1971 Lamborghini Espada Coupe

The Lamborghini Espada combined V-12 power, seating for four occupants, a spacious trunk, and the typical Lamborghini panache. This formula was well received with customers, leading to sales exceeding the Miura, and 1,217 examples produced in three distinct series over its production lifespan.

Ferruccio Lamborghini's first production car was introduced at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show. It was called the 350 GT and it wore styling by Touring. Power was from a 3.5-liter four-cam V12 engine designed by Giotto Bizzarrini, housed in a chassis penned by Gianpaolo Dallara. In 1966, the 4.0-liter 400GT 2+2 appeared.

The Espada was powered by a 4.0-liter, four-cam V12 engine located in the front. It was styled similar to those of the stillborn, rear-engined, six-cylinder Marzal. The Espada's engine had first been used in the 400GT and also used by the Islero. The Series I Espada engine offered 325 horsepower and gave the Bertone-styled coupe a top speed of 150 mph. It used the running gear of the Islero but instead of the tubular frame, it had a platform-type, semi-monocoque chassis. The Series II cars arrived in January of 1970, bringing with them an extra 25 horsepower and a 155 mph top speed. They also had an improved dashboard layout and the option of power steering.

Lamborghini revised the dashboard again in late 1972 for the Series III, which also incorporated power steering as standard, up-rated brakes, minor suspension improvements and a restyled front grille.

This particular example is Lamborghini Espada Series II that spent many years in storage before its second owner sold it in 2012 to The Vintage Connection of Oklahoma City, with just over 32,000 miles on its odometer. It was given extensive restoration work, upgraded air-conditioning, and electric power steering prior to completing the 2013 Run of the Bulls in Colorado. It earned a third in class in August of 2013 at the Concorso Italiano in Monterey, California, before being acquired by the current owner a few months later.

This car is finished in Luci di Bosco ('Light of the Forest'), and its original green interior has been replaced with tan. It currently has approximately 33,500 miles on its odometer.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2018