• Chassis # ZA9DU07P9NLA12431
  • Engine # N/A
  • Showing Just 27,032 KM From New (16,796Miles)
  • Clean CARFAX Report
  • Offered With Records & Original Books
  • An Excellent Example For the Purpose Of Driving & Enjoying
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The Overview

When talks first began in the mid-1980s on a replacement for the legendary Countach, Lamborghini had a monumental task on their hands. The Contact was groundbreaking when it came out with its futuristic and mold-breaking styling. It received plenty of praise and criticism at the same time but was largely heralded as an icon of the time. Marcello Gandini was hired on to design the car but when the Chrysler Corporation acquired Lamborghini in 1987, they deemed his design too radical and set about smoothing out some of the sharp design aspects, leaving us with the clean and slick wedge design that we see today. Carrying on the Lamborghini tradition, the new car was named the Diablo after a famous fighting bull of the 19’th century.

The Lamborghini Diablo was first released for public sale on January 21, 1990. The car featured a mid-mounted 5.7 liter V-12 with dual overhead cams and 4 valves per cylinder, producing 485 bhp and 428 lb/ft of torque. One of the key aspects that the Chrysler Corporation pushed was that the Diablo should be more comfortable and easier to drive. Because of this, the new Diablo came equipped standard with many comfort features such as fully adjustable seats and steering wheel, electric windows and power steering starting in 1993. Many other options were available as well to increase the driver and passengers level of comfort in the new top tier Lamborghini. The new Diablo would see a fantastic production run, with the V-12 beast being rolled off the assembly line from 1990 all the way through the facelifted models of 2001. In total, approximately 900 standard Diablos were produced from 1990-1998, with numerous upgraded and special models being introduced during that time period. The fixed headlight facelift models were introduced in 1998 and stayed in production until 2001 before being replaced by the newly designed Murcielago in late 2001.

The example on offer here is a 1992 Lamborghini Diablo, chassis number ZA9DU07P9NLA12431 finished in Black with a Pearl White Interior. This Diablo is a well cared for vehicle showing just 27,032 KM or 16,796 miles from new. It is a 2 owner car and according to the included CARFAX, the vehicle was sold new in Georgia. The Diablo remained with its first owner from 1993 to 2000, moving around the country from Georgia to Florida and then to California with just over 20,000 KM’s on it. It was sold to its second owner in the San Diego California area in October of 2001. The second owner drove the car sparingly and maintained it well, with the CARFAX showing 26,715 KM on 9/2/2015. There are a number of service records from the second owner’s custodianship available which show the car being well kept and receiving normal maintenance and care. Since 2015 the car has been stored and maintained properly with minimal usage until being consigned with us here at LBI Limited. As the car currently sits it would be deemed a good quality car. It is strong mechanically with a clean and well-kept interior and only minor signs of usage on the exterior of the car. It would be the perfect Lamborghini to drive and enjoy and the iconic doors and aggressive styling are sure to be a hit at any car gathering.

Included with the car are the available service records, clean CARFAX, and original books.

The Details

exterior

body and paint

The black exterior of this Lamborghini Diablo provides a perfect sinister look to the sleek and angular Gandini styled body. The paint remains in good condition all around with dark and rich color and smooth and consistent finish. There are certainly signs of usage, however, mostly relegated to the front area of the car. The front bumper, as well as lower portions of the hood, contain a number of small stone chips and the front lip has some heavy scratching on the lower edges. There is also some minor stone chipping around both of the lower vents near the rear wheels. There is a small scratch in the paint that has been touched up near the upper rear intake on the passenger side as well as some minor stone flecking on the outer edge. There is also a small scratch near the driver's side rear marker light where it appears someone bumped into something. Additionally, there is some stone chipping on the rear outer edges of the rear wheel wells from stones being kicked up by the massive tires. Other than a few scratches and stone chips, the body is in great shape. All body gaps and doors remain tight and straight and body panels are smooth and solid.

glass and trim

The glass appears to be all original, with the correct Lamborghini emblems and dotted VIN verification on all pains. There is some minor delaminating going on around the edges of some of the glass but for the most part, it all remains clean and clear. Some of the rubber trim around the windows has begun to show its age in the form of discoloration and rough surface texture. The headlights, taillights, and markers all appear in good solid condition with the exception of the driver's side rear reflector which is unfortunately cracked with some scraping in the paint. All the lights appear to function as they should with the pop up headlights moving up and down with ease and in good timing. The headlight lenses appear a bit dirty on the inside but should be an easy fix.

