In the mid-1970s, at the request and project of the American MTI (Mobility Technologies International), Lamborghini began the construction of the prototype of an "all terrain" off-road vehicle with high performance and high mobility, the Cheetah, for military use. There was talk of an order for a few thousand units, probably from the states of the Persian Gulf, for which the American client had to take care of everything, from the supply of the V8 engine to the specifications of the production chain, including the aesthetics. Having prepared the prototype in 1977, it was realized that it was impossible to continue the project due to considerable practical, technical and legal problems, and everything was blocked, only to be resumed five years later.