It’s true, the Lamborghini
Minivan was not only real, but it was also practical and ahead of its time. And dare we say, sexy. In the 1980s, Americans couldn't get enough of these versatile, family-friendly vehicles. So what happened to this quirky van that never hit the dealerships? Jerry
, your favorite super car app
, breaks it down. A private jet for the road
You may remember the Italian design house Bertone, who gave us icons like the Lancia Stratos, the Ferrari 308 GT4, and the Alfa Romeo BAT concepts.
At the 1988 Turin Auto Show, Bertone revealed the Lamborghini V12-powered minivan to the world. The head-turner was a Genesis concept car, another creation from the two companies that had been collaborating on projects for decades. And in early 2020, the vehicle was the talk of the Retromobile Show in Paris.
While it might be mistaken for Disney’s monorail, the van looked like a space capsule from “The Jetsons” and featured a funky interior. According to Autoblog
, “Bertone's styling and prototype-building teams allegedly spent a total of 30,000 hours making the Genesis look more futuristic than the minivans many kids carpooled to school in during the late 1980s and much sportier.” The 1988 Bertone Genesis sported a 5.2-liter V12 engine (borrowed from the Countach Quattrovalvole) with 455 hp. “The mighty, front-mid-mounted 12 channeled its power to the rear wheels through a rather lame three-speed automatic transmission provided by Chrysler, which owned Lamborghini at the time,” Autoblog notes.
The van is estimated to weigh about two tons and isn’t nearly as agile as the Countach. According to MotorBiscuit, “Unlike the Countach, the Genesis has a three-speed automatic, rather than a five-speed manual. But that’s still good for a top speed of 155 mph, Petrolicious says.”
Captains seats and jaw-dropping interior
Rear passengers could access the minivan’s unique interior through sliding doors. To accommodate the mid-front-mounted engine, the two front seats are placed far apart.
“There were two front-facing seats positioned over the rear wheels, and a single rear-facing chair in the middle of the interior. The front passengers faced forward, as you'd expect, but they could also move their seat cushion around to look at the folks riding in the back,” according to Autoblog.
The 2+1+2 layout sounds like an ideal configuration for eating In-N-Out when you’re parked on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway. The seats come upholstered in red and white Alcantara and the leg rests can be adjusted. Did we mention they can also power-fold and power-slide?
The butterfly doors were a bold move for the supercar company, yet these types of blob-shaped minivans are now commonly seen each year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas.
While the van didn’t offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, it did come with a TV. Good luck hearing whatever is playing in it with a loud Lamborghini Countach V12 engine blaring in the background.
But alas, the Genesis is but just a concept car. Even though Bertone went bankrupt, the minivan is still out there.
The Lamborghini Minivan was actually snagged in an auction after the company went under, to the Automotoclub Storico Italiano, an Italian organization. And it’s been known to show up at auto events like the Retromobile, so if you find yourself in Paris, keep a lookout.
MORE: The Lamborghini Urus: SUV Meets Supercar
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