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 20 configured in right-hand drive. It was one of three right-hand drive SE30s ordered by the Brunei Royal Family to join their circa 20-strong collection of Lamborghinis. This formed a small part of an enormous exotic car fleet funded by 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, car spending rose dramatically. When the orders for the three SE30s were placed, the family was spending around £200m per year on high end motors.
As it transpired, only two of the Brunei SE30 trio ultimately made their way to the secretive Asian hoard: chassis RLA12085 (Giallo) and this car, chassis RLA12122 (Bianco). The order for the other example (chassis RLA12086, Rosso Bordeaux) was cancelled and that Diablo was ultimately sold new to a British purchaser.
Completed on June 26th 1995 and dispatched to Lamborghini GB, chassis RLA12122 was invoiced to the Brunei Royal Family on August 1st and air freighted to Asia. It was the only right-hand drive SE30 configured in Bianco Impacto with a Blue alcantara interior. Three other SE30s were reputedly commissioned as such, but were all left-hand drive.
Upon delivery to Brunei, chassis RLA12122 was registered BP 99. It is pictured here in the UK shortly before dispatch in July ‘95.
By the early 2000s, chassis RLA12122 had been acquired by Colin Giltrap, one of New Zealand’s largest automotive distributors and a Kiwi racing driver patron. The Giltrap Group served as New Zealand’s concessionaire for Lamborghini (among many other brands). RLA122 was sold again in March 2006, by which time the odometer read a little under 2900km.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
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