The story of Rod Stewart’s special Lamborghini Diablo

Ex-Rod Stewart Lamborghini Diablo

With the news that Rod Stewart is set to headline Glastonbury in 2025, we thought we’d look back at the story of his very special Lamborghini. The veteran rock star is well known for his love of fast cars – particularly if they are Italian and mid-engined. This none-too-subtle Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster was once owned by the former footballer and Faces frontman – along with a ‘mystic’ British wrestler.

Diablo: launched in 1990

The Lamborghini Diablo was launched in 1990, with the unenviable task of following the utterly iconic Countach. It initially came with a 5.7-litre 48-valve V12 engine: good for 492hp and a top speed of 202mph.

Enter the Diablo VT

Supercar buyers had to wait until 1993 for the four-wheel-drive VT (‘viscous traction’) version. The 4WD system directed up to 25 percent of torque to the front wheels, significantly improving the Diablo’s traction and handling characteristics.

Mean and roofless

The Diablo VT Roadster was introduced in 1995 and featured an electrically-operated carbon fibre targa roof. It was stored beneath the engine cover when driving al fresco.

One of three cars in this spec

Rod’s Lamborghini is believed to be one of just three VT Roadsters with the exposed headlight specification. It’s also one of 20 right-hand-drive VT Roadsters ever made – and one of the last Diablos to emerge from the factory in Sant’Agata, Italy.

You wear it well

According to Coys, which auctioned the Diablo in 2015, ‘Rod the Mod’ owned the car for several years, before selling it to former wrestler Kendo Nagasaki in 2007.

Kendo Nagasaki

Here’s a photo of Kendo Nagasaki taken in 1986. For the avoidance of doubt, Kendo is the chap on the left. We hope.

Lucky number 13

Keen to make the Lamborghini his own, Kendo Nagasaki added his ‘13 KN’ personal number plate to the Diablo. He said the number 13 “shed light upon the interplay between life and death, creation and destruction, good and evil”. Well, quite.

Anyway, back to the Diablo

The VT version of the Diablo had an improved interior with (slightly) less haphazard ergonomics. Other upgrades included power steering, beefed-up brakes and retuned electronic dampers. Many of these upgrades were soon carried over to the regular car.

No sideways silliness

Reviewing the Diablo VT, Car and Driver magazine said: ‘Four-wheel traction injects a huge dose of civility into this most outrageous exotic… Putting down your right foot replaces all that sideways silliness with simple forward thrust. In the extreme, powering very hard out of a comer near the tyres’ limits, the VT will understeer mildly, which is managed easily with the wheel and throttle.’

Rock and a hard place

All this was enough to achieve a price of £178,760 when the Lamborghini sold at auction in 2015. Not bad for a V12 supercar with real rock star and wrestling heritage.

One for Maggie May or Baby Jane?

In his autobiography, Rod Stewart claimed he had romanced so many women, he actually can’t remember anything about most of them.

Rod loved the ladies

An article in the Daily Record said Rod once drove from his home in Windsor to a London nightclub to pick up a girlfriend.

He headed home, entertained his lady-friend and then dropped her off in London. He then picked up another woman in the same nightclub before driving her back to his house.

Speeds of around 130mph

The car was a ‘yellow Lamborghini’ and Rod claimed he completed the drive in less than an hour, so must have driven at around 130mph…

Rod’s old Lamborghini Miura?

The Diablo is unlikely to be the yellow Lamborghini in question. Rod is thinking back to his early days, when he owned a Lamborghini Miura – also painted yellow.

Some guys have all the luck

According to his autobiography, Rod Stewart got into the music business because he wanted to buy a decent car. And while he’s forgotten the names of his former lovers, he could tell you the make, model and colour of every car he has owned.

1,900 miles in 10 years

This Diablo is no stranger to the auction scene. It was also listed in October 2012, at which point it had done 19,200 miles. It then covered a mere 300 miles in three years. Today, it’s back for sale with 21,100 miles on the clock.

For sale with Joe Macari

Joe Macari in south London has the Diablo listed as ‘POA’, but we think an asking price in excess of £300,000 is likely. It currently shares the showroom with a Porsche Carrera GT, Ferrari Daytona Spyder and Maserati MC20, among others.

A devilish piece of history

Today, as supercars become more sanitised, there can be few more visceral and exciting ways to travel than a yellow Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster. Sir Roderick David Stewart, we salute you.