A Rare ‘Rambo Lambo’ Lamborghini LM002 Is Just Sold For Over $300,000

The legendary super-SUV once likened to a “street-legal Tiger tank” is a piece of automotive history.

More than three decades before the Urus would become the best-selling Raging Bull for multiple years running, Lamborghini took its first crack at a production luxury SUV titled the LM002, better known as the “Rambo Lambo.”

That catchy automotive colloquialism came courtesy of legendary writer Brock Yates, who raved of four-wheel-drive lunacy from the “closest thing to a street-legal Tiger tank” in his Car and Driver review of a 1987 LM002. The one here is a 1988 and early example of the 328 total units produced from 1986 until 1993.

But the Rambo Lambo’s origins date back to 1977, when Sant’Agata Bolognese prototyped an open-air desert runner called the Cheetah aimed at securing an American defense contract, Motor Trend reports.

Poor handling and lackluster performance from a 180-hp Chrysler V8 made for a mission failure. The succeeding LM001 concept kept mil-spec style and added practicality via a closed cockpit, but rear-wheel drive and lack of power still plagued the drivability department.

Lamborghini would fix these issues by swapping the rear-mounted American V8 for its own, front-mounted 5.2-liter V12 from the legendary Countach supercar. The engine’s 444 horsepower was sent all four wheels via a five-speed transmission actuated by a dogleg shifting configuration, though RWD was also possible thanks to switchable front and rear differentials.

Thus the super-SUV was born, a segment still growing today. The LM002’s 60-mph sprint time of 7.7 seconds and 118-mph top speed were indeed considered “super” for a nearly 6,000-pound vehicle in the late 1980s, as was the optioned 76 gallon fuel tank.

This Rambo Lambo, chassis No. 12103, dons dark blue over a factory-correct Champagne interior with contrasting red Lamborghini Taurus badging all over—the one on the hood scoop is particularly striking. With 27,688 miles on the odometer, RM Sotheby’s adds that it’ll require some maintenance before returning to the road.

Even so, it sold for $308,000 at a recent RM Sotheby’s sale—tap here to learn more.