1997 Lamborghini Diablo SV

The Diablo SV occupies a singular position in Lamborghini's lineage as the model that revived the SV designation — a name absent since the Miura SV of the early 1970s. Where the contemporary Diablo VT spread its power across all four wheels, the SV channelled all 503 bhp from the 5.7-litre naturally aspirated V12 exclusively to the rear, producing a sharper, more demanding driving experience. With just 346 examples built worldwide and 33 reaching the UK, supply was limited from the outset, and attrition over the past three decades has made genuinely original, well-documented survivors increasingly scarce.

This P-registered car has covered 31,000 miles from new — a measured total for a vehicle approaching thirty years old — and is finished in Blu Scuro Metallic over a full black Alcantara interior. Factory equipment includes the bespoke OZ Racing three-piece alloy wheels specific to the SV, the roof-mounted air intakes, revised front spoiler with integrated brake cooling ducts, and the larger cross-drilled brake discs over the standard Diablo. An extensive history file accompanies the car, which adds significantly to its integrity at this level of the market.

The five-speed manual gearbox places this firmly in the analogue era of supercar ownership — no paddleshifters, no stability intervention to speak of. As collector focus on 1990s V12 Lamborghinis continues to sharpen, the Diablo SV's combination of rarity, motorsport association through the concurrent SV-R race series, and driver-focused specification makes well-preserved examples increasingly difficult to find at any price.