wheels

The iconic “phone dial” styled wheels are in great shape with clean chrome lips, bright shiny bolts, clean lug nuts, and issue free center caps. There is some very minor rash on the outer edges of the rear wheels but all the wheels contain their factory stickers affixed to the lip still.

notable flaws

The car presents as a nice driver quality example and because of this some areas of normal wear for the mileage including stone chipping in the front of the car and at the rear wheel wells, a few scratches that have been touched up, some scrapes and chips on the front lip, and a cracked driver side rear outer reflector.

interior

seats and surfaces

The white interior provides a striking and stark contrast to the black exterior. The deeply bucketed and reclined seats are in good condition with smooth and clean leather and only a bit of wear beginning to form on the outer edges of the driver's side bolster. The rest of the interior leather remains in solid condition with only a bit of wear showing in high traffic areas such as the emergency brake lever. The top of the dash remains smooth and consistent with tight stitching around the edges. The black painted face of the gauge cluster is a bit rough in texture and has some wear along the edges and there is some minor scuffing to the leather surround. The headliner is in good shape, although it does show a bit of waviness to it. The carpets show good color and finish to them with only a minor bit of wear in high traffic areas.

functionality and accessories

All the buttons, knobs, and switchgear appear to be good working order. The faces of the gauges are bright and clear and the gauges themselves appear to function as they should. Power windows move up and down although they are a bit slow in speed. The emergency brake holds the car in place although judging by the pull it could use some adjustment. The struts for the doors hold them aloft and in place.

notable flaws

There is some minor wear forming on the outer edge of the driver's seat bolster but the leather is solid and clean still. The painted area of the gauge surround is displaying a roughness to the finish. The headliner is becoming a bit wavy but still holds nice and tight to the roof.

engine bay and trunk

engine bay

The engine bay appears clean, tidy and well maintained. Hoses, tubes, and wires appear in good cosmetic and mechanical condition. The intake runners have nice bright red Lamborghini branding on them and clean bright metal. There does not appear to be any outward signs of leaks or mechanical issues. All stickers and stampings appear to be in their proper locations

trunk area

The front trunk is finished in clean and well fitting black carpet. Both the tool and jack roll are held in place by their appropriate leather straps. There are no real issues to note with this area.

Underside

There is some scraping on the underside of the front lip as well as on the outer edges of the rocker panels. The trailing portions of the wheel wells have some stone chipping due to normal usage and there is a small crack and paint chipping on the front edge of the passenger side wheel well but other than that the wheel wells appear nice and clean. Suspension components and braking system appear clean and well cared for with newer looking fittings and tubing. The underside metal pans are smooth and straight with no signs of cosmetic issues. The underside of the engine and transmission shows normal road grime accumulation but other than that appears mechanically sound.

mechanicals

engine

The engine fires to life with a quick turn of the key and once up to temperature settles into a nice smooth idle. The battery was just replaced by us, providing for plenty of cranking power when starting the big V-12. The engine makes excellent and smooth power and revs through its RPM range with no issues. During our brief testing, it appears to hold temperature well and sits at idle fine.

transmission

The 5-speed gated shifter moves through its range of motion with ease, going from notched position to notch position with no issues. The clutch hydraulics were all recently replaced, leaving the shifting smooth and consistent. The clutch is stereotypically a bit heavy but with good take up and power holding capabilities. The transmission revs freely throughout all gear and the rpm range and holds power with ease.

brakes and suspension

The brake pedal engages nicely and brings the car to a smooth, controlled stop with no noises or shimmying to report. The suspension feels tight and compliant, points the nose of this bull wherever the driver desires with ease.

tires

The tires are the correct Pirelli P Zero type on all four corners and have ample tread life with nice healthy and solid looking side walls.

driving experience

While the Countach may be a generational icon it certainly fell short in the ease of use and comfort departments. The Diablo addressed some of those concerns in a great way and while this still remains a tough bull to master, the additional visibility and easier driving dynamics certainly make it more of a pleasure to drive under ordinary motoring circumstances. The giant 5.7 liter V-12 provides for plenty of power, moving the Diablo at extremely quick speeds, while at the same time producing an intoxicating exhaust note that is sure to leave you wanting more. Lamborghini had big shoes to fill when attempting to replace the Countach but the Diablo is a worthy successor, keeping the raw and aggressive driving feel and combining it with a slightly more toned down aesthetic that still remain aggressive and relevant in today's supercar saturated modern world. As this car sits it is the perfect example to drive and enjoy. With well maintained mechanical systems and some slight patina forming on the exterior, the next owner can take this Diablo out on nice days and not have to worry extensively about every single pebble that might fly towards the low slung front end as they push the big V-12 towards its upper limits.