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The name Jalpa came from a famous breed of fighting bulls, Ferruccio Lamborghini having a liking for bulls, and being a Taurus, he gave most Lamborghini cars bullfighting-related names. Compared to the Countach, the Jalpa was much easier to drive, having better visibility and being more tractable in heavy traffic and at slow speeds. At night, however, there were many distracting internal reflections (a common curse of the Italian low-volume car). Originally the plastic components (bumpers, air intakes and engine cover) were black, and the car carried over the rectangular taillights of the Silhouette. In 1984, however, round taillights were fitted. In 1988, after falling sales, the new owners, Chrysler, decided to end Jalpa production. The official top speed of the Jalpa was 234 km/h (0 m3) but higher speeds have been claimed. 0-60 mph & 0-100 mph figures, according to Classic & Sports Car, were 6.8 seconds & 16 seconds accordingly. The weight with all fluids is 1507 kg (0 m3). Following the Chrysler takeover, Lamborghini product programs general manager Jack Stavana fitted a Jalpa V8 engine into a Dodge Daytona, linked to a 4WD system designed by Carroll Shelby, and called it the "Decepzione". Despite its performance, the project was never followed up due to the car having just 1.5 in (38.1 mm) of ground clearance, necessitated by the comparatively tall engine block. |
