You’d be forgiven for not having heard of the Pregunta. Though it sounds like an exotic vegetable, it’s a one-off prototype built by Lamborghini shortly before the Italian firm was bought by the Volkswagen Group.
It hasn’t garnered as much attention as iconic production models such as the Diablo, Murcielago and Aventador, but it’s for sale and will be offered at the Broad Arrow Zoute Concours Auction in Belgium on October 10, with a price estimate of €2.5m-€3.5m (R51m-R72m).
While this pales in comparison to the R145m fetched by the Veneno in 2019 as the most expensive Lamborghini yet, the Pregunta still qualifies as a seriously high-value collector’s item.
A collaboration between Lamborghini and French coachbuilder Carrosserie Heuliez, the Pregunta was commissioned when Lamborghini was owned by Chrysler. It was unveiled at the 1998 Paris Motor Show, just months after Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti had been bought by VW Group.
Based on the Diablo, the Pregunta was a radical concept car for its time. Made of carbon fibre, it was inspired by the French Dassault Rafale fighter jet with its vast air intakes, canopy-like scissor doors, wraparound glass and matte grey paint.
The fighter jet theme continues in the cockpit with glass screens, aviation-style seats trimmed in blue Alcantara, fibreoptic lighting and rear-view cameras. A Formula One-derived Magneti Marelli digital instrument cluster provides essential information and the Pregunta was fitted with an Alpine audio system.
The rear-wheel drive Pregunta is powered by the Diablo’s 5.7l V12 engine with outputs of 395kW and 605 Nm of torque, paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. It could reach 100km/h in 3.9 seconds and had a top speed of 337km/h, while its Quicksilver exhaust generated a soundtrack that reflected the car’s fighter-jet inspiration.
The Pregunta was an inspiration for future Lamborghini models, ultimately contributing to what would become the Murciélago in 2001. Owned by Heuliez, the Pregunta was displayed at trade shows and promotional events. It was sold to a private collector in 2008 and participated in a number of exhibition events before being placed on display at the Lamborghini Museum in Sant’Agata in 2021.
“Not only is the Pregunta an incredible piece of supercar history; being able to offer this unique concept fresh from its time on display in the Lamborghini Museum in Sant’Agata, further enhances its desirability,” said Gregory Tuytens, head of consignments in Belgium and the Netherlands for Broad Arrow.
“We are thrilled to offer this unique Lamborghini to collectors at our Zoute Concours Auction, and look forward to welcoming collectors in person, on the telephone and online for what we expect to be some very exciting bidding.”
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