Lamborghini by now is 54 years old. Back in 1993, it had just turned 30. So to celebrate the milestone, it developed a special version of the Diablo and offered 150 of them – of which this example (soon to cross the auction block) was the very first.

The SE30 packed the same 5.7-liter V12 as every other version of the Diablo (until the 6.0-liter version was released in ’99), but augmented to 523 horsepower instead of the original stock 485.

It also ditched the VT‘s all-wheel drive system and – long before the arrival of dual-clutch or other newfangled gearboxes – stuck with an old-school five-speed manual. The Diablo SE30 was further distinguished by some aerodynamic enhancements (including a louvered engine cover) and the requisite special badging.

This example was the first of the 150 built, painted in the model’s signature shade of purple to make it stand out even among Lambos. It was delivered, packed with optional extras, to its first owner in Milan, who drove it extensively. It was then sold to another Italian enthusiast before making its way two years ago to its current owner in England.

By now this anniversary-edition Raging Bull has accrued nearly 22,000 miles, and will hopefully clock even more in the hands of its fourth owner – whoever that may turn out to be after the gavel drops at Villa Erba in Italy a little over a month from now. As for the rest of us, we can sit back and admire the images in the gallery below, captured by Simone Caldirola for RM Sotheby’s.

Photo Gallery