1996 Vector M12 VIN 001 "American Anthem"

This 1996 Vector M12 is powered by a mid-mounted Lamborghini 5.7-liter quad-cam V-12 engine producing 492hp, paired with a ZF five-speed manual transmission with gated shifter. This example is VIN 001, the very first M12 produced of just 14 customer cars completed between 1995 and 1999. In preparation for its public introduction, designer Michael Santoro designed and hand-painted the exterior in a striking Stars and Stripes livery and named it the "American Anthem" show car - the only official factory M12 hand-painted by Santoro, making it a true one-of-one. The car made its public debut at the 1996 Detroit Auto Show and famously appeared on pit lane at the 1996 24 Hours of Daytona. It was also displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in later years. Built around a lengthened Lamborghini Diablo chassis, it features independent coilover suspension, power rack-and-pinion steering, and Brembo power disc brakes. The carbon-fiber-reinforced fiberglass bodywork features a wedge-shaped design, deeply raked wrap-around windshield, front chin spoiler, pop-up headlights, horizontally bisected side windows, scissor doors, triple intake scoops ahead of each rear wheel, a rear spoiler and triple-vented dual exhaust outlets. It rides on multipiece staggered-width 18-inch three-spoke wheels with Pirelli P Zero performance tires. The cabin features bucket seats trimmed in blue leather with white piping, while color-matched upholstery covers the lower door panels, sills and center console. Blue suede covers the dash and upper door trim, complemented by matching carpeting. Additional features include a gated shifter, power controls for the lower window panels, air conditioning and a CD stereo. The leather-wrapped steering wheel sits ahead of a 220-mph speedometer and a tachometer flanked by gauges monitoring oil temperature, oil pressure, coolant temperature and fuel level. It is fitting that Santoro also recently performed a cosmetic restoration of the exterior, nearly 30 years after he originally hand-painted the car. Sparingly driven over its 30-year life, it has accumulated just 1,054 miles (title reads exempt).