Its name was derived from the Piedmontese dialect of Northern Italy and meant “look, over there!” [2] The Calà was envisioned by Italdesign to fill Lamborghini's need for a replacement for the Jalpa,[1] production of which was discontinued in 1988 at the behest of then owners of the company, Chrysler.

Fifteen years after the end of its production, the Jalpa would finally be replaced in 2003 by the Gallardo which used the principles of the Calà as an inspiration.

It was mated to a 6-speed manual transmission that drove the rear wheels, with an aluminium chassis and a hand-built carbon fibre body.

[1] It borrowed elements from some of Lamborghini's iconic production vehicles, such as the headlights of the Miura and the widescreen of the Countach.

The car is featured on the cover and in the 1997 video game Need for Speed II.