Lamborghini Marco Polo
The Lamborghini Marco Polo, or Italdesign Marco Polo, was a styling exercise by Italdesign Giugiaro. Introduced in 1982 at the Bologna Motor Show, the Marco Polo was inspired by the Lancia Medusa concept car designed by Italdesign two years prior. The design was originally intended for an upcoming DeLorean DMC-24 sedan, but DMC ran out of money before the concept was finished.[1] Italdesign then recycled the design into a concept for Lamborghini. The wheels on the Marco Polo are standard DeLorean alloys covered by hubcaps. The Marco Polo is not a running prototype, rather the design is only a painted plastic model for aerodynamic research. The Lamborghini badge on the nose of the car was not to imply any design program undertaken with the factory but was a compliment paid by Giugiaro to the famous manufacturer that became noteworthy for pushing the limits of automotive design.[2] Although Lamborghini has a more exciting image to its products, Giugiaro decided to give this study a less aggressive line, preferring instead to focus on aerodynamic efficiency in order to provide a quieter passenger compartment and higher speed while maintaining fuel consumption. As such, the Marco Polo features a Cx of 0.24, compared to the Medusa's 0.26.
| Lamborghini Marco Polo | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Italdesign Giugiaro |
| Production | 1982 |
| Designer | Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Concept car |
| Body style | MR 2+2 coupe |
| Doors | Gullwing |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,750 mm (108.3 in) |
| Length | 4,575 mm (180.1 in) |
| Width | 1,870 mm (73.6 in) |
| Height | 1,300 mm (51.2 in) |
The Marco Polo, while a four-seater, has only two doors of the gullwing style, like the ones used on the Marzal, which can be opened from either the front or back seats.[3]
References
- Petrány, Máté. "The Secret History Of The DeLorean That Became A Lamborghini Sedan". Jalopnik. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
- "Project: Marco Polo - 1982 - Italdesign". Italdesign. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
- "ItalDesign Marco Polo". Retrieved 2018-07-14.