After testing his Lamborghini engine in May 1963, Giotto Bizzarrini, who was the head engineer at Lamborghini, left the company. The following month Ferruccio Lamborghini told engineer Gian Paolo Dallara to build a road-car version of Bizzarrini's 350GTV. Dallara was helped in this project by engineer Paolo Stanzani and test driver Bob Wallace.