Concept cars are the ultimate expression of automotive creativity. Often outlandish, futuristic and full of clues to the design of models to come, they rarely make it into production, but they are also unique, making them arguably among the most collectable of cars.
That’s certainly the case with the Lamborghini Pregunta, an outlandish concept car revealed in 1998 and now regarded as being the last Lamborghini concept car to be built on a pure Lamborghini platform.
Originally commissioned when Lamborghini was owned by Chrysler, the Pregunta debuted at the 1998 Paris Motor Show, just months after the Raging Bull brand had been snapped up by Volkswagen Group.
Showcasing the collaboration between Lamborghini and French coachbuilder Carrosserie Heuliez, and based on the underpinnings of the legendary Diablo, the Pregunta is regarded by some as the last truly radical Lamborghini concept car.
Styled by Heuliez’s head of design, Marc Deschamps, whose impressive portfolio includes the Lamborghini Jalpa, the Pregunta was inspired by a fighter jet, the French Dassault Rafale.
It features carbon fibre bodywork by Heuliez, with vast air intakes that mimic those of the fighter jet. So too do the canopy-like scissor doors, the wraparound glass and the same Matte Grey paint of the Rafale.
The interior is equally fighter jet-inspired, with glass screens, aviation-style seats trimmed in Azure Blue Alcantara, fibre-optic lighting and rear-view cameras. A Formula 1-derived Magneti Marelli digital instrument cluster provided essential information and the Pregunta was fitted with an Alpine audio system.
The underpinnings of the Diablo were extensively reworked, including a switch to rear-wheel drive. The 5.7-litre V12 produced 395kW and 605Nm of torque, all controlled through a five-speed manual gearbox. It could hit 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds and go on to a top speed of 337km/h, while its Quicksilver exhaust generated a soundtrack that reflected the car’s fighter-jet inspiration.
Owned by Heuliez, the Pregunta continued to be displayed by Lamborghini at trade shows and promotional events around the world throughout the decade after it debuted in Paris, making its final appearance under Heuliez ownership at Retromobile in 2007.
Sold to a private collector in 2008, it participated in several exhibition events and was finally issued a Lamborghini Polo Storico certificate in 2014. Lamborghini’s heritage division then inspected and serviced this unique concept in 2021 before Santa ’Agata became its home, when it was placed on display in the famous Museo Lamborghini.
This unique piece of Lamborghini and performance car history, will be offered for sale for the first time in over a decade at the Broad Arrow Zoute Concours Auction to be held on October 10 in Knokke-Heist, Belgium.
With a price estimate of €2,500,000 to €3,500,000 the Pregunta will be a highlight among an impressive catalogue of over 75 highly collectable cars offered by Broad Arrow Auctions in collaboration with Zoute Grand Prix Car Week.
“The Lamborghini Pregunta is a striking piece of design that combines both the superb engineering of Lamborghini and the fighter-jet inspired design created by Heuliez,” says Joe Twyman, VP of Sales for Broad Arrow’s EMEA Region.
“We are extremely honoured to offer this incredibly unique piece of Lamborghini and supercar history to the collector car market and expect considerable interest in what is a genuinely fresh-to-market opportunity for collectors around the world.”
While the Pregunta is certain to be one of the most notable rarities in Broad Arrow’s Zoute sale, there are plenty of other amazing supercars also going under the hammer including a low-mileage ‘non-cat, non-adjust’ 1990 Ferrari F40, a rare 1987 Porsche 959 Komfort finished in Graphite Metallic, a carefully preserved 1992 Bugatti EB110 GT in timeless Bugatti Blu, and an Aston Martin Valkyrie which was personally commissioned and consigned by former Aussie F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo.
The complete catalogue of more than 75 cars can be viewed online here.
