Lamborghini Diablo

Information

NLA12555 was ordered by HRH The Sultan of the state of Kelantan in Malaysia, for his son the Crown Prince, who at the time was 22 years old. The Sultan of Kelantan went on to become King of Malaysia in 2016, abdicating suddenly in 2019 allegedly according to the press at the time, because he married Miss. Moscow.

The Diablo was originally shipped to Malaysia, where it was impounded at Subang Airport by representatives of the Prime Minister of Malaysia because each Sultan could only import 7 cars per year without paying import tax and the quota had been met. The Sultan was so angry that he ordered people to go to the Subang Customs office and take the car by force. The Customs Officers didn't resist as the Sultan's people drove the car off.

The Prime Minister then called the Sultan a smuggler for not paying tax on the car. It turns out that it is the State Government, not the Federal Government, who decide the rules on these imports, so it was under the Sultan's control all the time. Peter Leonard-Morgan visited HRH and was driving the Diablo with him in Malaysia when they came up behind a police car doing 30 mph in a 30 limit. HRH told Peter to overtake [exceeding the speed limit overtaking a police car in a bright blue Lamborghini], which he promptly did. In the rear view mirror he watched the police car just carry on trundling at 30mph completely ignoring the bright blue Lamborghini overtaking!