2006 Lamborghini Concept S

Conceived by Lamborghini’s then head of design, Luc Donckerwolke, the Concept S was introduced as an extreme interpretation of an open-top Lamborghini Gallardo. First presented as a non-running design study at Geneva in 2005, tremendous public interest in the Concept S prompted the decision to build a functional version of the vehicle in order to further gauge potential customer demand.

The fully operable version was debuted at the Concorso Italiano the following year; a proverbial show-stopper, it remained true to its concept yet seemed even more extreme. The so-called “saute-vent” windscreens, re-designed and lowered for homologation, were even more radical than the original design, serving to visually divide the cabin and creating a “spine” that runs between the passenger and the driver.

While a limited run was originally planned for the Concept S, the exceedingly high cost and time-consuming production ultimately ended with the first example also being the last, rendering chassis 001 – the example offered here – a true, production-ready, one-off Lamborghini. In single ownership from new, the current owner took delivery of the Concept S soon after it’s unveiling. It proved so popular that it was routinely invited back by Lamborghini to be shown around the world, including twice at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Fully operable and street-legal, it has been driven only 180 kilometers, with many of those accumulated during initial testing and the rest driving around concours show fields.