LAMBORGHINI ISLERO & ESPADA
by David Gidman
In 1968, the year opened with an extraordinary appearance, the
brainchild of Bertone and Gandini was an amazing four-seater with
a rear engine mounted transversally behind the axle and sensational
gull wing doors. The concept of vertically opening doors appeared for
the very first time on this exotic vehicle dubbed the Marzal, and in the
future this would gradually become the distinctive feature of all the V12
Lamborghini’s. The Marzal was not destined for production. This did
not keep the Marzal from becoming the star of many auto shows and
being celebrated on the covers of international magazines. It was even
chosen by Prince Rainier of Monaco, with Princess Grace at his side,
to open the Monte Carlo Grand Prix that year. Once again, Ferruccio
Lamborghini’s flair for publicity proved to be exceptional.
While Dallara and Stanzani worked with the help of New Zealand test
driver Bob Wallace to improve the car in production, Ferruccio – ever full
of ideas – was pushing to show the world new models. It was not simply
a matter of vanity, the presentation of the Miura Roadster at the Brussels
Car Show in 1968 also helped test customer reactions to the possibility
of introducing a convertible to the range. This model received relatively
few orders and as a result, it remained in the glorious stage of the show
prototype without any production follow-up.
The 1968 Geneva Motor Show saw the introduction of 2 new models.
The Islero which was too replace the 400 GT and The Espada. The Islero
was officially presented to the press on 16 February 1968, at 6,500 lire it
had a rather steep price tag. Nevertheless, its 325 bhp engine made it an
automobile that was worthy of its prestigious Lamborghini badge, with an
increasingly comfortable and well-finished interior. This was the GT that
Ferruccio had dreamed of, the natural successor to the 400 GT that had
gone out of production after the Touring coachwork company closed. Since
Carrozzeria Touring, the company that designed Lamborghini’s chassis,
was bankrupt, Carrozzeria Marazzi was the next logical choice as it was
funded by Carlo Marazzi, an old employee of Touring, with sons Mario and
Serafino. The design was essentially a rebody of the 400GT, but the track
was altered to allow for wider tires and while the Islero’s body suffered from
a lack of proper fit between the panels, its good outward visibility, roomier
interior, and much improved soundproofing made it an improvement
over previous models. It had a 325 bhp 4.0 L V12 engine, a five-speed
transmission, fully independent suspension, and disc brakes. Its top speed
was rated at 154 mph and acceleration from 0 to 60 mph took 6.4 seconds.
125 Isleros were built.
An updated Islero, dubbed the Islero S, was released in 1969. The engine
in this model was tuned to 350 bhp, but the torque remained the same.
There were quite a few styling changes, including brightwork blind slots
on the front fenders, an enlarged hood scoop, slightly flared fenders,
tinted windows, round side-marker lights, and a fixed section in the door
windows. Various other changes included larger brake discs, revised rear
suspension and revamped dashboard and interior. The top speed of the S
improved to 161 mph and acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds.
100 examples of the Islero S were built, bringing the production total of
the Islero nameplate to 225 cars. Ferruccio Lamborghini himself drove an
Islero during that era as did his brother Edmondo.
94 wirrallife.com
Instead, a far different kind of success was in store for the other important
model presented on the Lamborghini stand at the Geneva Motor Show that
year. The Espada was designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. Gandini
drew inspiration and design cues from his Bertone concept car from
1967, the Lamborghini Marzal. The Espada was a four-seater GT, selling
alongside the 2+2 400GT and the mid-engined Miura. The original design
of the dashboard was inspired by the Marzal concept car, and featured
octagonal housings for the main instruments, topped by an additional
binnacle for the secondary gauges. Wheels were Campagnolo alloys on
knock-off hubs, of the same design seen on the Miura. The Espada used
a monocoque steel body. Suspension was fully independent, with double
wishbones, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers and anti-roll bars. Disc
brakes were fitted to all four wheels and it also had Twin fuel tanks with
the fuel cap hidden behind a black cosmetic grille in the C-pillar, one of
Gandini’s signature touches. Its 3,929 cc V12 engine breathed through six
Weber side-draft carburators and 24 valves commanded by two chain-
driven overhead camshafts per bank. The gearbox was mounted in block
with the engine. Most transmissions were manual, and the Espada also
introduced one of the first automatic transmissions able to transfer the
torque of a large sporting V12. It had unusual gearing, with 3 ratios drive,
1 and reverse. The Spanish name “Espada” means “sword”, referring to the
sword that the torero uses to kill the bull in the corrida. During its ten years
in production the Espada underwent some changes, and three different
series were produced. These were the S1 (1968–1970), the S2 (1970–1972)
and the S3 (1972–1978). Each model featured interior redesigns, while only
minor details were changed on the exterior.
At the 1970 Brussels Motor Show Lamborghini unveiled the Espada Series
2. Outside the only change was the deletion of the grille covering the vertical
glass tail panel. Inside changes were more radical: all-new dashboard,
centre console and steering wheel were installed. The instrument binnacle
was of a more conventional rectangular shape, with round gauges. A wood-
trimmed fascia extended along the entire width of the dashboard. Power
output increased to 345 bhp due to a higher 10.7:1 compression ratio,
the brakes were upgraded to vented discs. Power steering was offered as
an option!!!! 575 Series 2 Espada were made, making it the most popular
and desirable variant. The Espada Series3 was launched in 1972. Its 3.9 L
V12 engine produced 321 bhp. With the second redesign the dashboard
changed to an aluminium-trimmed cockpit that kept all instruments and
most controls (including the radio) within easy reach of the driver. Newly
designed wheels on five-stud hubs replaces the earlier knock-off wider
wheels making the Espada S3 instantly recognizable. Other exterior changes
included the square instead of hexagonal mesh grille. In 1974, a Borg
Warner automatic transmission became available. From 1975 large impact
bumpers had to be installed to meet United States safety requirements;
some people consider cars produced with them as a separate fourth series,
but Lamborghini did not officially change the model designation. The
production total of Espada’s was 1217.
There are 2 Espada’s which regularly join us at Cars & Coffee in Liverpool.
One of which was reportedly owned by Rod Stewart.
If you want an Islero expect to pay around £270k, an Espada £140k.
For all things Lamborghini contact [email protected]