Donald Trump once said: ‘The 1990s sure aren’t like the 1980s.’
Perhaps it was the bright pop colours of the eighties the nostalgic former US President was harking back to when he custom-ordered this 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT roadster in the company’s highlighter ‘Blu Le Mans’ paint.
Over two decades later, his bespoke Diablo is set to be offered to the highest bidder by auctioneers Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona.
An extremely rare chance to own a piece of automotive and presidential history, the Diablo even has a ‘Donald Trump 1997 Diablo’ plaque installed on the door.
The Diablo has just 15,431 miles on the clock and has had two owners since Mr Trump parted ways with it in 2002.
Donald Trump’s 1997 Diablo is one of only 132 produced for the US and the only to be customised in this blue paint colour
The auction provides an extremely rare chance to own a piece of automotive and presidential history
Trump made special requests when he ordered his Lambo, including a plaque on the inside of the car door with ‘Donald Trump 1997 Diablo’ inscribed. On the outside, the vendor has added a ‘Trump 2016’ motif
Barrett-Jackson will offer the Diablo to collectors on 27 January.
The auction house has not set a pre-sale guide price for the nineties poster supercar, though there is an indication of its value based on when it last sold over seven years ago.
When the Lambo was purchased by the vendor, they paid $460,000 (around £360,000 at the time).
However, the sale – which incredibly took place on eBay – happened in September 2016, some four months before his presidency reign began.
As such, it is likely that Trump’s desirable Italian motor will exceed its last sale price when the gavel drops later this month.
The Diablo succeeded the fabled Countach which also featured supercar scissor doors
The VT variant of the Diablo arrived in 1995 with four-wheel drive to improve handling and cornering
Only 132 Lamborghini Diablo VTs were produced for the North American market between 1997 and 1999, and this is certainly the only one owned by a former – and potentially future – President of the United States of America.
It’s a longstanding tradition that US Presidents enjoy an Anglo-American Special Relationship.
But, before he was POTUS, Trump also enjoyed a different special relationship with Lamborghini.
In the late 1990s, the Italian marque provided him with loan Diablos for brand and model promotional purposes.
Lamborghini indulged Trump to uniquely customise his Diablo and make it the standout Donald version.
The Diablo supercar was first introduced in 1993 and offered as a coupe or as a roadster. The VT arrived in 1995.
It was the successor to the Lamborghini Countach, a car now infamous for the Wolf of Wall Street scene when an off-his-face-on-Quaaludes Jordan Belfort (Leonard DiCaprio) attempts to clamber into his white Countach and drive off.
The VT had a variable four-wheel drive system unlike the Base Diablo (VT stands for viscous traction centre differential which limited wheel spin and improved handling).
It was the first Lamborghini capable of surpassing 200mph.
The 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT roadster is finished in the brand’s ‘Blu Le Mans’ paint. It was custom built for Trump
This Diablo mixes celebrity and supercar culture with the Presidential power and is expected to fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars
With a 5.7-litre V12 engine, the Diablo VT was the first Lamborghini to surpass the 200mph mark
Trump enjoyed a special relationship with Lamborghini that allowed him to custom-fit his Diablo
The interior is finished in cream on black leather with a retro CD player and a 5-speed transmission
This scissor-door VT model is powered by a mid-mounted 5.7-litre V12 engine, produces 492bhp and has a five-speed manual transmission.
Zero to 60mph takes just 4.1 seconds and the top speed is a claimed 202mph.
As such, this is not a car for the slow lane of life.
This VT is part of the first generation Diablo.
The second-gen version ran from 1999 onwards, with Diablo production ending in 2001.
With the Diablo Lamborghini continued its tradition for naming its cars after fighting bulls; the Diablo takes its name from a legendary bull that battled matador ‘El Chicorro’ in the 19th century.
The car’s manuals, original books, pair of tool bags and rain cover are included in the lot.
The no reserve auction-style is in-keeping with Barrett-Jackson’s tradition of not providing estimated values for its cars.
Non-Presidential Diablos sell for several hundreds of thousands so expect big numbers from Lot 1407.
