A high performance variant of an already quick Lamborghini, the Diablo SV was introduced in 1995 with a 5.7L V12 that generated 510 horsepower, delivering that to the tarmac via the rear wheels. Lamborghini built two generations of the Diablo SV, the second starting in 1999 when it became the default base model for all Diablos.
The car being offered for sale by RM Sotheby’s through the Sotheby’s Sealed online auction is one of only two factory-built examples of the Diablo SV Roadster, the other one being the prototype displayed at the Geneva Motor Show. It features a removable roof that makes for a stunning design with the scissor doors and all the inherently over-the-top styling cues customary to Lamborghini designs.
Delivered new to Touring Auto of Milan, this is a matching-numbers car that has seen some use in its life – it shows 42,842 km since new, roughly 26,620 miles – but has similarly been well maintained and owned by a series of well-known and respected Lamborghini collectors. The Diablo SV Roadster for sale is fitted with fresh tires that have fewer than 500 km under them and benefits from a service completed in June of 2023.
Although attempts were made to imitate this car with customers requesting the front differential be removed from their 1999 Diablo VT Roadsters and a Swiss dealer creating what they called the 35th Anniversary edition, their own take on the SV Roadster, none of them compare to the factory produced example for sale here. It offers a glimpse into a world of what could have been and the importance of timing when introducing a new model to the world.
There isn’t really a comparable car to view when considering the value of the Diablo SV Roadster due to its rarity, but this will be worth every penny the winning bidder spends. Another one of these may never come to auction again, considering the only other one in existence is the prototype show car.
Bidding closes Friday December 15, 2023.