An '80s Lambo that isn't the Countach: 1987 Jalpa heads to auction

The Jalpa probably isn't the first Lamborghini model that comes to mind when you think supercars of the 1980s, which makes this Bertone-penned wedge a bit of a rare sight at auctions. But in a few days, one of these rare Lambos, originally delivered new to Canada, will cross the auction block at Bonhams' Grandes Marques du Monde sale in Paris.

A follow-up to the Urraco and the Silhouette as a lower-priced Lamborghini model, the Jalpa debuted in 1982. Based on a reworked Silhouette and powered by a 3.5-liter V8 engine, the Jalpa produced 255 hp and boasted a top speed of 155 mph. The Jalpa ended up being a much greater success for the marque than the Silhouette, even though the total number of cars built still amounted to just 410 units after almost a decade in production. By comparison, just 52 examples of the Silhouette were produced, which provides a good idea of just how small an automaker Lamborghini was at one point — cars like the Ferrari 328 upstaged it in a spectacular manner.

The example that Bonhams will offer in Paris in a few days hails from 1987, the penultimate year of production, and was sold new by Lamborghini Autolynn in Ontario. The car left Canada in 2014, showing 34,900 kilometers at that point in time, moving to Germany and then to Belgium. Bonhams says that the car has been resprayed just once but is otherwise original, optioned from new with fender skirts. Offered by its third owner, the Jalpa now shows 35,840 kilometers, which translates to 22,270 miles.

Bonhams estimates this Jalpa to bring between $85,000 and $110,000 on auction day, which is where clean examples that haven't been neglected usually trade. The kilometrage on this car is about par for the course — nobody really put high miles on Jalpas — but like a number of other exotics of the day, some examples have clearly seen deferred maintenance and years between exercise miles. Bonhams indicates there is a gap in the service book stamps of this example between 1990 and 2008, which may or may not suggest a period of dormancy: Were 30,000 of these kilometers put on the car in its first three years?

Another bit of info that we'd like is how many cars per year the Lamborghini dealer in Ontario managed to sell back in the 1980s.

Collector interest in Jalpas has begun to increase only in the last few years, as the supercars of the 1980s have started coming out of shrink-wrap — delivery-mileage Testarossas hardly surprise auctiongoers these days — but it remains to be seen where Jalpa values will go. As a ticket to a Radwood event, it's tough to beat the Jalpa for design and rarity, but its sure-thing status as an investment is still far off.

Visit the auction website to view the full list of lots and detailed schedule of the upcoming sale.

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