09 March 2023
With all the attention to the current crop of high-performance SUVs or not SUV if you are Purosangue, it is easy to forget that this isn’t a recent foray for Lamborghini.
Oh no. The story begins in 1976 when an American defence contractor, Mobility Technology International, pitched Lamborghini with an idea for an ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) specifically for military use.
The ATV, known as the Lamborghini Cheetah, was unveiled at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show. However, it was very similar to an existing vehicle under appraisal by the Pentagon, the FMC XR311.
To cut a long story short, FMC threatened legal action against Lamborghini and Mobility Technology; suffice it to say, the Cheetah scurried away.
Under new ownership, Lamborghini, still seeking military interest, designed and proposed the Lamborghini LM001; the LM is the abbreviation of Lamborghini Militaria.
Soon after, the LM002 emerged, heavily influenced by the Lamborghini Countach. The latest iteration was non-military, with creature comforts associated with very expensive supercars.
The Lamborghini behemoth attracted some well-known clientele, and the Moroccan King HRH Hassan bought the first production model.
Other famous glitterati includes Tina Turner, Mike Tyson, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Van Halen, Muammar Gadaffi, Uday Hussein, the cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar, and even the Sultan of Brunei had a specially created version.
No prizes for guessing who christened the LM002 as the Lambo Rambo.
