The 1977 Lamborghini Cheetah was an off-road dream car that almost came true
- This was Lamborghini’s first attempt to make something like this
- The Cheetah was made with the US military in mind
- However, it faced several legal and design issues
Published on Aug 04, 2024 at 12:33 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat
Last updated on Aug 05, 2024 at 6:53 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Siddharth Dudeja
Lamborghini Cheetah was the Italian car maker’s first off-road car, which started out as an attempt to get a contract from the US military.
The vehicle has an unusual history with the company, as it almost bankrupted the Italian sports car manufacturer.
This is the story of an off-road Lambo dream car that never came to be.
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1977 Lamborghini Cheetah
Although the Lamborghini Cheetah would end up with a Raging Bull logo, it wasn’t designed by the Italian sports car manufacturer.
The vehicle’s design was born of a partnership with US defense contractor, Mobility Technology International, or MTI.
The plan was for Lamborghini to get a contract from the US military to buy the Cheetah in large numbers.
However, that never came to be due to several design and legal issues.
Anyhow, the legacy of the Cheetah still lives on, as its design was resurrected in the LM001 and then the LM002.
Problems faced by the automaker
The Lamborghini Cheetah project also had many issues.
Due to similarities to another military-intended model, the XR311 from FMC, a legal battle ensued between MTI and the American FMC Corporation.
The original design also had the engine in the back, which led to treacherous handling and poor off-road stability.
The entire project was eventually canceled — otherwise, we would have seen a great off-road Lambo dream car.
Eventually, the car’s design was resurrected with the LM001.
The resurrected Cheetah, in the form of the LM001, had a V12 Countach engine.
The engine was inserted into the front end rather than the rear to provide better off-road stability.
It wasn’t normal, but nothing was normal for this special project.
Designed as a high-performance civilian car, the LM001 and LM002 also got the Italian sports car manufacturer into the off-road category.
Due to this, the Italian supercar brand now offers several off-road vehicles, including the Huracan Sterrato.
Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.
