Donald Trump’s Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster Is for Sale

The case for buying the only immigrant the Donald actually liked.

Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images, Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images; ADAM LOWE/THEDRIVE.COM

Don't miss this rare opportunity to own a piece of history! Yes, it's true: Donald Trump's 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster is for sale. Asking price? Perhaps less than half of what it will be worth in the event the Donald, still the Republican frontrunner, is elected president next year.

Michael Digonis

Is it actually his? Could it be that he’s the only presidential candidate to have owned a Lamborghini? Let's take a look at some of the car, then inspect the "evidence" that it’s actually his. We like a lot of evidence.

The “Trump 2016” unofficial campaign sticker on the rear window is an addition of the current owner, and it’s color-matched in Le Mans Blue. Beefing up this particular Diablo's provenance is the "Donald Trump 1997" badging, previously documented in 2013, and which was likely added by Trump himself.

Michael Digonis

That's it for special features, other than the fact that it was owned and driven by Donald Trump. Which is a big feature. Maybe the biggest feature ever on a Lamborghini. Bigger even than if it was owned by Valentino Balboni, or Ferruccio Lamborghini himself. That is, if Trump is elected. But we'll get to that as well.

Not sure it's the real thing? Here's an insurance card from 2002, before the car was sold to its current owner:

Michael Digonis

Looks like the real deal to me. Still not sure? How about the Certificate of Liability?

Michael Digonis

That seems like a fair bit of evidence. I'd prefer a picture of Trump in the car doing bumps off of Ivana's chest, but I think they were divorced by the time he bought the car.

The CarFax seems to look good:

Michael Digonis

The interior looks great:

Michael Digonis

The doors work:

Michael Digonis

And the engine is cosmetically immaculate:

Michael Digonis

The Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster is a rare bird, with around 200 total built. So what is this one worth, with its gilded provenance? Here are the listing details:

Donald Trump Special Order 1997 LAMBORGHINI DIABLO VT ROADSTER
VIN: ZA9RU37B3VLA12842
Manual Transmission
Mileage: 14,992
Exterior Color: Le Mans Blue
Interior Color: White with black trim
Asking price: $299,000

I've never owned a Lamborghini, nor have I ever considered buying one—I'm a Citroën SM and Porsche 928 guy. A quick scan of Diablos at the Dupont Registry pulls up a red '97 Roadster with 1,083 miles for $449,000, but that seems excessive for a fading Italian. An '01 Coupe with 5,500 miles lists $499,900, which also seems like a lot. On the other end is a black 1992 Coupe with 11,643 miles for $139,888. Now we're talking—that is, if you consider any Lamborghini a bargain. (I know Rob Dahm does.)

Michael Digonis

Whatever this particular car is worth, its price is affected by a Trump Effect. Without Trump, $299 grand for a 15,000-mile VT might seem high. It may not seem like a high-mileage car, but it's a high-mileage Diablo. We need a baseline value before we add what I'd like to call the Pre-Election Trump Premium.

I put a call in to Ed Bolian, head of sales for Lamborghini of Atlanta and the man who inherited the Cannonball Run record from me. Bolian's as honest and earnest as a Lamborghini dealer can be, and I trust his judgment. He's discreet about his politics, so I figured he'd be objective in appraising the car's value.

"It's probably worth $175k to 180k," he said, "but you have to ask at least $100k more than you'll accept. Anyway, Trump's ownership doesn't really add anything, because pretty much anyone who bought a Diablo back then was a celebrity."

I disagree.

A $100k Trump premium is a bargain; $299k seems like a steal. Why? Because Trump might win. Every day Trump keeps campaigning, the car justifies its value up to and beyond $299k.

If Trump exceeded all expectations and won, the car would become priceless. It would double in value the morning after Election Day. Maybe even triple. It would be the first presidential Lamborghini. And almost certainly the last.

You may contact the seller's agent, Michael Digonis, at Serious inquiries only!