZF transmission and Salisbury differential.” As for exclusivity, the Gooding Christie’s lot description notes that there could have been 23 or fewer of the 400 GT ‘Interim’ produced.

The car on offer, chassis No. 0517, is touted by Gooding Christie’s as “likely the finest example extant” and possibly the initial car of the production. After three previous owners from the time it was delivered new to the U.S., chassis No. 0517 came under the coddling stewardship of Ross, who took his role and responsibility as seriously as that of a doting adoptive parent. “Like any serious relationship, there have been trying moments. And times of unbridled pleasure,” says Ross, who first had Bobileff Motorcar Company begin the vehicle’s restorative journey (all painstakingly documented and supported by a substantial paper trail).

It was brought closer to its now gallery-worthy condition by Mike Regalia, circa 2012, before being transformed to what Gooding Christie’s cites as the model’s “reference standard” by automotive artist Joseph DeMeo, founder of DeMeo Restorations in Santa Monica, Calif.

“The car had really nice bones, but no one had ever really tended to it in a way to try and elevate it to its maximum potential,” says DeMeo, who was given free rein with the vehicle in 2016. “I went about the business of perfecting the car. Every single corner of the car was disassembled.” As for the greatest challenge DeMeo faced, he cites getting the exterior Azzurro Fiat paint to his concours-quality standards. “It was so important… one break in that clear sanding, and, man, you’re going down another road that you don’t even want to think about,” says DeMeo. “It had to be approached very cautiously, because the downside of it was just enormous.”

When the two-year project was completed, chassis No. 0517 made its first public appearance at the 2018 Hillsborough Concours in Northern California, where it took the trifecta of a class win, the Exhibitor’s Choice award, and Best of Show. That would be the first of many top honors and class wins, including one of the latter at the Quail, a Motorsports Gathering. It has even been a contender at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

DeMeo believes that the current high-end estimate of $750,000 undervalues the vehicle, noting, “I think the best cars transcend the market.” Arguably, it has already paid dividends to its owner that are beyond material measure. The 18th-century philosopher Voltaire purportedly stated, “It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.” It’s a tenet that, for the last 23 years, has defined the relationship Ross has had with this relatively unknown classic from Sant’Agata Bolognese.

“Research, restoration, and concours events have brought a rich ownership experience full circle. Now, it’s time to move on,” says Ross. “Trite but true, every collector is just a custodian of what he or she treasures. I’ve bought and sold many cars, and the remorse is usually short-lived. This time may not be so easy. To me, it’s still the most beautiful car in the world.”

Click here for more photos of this 1966 Lamborghini 400 GT ‘Interim’