1970 lamborghini espada series 2

The Lamborghini story is fascinating in itself but for the company to have survived all these years and indeed celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2013 is quite amazing. Ferruccio Lamborghini was an entrepreneur, a very successful businessman and a lover of the finer things in life, including sports cars. He was fortunate enough to own some wonderful cars including Ferraris however, he found fault with them all. According to the legend, following a meeting with Enzo Ferrari to discuss some of the shortcomings of his cars, Enzo dismissed Ferruccio and he subsequently decided that he could and would build a better car.

Not long after in May 1963 Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini SPA was established and the small town of Sant’Agata Bolognese, located between Modena and Bolgna, was chosen as the location to build his factory. Born under the Zoadiac sign Taurus Lamborghini chose the raging bull as the emblem for his sports cars.

Lamborghini knew what he wanted and he put together a highly skilled team and his first car the 350 GTV was shown at the Turin Motor Show in October 1963. This car received mixed reviews, however, Lamborghini was not deterred and made a number of improvements and design changes to this original concept and the first Lamborghini production car the 350 GT left the factory in 1964.

The 350 GT evolved into the 400 GT 2+2 and later the Islero. In parallel to building these classic front engine V12 GT cars, Lamborghini wanted to build a super car, enter the Miura first shown as a rolling chassis in 1965, and also a GT car that could comfortably seat four people, enter the Espada in 1968. The mid to late sixties were good times for Lamborghini and his cars were revered the world over.

Lamborghini continued the tradition of naming his cars with association to the legendary bull and Espada is Spanish for sword.

The Lamborghini Espada was first shown to the public at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show where a spectacular metallic gold car took the world by storm. Bertone used many styling cues from the Lamborghini Marzal (including the very funky hexagonal dash layout) and Jaguar Pirana show cars, The Espada wasn’t beautiful, but it was very unique and many thought striking. It was a brilliant design - a sporting GT car on the outside, yet a sedan on the inside!

The Espada was a great success story for Lamborghini with circa 1200 cars built from 1968 to 1978.

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a 1970 Lamborghini Espada Series 2.

The factory records note that this particular car was delivered new on the 15th July 1970 to Lamborghini in Great Britain. The original colour was ‘oro metallic’ (gold) with a senape interior. This is a rare and desirable early Series 2 model Espada with Miura style knock off wheels.

It is understood that this Lamborghini Espada came to Australia in the mid 1970's. The previous owner acquired the car back in 1989 from a Lamborghini specialist in Sydney. Its subsequent early history in Australia is not known.

This is an incredibly original and unmolested car. It carries an older repaint that has the odd blemish and stone chip consistent with its age, however, the depth of colour remains vibrant and strong. Whilst colour is obviously a personal choice, we think gold is a perfect choice for an Espada . . . it looks even better in the flesh than it does in the photos . . . it is STUNNING! The exterior chrome and trim are in good condition, however, one headlight bezel is noted as missing. Mechanically the car is very good with the engine, gearbox and brakes having been rebuilt in 2006/2007. The car has travelled less than 1,000 miles since then. The starter motor, clutch & master cylinder and rear brake booster have recently been overhauled and new fuel lines fitted. The wheels have been painted and new Pirelli tyres fitted. There is a hole in one rear muffler.  Since arriving at Oldtimer Australia the car has had a minor service and been tuned. The engine starts easily and the big V12 soon settles into a smooth idle. Out on the open road the car performs as one would expect. The Espada runs essentially the same engine as a Countach so there’s plenty of ‘go’ when you need it. This car pulls strongly through the rev range and the gearbox is tight. It brakes and it handles well, though the shock absorbers are ‘soft’ and the car would benefit from having these refurbished or replaced. The engine bay is fresh and very well presented.

The interior of this car is totally original and it presents exceptionally well for its age. The seats are showing some patina, but there are no rips or tears.  In many ways it’s just like a favourite leather jacket! The timber steering wheel and dash are a feature of these cars and both are in very good condition. The carpets in the cabin and rear boot area are also in very good condition.

There is a reasonable history file dating back to 1989 with receipts & photos for the major mechanical works mentioned previously, copies of an Espada owner’s manual & parts manual, an Espada factory sales brochure and other Espada literature that will accompany the car. There are also two sets of keys, a correct spare wheel and factory jack kit.

A Lamborghini Espada is a rare beast but finding an early Series 2 car with the Miura style knock off wheels that is so original is a very rare beast!