Automobili Lamborghini celebrates the tenth anniversary of Lamborghini Polo Storico, the department founded in 2015 with the aim of safeguarding and promoting the invaluable historical heritage of the brand and its vehicles. Created to preserve the company archive and ensure the correct conservation of classic Lamborghini models, Polo Storico deals with their restoration and certification, actively contributing to the protection and conservation of these vehicles over time. In these ten years of activity, the department has completed significant projects, becoming increasingly comprehensively structured and establishing itself as an international point of reference for collectors and enthusiasts. Polo Storico currently follows historic Lamborghinis ranging from the 350 GT to the latest versions of the Diablo, playing a fundamental role, as an authoritative source, in defining the historical identity of the company. Like the entire company, Lamborghini Polo Storico also looks to the future: it safeguards the icons of the past and prepares to welcome the models that will become part of it. On the occasion of its tenth anniversary, Automobili Lamborghini celebrates its history, its most important projects and, above all, has planned a program of events around the world with customers, media and enthusiasts.
“The Lamborghini Polo Storico represents the cornerstone of our commitment to the world of heritage and tradition,” commented Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman & CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “Not only for the work done in researching and enriching our company archive, with over 30.000 digitized historical documents, but also for the concrete commitment to the restoration and certification of the brand's historic vehicles. With over 40 restorations completed — each of which has thousands of hours of work — and more than 200 certifications issued, the Polo Storico plays a fundamental role in the protection and enhancement of our automotive heritage.”
The Polo Storico, inaugurated on 16 April 2015, began its activities with the centralization and digitalization of the company's entire documentary heritage, until then divided between different departments. Technical drawings, production sheets, approval documents, original materials, period images, commercial and administrative documents, and official company publications were catalogued, contributing to the creation of a structured and authoritative historical archive. At the same time, a dedicated technical area was established within the Sant'Agata Bolognese plants, where a specialized team began work on historic vehicles in the months immediately preceding the department's presentation to the public.
Polo Storico restorations have always followed a precise guiding principle: to return each vehicle to its original state, fully respecting its historical, technical and aesthetic identity. Each project is the result of in-depth archive research and thousands of hours of craftsmanship, coordinated and supervised by the Polo Storico team, also through collaboration with top-quality external suppliers. The restorations shared with the public represent only part of the activity: many collectors choose to keep the work done on their cars confidential. However, even the shared projects alone bear witness to the crucial role of Polo Storico. In 2016, Miura SV #4846, the first project presented to the public by Lamborghini Polo Storico, was completely restored and presented at Amelia Island, before winning the class award at Salon Privé. The following year, Miura SV #5030 was exhibited at Techno-Classica Essen, after being restored over 20 months and over 2.000 hours of work, using only original spare parts. Also in 2017, Polo Storico delivered Miura P400 #3165 to Giampaolo Dallara, restored in 14 months and more than 3.000 hours of work, to celebrate his 80th birthday. Among the first complete restorations, the 350 GT #0121 also stands out, one of the very first Lamborghinis produced, for which 1.150 hours of work were dedicated to the bodywork and interior, and another 780 hours for mechanical and electrical checks. In 2018, Miura P400 #3264 was completed, and was exhibited, after ten months of work, at the Polo Storico stand at Rétromobile in Paris. In the same year, Polo Storico completed the restoration of Miura S #4863, which won the Best in Class award and the Most Iconic Car award at Salon Privé in London. In 2019, a particularly significant project was completed: the restoration of Miura SV #3673, completed shortly before its debut at Rétromobile, again at the Polo Storico stand. An in-depth historical investigation made it possible to reconstruct the complex history of the car, which a few months later won Best in Class at the Pebble Beach concours. Also in 2019, Polo Storico certified Miura P400 #3586, officially identifying it as the model used in the original filming of the movie The Italian Job, solving a historical mystery thanks to period documentation and first-hand accounts. Among the most recent restorations is also the Miura P400 S #4797, which belonged to the Italian singer Little Tony and is one of only seven painted in Azzurro Mexico, presented at Villa d'Este in 2019. In 2020, at Rétromobile, the Polo Storico presents one of the very rare Miura SVJs produced, chassis #4860 from 1973. A car with a fascinating past, it has been the subject of careful conservation work aimed at preserving its original condition, with a complete overhaul of all the technical and mechanical components, keeping even the smallest details intact.
