1969 Lamborghini Islero

In the early 1960s, following a dispute with Enzo Ferrari, successful industrialist Ferruccio Lamborghini took up Enzo's challenge and built an automobile company of his own. This newly formed endeavor would, arguably, not have been successful had it not been for the 1961 Ferrari 'palace revolt' where many of Enzo's most talented employees left, including designers Giotto Bizzarrini, Gian Paolo Dallara, and Franco Scaglione. Ferruccio added test driver Bob Wallace and enlisted the services of the Neri and Bonacini workshop, and work began in earnest in late 1962

The first production automobile by Lamborghini was the 350GT of 1964, featuring Superleggera (Super light) coachwork by Touring. Elegant one-piece ovoid headlamps replaced the retractable units of the earlier 350 GTV, and the 3.5-liter V12 engine was tuned to a stout 270 horsepower. One hundred and twenty examples were built before the arrival of the 400 GT Interim, essentially a 350 GT with an enlarged V12 engine displacing 3,929cc. After twenty-three examples were built, the second 400 GT (the 400 GT 2+2) was put on display at the Geneva Auto Show in 1966. Styling updates included larger side windows, a smaller rear windshield, a slightly lower floorpan, and a different roofline.

The Lamborghini Islero
Lamborghini's next grand tourer was the Islero, the ultimate evolution of Lamborghini's 350 GT. The name Islero, in Lamborghini tradition, was for a famous Miura bull that killed matador Manuel Rodriguez 'Manolete' in 1947. Carrozzeria Touring had gone bankrupt, so Ferruccio commissioned Mario Marazzi to design and build a new model. Carrozzeria Marazzi was founded by Carlo Marazzi, a former employee of Carrozzeria Touring. Several former Touring employees worked at Carrozzeria Marazzi, including Marazzi's sons Mario and Serafino.

Styling
The styling of the Islero followed a similar design language as its predecessors, with graceful curves, elegant lines, and a long hood. Eschewing the fastback coupe designs of the 1960s, the more conventional three-box saloon silhouette of the Islero enabled the cabin to be enlarged, which improved ergonomics, refinement, and comfort.

Mechanical Specification
Lamborghini gave the Islero the same square tube design as used by the 400 GT, along with the same inner structure and wheelbase, but a larger track and suspension revisions to accommodate the use of wider tires. Sourced from the 400 GT, the fully independent double wishbones suspension received thicker anti-roll bars and disc brakes resided at all four corners behind cast magnesium wheels made by Campagnolo and wrapped with Pirelli Cinturato 205VR15 tires.

The wheelbase measured 100.4 inches, a length at 178.1 inches, a width of 68.1 inches, and a height of 51.2 inches.

Beneath the low-slung bonnet was the four-cam Giotto Bizzarrini V-12 engine from the Miura and 400 GT, outfitted with six Weber carburetors and capable of 320 horsepower, paired with a Lamborghini-designed five-speed transmission equipped with synchromesh and a hydraulically operated dry clutch.

Performance
Zero-to-sixty mph took 6.4 seconds, and the top speed was achieved at 154 mph.

Production
Despite the Islero's performance credentials and Ferrucio Lamborghini's endorsement by using an Islero as his personal car, buyers preferred the Espada and just 225 examples were built during its brief lifespan (1969 to 1969). A total of 125 examples were the Islero and 100 were the Islero S.

The Lamborghini Islero S (GTS)
Lamborghini introduced an updated version of the Islero in 1969, known as the Islero S or Islero GTS. Changes included an enlarged hood scoop that funneled air to the interior rather than the engine, slightly flared fenders, engine cooling vents on the front fenders, brightwork gills behind the front wheels, and round side-marker lights replacing the previous teardrop designs. Mechanical upgrades included larger disc brakes and an extra 25 bhp from the 3.9-liter V12 to bring it into line with the Miura S's 350 bhp. This increase was courtesy of a higher compression from 9.5:1 to 10.8:1 and Miura P400S-type camshafts. Many of the teething problems of Marazzi's 'fit and finish' on the earlier non 'S' cars were comprehensively overcome with the later S variant. The revised interior had more supportive seats and improved instruments and switchgear.

The Lamborghini Islero S was capable of sprinting from zero-to-sixty mph in 6.2 seconds and had a top speed of 161 mph.

The Lamborghini Jarama
Rather than redesigning the Islero, Lamborghini enlisted the help of Bertone designer Marcello Gandini to pen the shape of its replacement, the Jarama. Produced from 1970 to 1976, the Jarama was a 2+2 grand tourer designed to comply with U.S. standards. It used a slightly modified version of the Espada chassis and was powered by the same 3.9-liter Lamborghini V12 engine found in the Islero and Espada. By the time production ceased, a total of 328 examples had been built.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2023