Chrysler Rejected This Lamborghini Design, So It Came Back With 16 Cylinders And 4 Pop-Up Lights

Key Takeaways

• Chrysler rejected Marcello Gandini’s design before it became the Cizeta-Moroder V16T.
• Prototype chassis 001 is the only car wearing the Cizeta-Moroder name.
• Just ten V16Ts were built, including this historically significant prototype.
• The 1988 Cizeta-Moroder V16T prototype will cross the block at RM Sotheby’s in Monterey, California.
• The car does not have a 17-digit VIN, which means it can’t be registered or driven on public roads.

How Did This Prototype Come to Be?

Sometimes the best supercars begin with rejection. That’s exactly what happened when Chrysler reportedly passed on Marcello Gandini’s original design for the Lamborghini Diablo.

Rather than letting the shape die, the legendary designer adapted it for an entirely different project, one centered around a transverse-mounted V16 engine.

The project was the brainchild of former Lamborghini test driver and engineer Claudio Zampolli, who left Italy for Los Angeles and opened an exotic car repair shop.

What Makes This Prototype So Special?

The 1988 Cizeta-Moroder V16T prototype, chassis 001, will cross the block at RM Sotheby’s in Monterey, California, as the most historically significant example of the short-lived supercar.

It’s the only car to wear the Cizeta-Moroder name and one of just 10 V16Ts ever completed.

However, there’s a caveat, and it’s a big one. As a prototype, the car does not have a 17-digit VIN, which means it can’t be registered or driven on public roads.

What’s Under the Hood?

To grab headlines, Zampolli commissioned a 6.0-liter naturally aspirated V16 mounted transversely behind the cabin, paired with a five-speed manual.

The engine reportedly made 540 horsepower at 8,000 rpm, breathing through 64 valves worked by eight overhead camshafts.

Bodywork came from Gandini, whose resume already included the Miura, Countach, and Lancia Stratos.

How Much Did This Supercar Cost?

An archived Car and Driver test pegged the V16T’s estimated base price at $280,000 in 1989.

Run that through inflation and you land near $772,000 in today’s money, which is genuine hypercar territory before the term existed.

What’s the Story Behind the Design?

The design itself has an equally fascinating backstory. Gandini had originally penned Lamborghini’s Countach successor, but Chrysler, which owned the Italian automaker at the time, reportedly insisted on softening the sharp-edged styling before releasing it as the Diablo.

Gandini disliked the revisions enough to walk away, later adapting many of his original ideas for the Cizeta.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Cizeta-Moroder V16T?

The Cizeta-Moroder V16T is a supercar that was built in the late 1980s. It features a 6.0-liter naturally aspirated V16 engine and a unique design that was originally intended for the Lamborghini Diablo.

How many Cizeta-Moroder V16Ts were built?

Just ten Cizeta-Moroder V16Ts were built, including the prototype that is now up for auction.

Why can’t the prototype be driven on public roads?

The prototype does not have a 17-digit VIN, which means it can’t be registered or driven on public roads.