But the project that best represents the scope and expertise of the department is the complete reconstruction of the 500 Countach LP 1971 prototype, destroyed in crash tests over 50 years ago. Completed in 2021 after over 25.000 hours of work, it was recreated from scratch using only archive documents, period photographs and first-hand accounts: an undertaking that perfectly embodies the spirit and mission of the Polo Storico.
Another fundamental pillar of the Polo Storico's activity is the Authenticity Certification service, which certifies the authenticity and conformity or otherwise of historic vehicles with respect to the original factory specifications. Through a rigorous process, mechanical components, interiors, paintwork, modifications and interventions following the activities carried out by the company are analyzed, comparing every detail with the archive documentation. This process can require hundreds of hours of work, and concludes with a detailed technical report. In some cases, during these ten years of activity, the Polo Storico has detected vehicles that cannot be certified due to technical or historical discrepancies. In these situations, the customer receives a complete report with the list of non-conformities found, without any additional charge other than logistics costs. A precise choice that confirms the Polo's primary objective: to protect historic Lamborghini vehicles and ensure that each certification represents an act of authenticity, transparency and responsibility.
To support the processes of archive enrichment, certification and restoration, the Comitato dei Saggi was also established: a group of former employees who had an operational role in the company's history. True direct witnesses of Lamborghini's past, the former employees support the Polo Storico in verifying information, in resolving and/or refuting technical dilemmas and in reconstructing data that is not always available in the official archives.
At the end of each process, the Polo Storico also provides an internal approval committee that involves, in addition to its own team, representatives of strategic departments such as the Legal Office, Homologation, Research and Development, After Sales and the Presidency, which finally signs off on each certification and restoration. This multidisciplinary structure guarantees that each intervention is validated with the utmost accuracy and coherence.
The Polo Storico's constantly growing activity includes, in some cases, collaboration with excellent suppliers for highly specialized work. Even in these cases, the selection is made in compliance with the department's values, involving local businesses, often historic partners of the company already active at the time of the original production of the vehicles. At the same time, Lamborghini has invested in expanding its internal skills: today the Polo Storico can count on advanced technologies and a team capable of directly managing an ever-increasing number of work processes. The Lamborghini Original Spare Parts department also plays a key role, constantly enriching its portfolio with components that are no longer available, developed based on the needs encountered in the restoration and work on vintage vehicles.
The Polo Storico’s activities also aim to enhance the brand’s cultural and technical heritage. Alongside its restoration and certification work, the department is often the protagonist – and sometimes the direct organizer – of international events that celebrate the history of Automobili Lamborghini. Among the most significant moments, organized by Polo Storico: the 2016 tour from Madrid to Lora del Rio, in homage to the 50th anniversary of the Miura; the return to the road of the Lamborghini Marzal for the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique in 2018, driven by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco; the celebratory tour of the 50th anniversary of the Espada and Islero (September 2018); the Espada Series 3 photographed on the famous Abbey Road pedestrian crossing and welcomed at the Royal Automobile Club of London (October 2018); the 2019 “Lamborghini & Design” competition, organized in Porto Piccolo, Trieste; and, more recently, the 60 Lamborghini 2023th Anniversary Tour, along the streets of Franciacorta, Alto Garda and Valpolicella.
To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Polo Storico has planned a calendar of international events that will extend throughout 2025. The celebrations kicked off last February in St. Moritz, and will continue from April 24 to 27 with participation in the first edition of the Anantara Concorso d'Eleganza, held in the heart of Rome and dedicated to classic Italian cars. During the summer, from August 16 to 18, Polo Storico will be the protagonist in Pebble Beach, California, inside Villa Lamborghini, with a dedicated area. During the year, Polo Storico will also be present at official brand events, such as Lamborghini Days in Germany and Japan, and will participate in numerous international events dedicated to classic cars, meeting customers, collectors and enthusiasts. The end of the activities is scheduled for October, with participation in the Auto e Moto d'Epoca fair in Bologna, scheduled from October 23 to 26, to celebrate Lamborghini history and the activities of the department with customers and enthusiasts from all over Europe.
“We want to celebrate this important anniversary together with our customers and collectors, highlighting the value of the work carried out by the Polo Storico and the central role it plays today in the conservation of our heritage,” underlined Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman & CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “Its contribution is destined to grow further: every Lamborghini, twenty years after the end of production, becomes part of the Polo Storico’s remit. With the increase in production volumes and the extremely high level of customization of our cars, the commitment required will be increasingly broad and strategic. The Polo Storico will increasingly be a fundamental resource for preserving the authenticity, quality and memory of our brand.”
