VIN: the Brunei Royal Family Lamborghini Diablo SE30 chassis RLA12122
/ Ben Tyer
HISTORY OF CHASSIS RLA12122
Chassis RLA12122 was the 122nd Diablo SE30 built and one of 18 in right-hand drive.
Completed on June 26th 1995, it was configured in Giallo with Nero / Giallo full leather upholstery and custom inserts.
Following delivery to Lamborghini GB, RLA1211 was billed to its first owner on August 1st 1995. Soon after the car was dispatched to Asia where it joined the enormous collection of the Brunei Royal Family.
Although the Brunei royals had already purchased several Diablos, RLA12122 was the first and only SE30 that made its way to the tiny fuel rich nation. Another order for an SE30 had been placed (chassis RLA12086) but not fulfilled and that car was sold via Lamborghini GB to a British buyer.
Upon delivery to Brunei, chassis RLA12122 was registered BN 2828. It joined a four figure-strong fleet of high end cars owned by the Brunei royals, a good portion of which were exotics. Of these, many had been optioned to a unique configuration while quite a few were special build commissions with completely new bodies and interiors.
Funds for the enormous collection came courtesy of Brunei’s massive oil and gas fields which, as head of state, absolute monarch and head of government, the Sultan (Hassanal Bolkiah) was in total control of. After the Sultan’s younger brother, Prince Jefri, became Brunei’s Minister of Finance in late 1986, the two men’s spending rose dramatically and, during the 1990s, they spent nearly £200m per year on prestige automobiles.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
