1961 Lamborghini 2241R

Built well before the foundation of Automobili Lamborghini SpA in 1963, this 224 1R tractor represents the heritage and origins of Ferruccio Lamborghini's automotive empire.

It was acquired by the current vendor approximately three years ago.

He saw a similar model at a Le Mans Classic auction when he happened to be in the company of one of our esteemed colleagues from Bonhams.

Noticing that his friend had clearly taken a shine to it, our man at Bonhams declared that he could probably find him another, better one and duly did so.

This 224 1R was hunted down in Italy, where it had been restored by a respected local specialist.

Not only does it look quite splendid in its orange and blue livery, it also works.

After assuring ourselves that we knew how to start, operate and stop it, we plucked up the courage to take it for a spin on public roads in Oxfordshire, where its visual and aural presence turned heads, quickened pulses and startled at least two small dogs.

We learned that it handles considerably better than some classic sports cars we’ve encountered; that it has brakes, but not in the modern sense of the word; that it starts on the button; and that it’s wise to knock the revs off a bit before engaging the clutch if you’d rather not be thrown off the back and into the nearest hedge.

This striking looking machine is finished in Lamborghini’s signature blue and orange tractor livery.

The paintwork is in mostly very good condition but is a little rough to the touch in places.

There are no dinks or dents to speak of on the bodywork (although, frankly, we’re not sure how you could put a dink or a dent in this).

It has the look of a vehicle that’s been the subject of a restoration, after which it’s been kept inside and used only sparingly.

The badging and decals are in good condition.

It’s been suggested to us that the brakes aren’t to the original spec, that the paint tones are not correct for the year of manufacture, that the front lights should have protective wire cages, and that the grille should be black rather than blue.

Maybe. Maybe not. We don’t know.

The wheels seem to be good. The tyres look a little long in the tooth and a few chunks of rubber have been bitten out of them in places.

Eagle-eyed observers will have noticed that this vehicle doesn’t really have an inside.

That said, the dials on the ‘dashboard’ are authentic and in reasonable condition, and the interior of the small, Lamborghini branded box (perhaps there to house a spanner, perhaps to accommodate farmer Luigi’s lunchtime panini and half bottle of chianti) is in fine fettle.

The sprung seat is surprisingly comfortable.

It’s also very springy, as our driver noted with interest when going over a speed bump and suddenly finding himself launched several feet into the air.

As far as we can tell, all switches, buttons, levers, toggles and dials do what they’re supposed to do. The lights and indicators work all round. The handbrake works.

The orange paint has worn away on a section of the bonnet where it overhangs the ‘dashboard’.

The undersides of the tractor appear to be relatively untroubled by time, mileage or the elements.

Everything appears to be in its right and proper place and there is nothing more than an entirely superficial bloom of rust dust in evidence in tiny quantities on any components.

The engine bay is clean and dry and looks to be entirely in order.

This tractor has less history than David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth.

We know it was made in Italy in 1961. We know it was restored in Italy. We know it’s been in the UK, with one owner, for about three years.

We know it was first registered in the UK on 1.4.21 (when it seems to have had its engine capacity wrongly recorded on the V5).

That’s it.

This 1961 Lamborghini 224 1R tractor appears to us to be in very decent condition and it certainly starts, handles and drives very well indeed (once you’ve got the hang of it).

Yes, it’s a little agricultural in some regards. But it’s meant to be. It’s a tractor.

In short, it’s a joy to look at and drive, it has charm in abundance and, last but by no means least, it’s a Lamborghini.

We think it would be ideal for someone who loves the Raging Bull marque but can’t quite stretch to a Miura, Countach or Huracán.

Or someone who already has a Miura, Countach or Huracán in the garage and fancies something with a matching logo for mowing the lawn.

Or someone who just wants to park it up outside the Dog & Duck and watch the smiles appear on the faces of passers-by.

We like it a great deal.

We really do.

We’re confident that this magnificent vehicle will fetch somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.