What was the engine displacement of the first Lamborghini V12 engine?

The first Lamborghini V12 engine had a displacement of 3.5 liters. It entered production in 1963 and powered Lamborghini’s first production car, the 350 GT.

The engine was a 60-degree V12 designed by Giotto Bizzarrini for Ferruccio Lamborghini’s new automobile company. Its exact displacement was about 3,465 cubic centimeters, commonly rounded to 3.5 liters. The prototype was developed with highly ambitious, almost racing-oriented specifications before being adapted for reliable road-car use.

The engine made its public debut in the 350 GTV prototype at the 1963 Turin Motor Show. Production versions were installed in the 350 GT, where the engine was tuned for grand-touring performance rather than outright competition. Over the following decades, the basic V12 architecture was enlarged and repeatedly updated, eventually reaching 6.5 liters in later Lamborghini models. The larger later figures are the main reason the original 3.5-liter specification is sometimes overlooked.