Lamborghini Espada: Bertone's Four-Seat V12 Grand Tourer, 1968 to 1978

The Lamborghini Espada was a four-seat grand tourer that Lamborghini built between 1968 and 1978. Marcello Gandini styled it at Bertone, and its 3,929 cc V12 rose from 325 PS (239 kW; 321 hp) in the first series to 350 PS (257 kW; 345 hp) in later cars. The company built 1,217 of them, making it the most numerous Lamborghini model until Countach production grew in the mid-1980s.

Who designed the Lamborghini Espada?

Marcello Gandini designed the Espada at Bertone, borrowing cues from two 1967 show cars, the Lamborghini Marzal and the Bertone Pirana. It replaced the 400 GT 2+2 and sold alongside the Islero and the mid-engined Miura. The Espada was the more visually daring of the pair, while the Islero stayed conservative.

The name comes from the Spanish word for sword, the blade a bullfighter uses at the close of the contest. That theme carried into the car's identity. Lamborghini revealed the Espada at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show, where it appeared beside the Islero as a pair of new grand tourers.

The early dashboard took its character from the Marzal concept. Octagonal housings held the main instruments, and an additional binnacle above them carried the secondary gauges.

Four seats, a V12 and a Bertone body, built in 1,217 examples over a single decade.

How did the three series differ?

Series I cars ran from 1968 to 1970, and Series II followed from 1970 to 1972 with a new dashboard, centre console and steering wheel. Series III arrived in 1972 and kept the body while changing the instrument panel, wheels and grille. Output rose between the first and second series, and the Series II also gained vented discs.

Early cars used alloy wheels by Campagnolo on knock-off hubs, the same design seen on the Miura. Series I tail lights were the units from the first series Fiat 124 Sport Coupe. Series II removed the grille that covered the vertical glass tail panel, and rear seat passengers gained better ventilation.

The Series III introduced an aluminium-trimmed instrument panel that kept the main controls within easy reach, including the radio. Five-stud hubs replaced the knock-off wheels, and a square mesh grille took the place of the earlier design. A sunroof became available as an option, while the tail lights were taken from the Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina.

Series III was the longest-running form of the car, and its later US-specification cars show how export rules changed the design.

What engine did the Espada use?

The Espada used a 3,929 cc V12 with 24 valves and two chain-driven overhead camshafts per bank. The first series made 325 PS (239 kW; 321 hp) at 7,200 rpm. Later cars made 350 PS (257 kW; 345 hp) at 7,500 rpm.

Six Weber 40DCOE side-draft carburettors fed the engine, with a single distributor handling ignition. The bore measured 82 mm and the stroke 62 mm. Compression rose from 9.5:1 on the Series I to 10.7:1 on the later cars.

The V12 was derived from the engine fitted to the 400 GT 2+2, so the Espada inherited a known layout. On its own the unit weighed 232 kg (511 lb), and with the transmission attached the figure rose to 293 kg (646 lb). Its wet sump held 14 litres (3.7 US gal) of oil.

Was an automatic gearbox available?

Most cars left the factory with a Lamborghini-designed five-speed manual, with a hydraulically operated clutch. From 1974 buyers could order a Chrysler Torqueflite three-speed automatic on the Series III, but only 55 cars were built that way. The automatic reduced both acceleration and top speed, making it an unpopular choice.

Lamborghini designed the five-speed manual itself, and its hydraulically operated clutch set the driving feel. The automatic was the only alternative offered, so buyers chose between two gearboxes. A Series III buyer who picked the automatic gave up performance for convenience.

How did the Espada fit into the Lamborghini range?

The Espada sat in the range beside the Islero and the mid-engined Miura, and it was the more dramatic of the two grand tourers. Lamborghini built 1,217 Espadas, which made the model the company's most numerous until Countach output expanded in the mid-1980s.

The production run fell into three phases. Series I cars came first, with 186 built before January 1970. Series II was the mass-produced phase, with 575 cars, and Series III carried the model through the rest of the 1970s.

Production ended in 1978, closing a ten-year run that had begun with the Geneva launch in 1968. The model's long life gave Lamborghini a grand tourer with four seats for a decade, a period in which the company's line-up grew around it.

For a car built over a decade, the Espada's engineering stayed close to its launch specification. Most of the change came through power increases and trim updates rather than a new structure.

Chassis, suspension and brakes

The Espada used a semi-monocoque unibody made of pressed steel and square tubing, with an aluminium bonnet. Marchesi of Modena built the bare chassis, which travelled to Bertone for bodywork, paint and trim. Lamborghini then completed final assembly at its own factory.

The suspension was fully independent, with unequal double wishbones and coil springs. Girling supplied the disc brakes, each with three-piston calipers, and the front calipers were larger than the rear ones. The Series II brought vented discs in place of solid ones.

Series III added ZF power steering and air conditioning as standard equipment. Twin fuel tanks held 93 litres (25 US gal), with fillers hidden behind cosmetic grilles in the C-pillars, so the car kept a clean profile when parked.

Why did the Espada's body rust?

Rust was a documented problem for the car, because the steel chassis and bodywork both suffered from it. Denis Jenkinson noticed visible rust during a 1972 road test on a car with 10,000 miles on the clock.

The rust problem was tied to the car's steel construction, since the chassis and most of the bodywork were steel. The bonnet was the exception, being made from aluminium rather than steel. Owners considering an Espada therefore had to look closely at the structure before buying.

Did the Espada get a revival attempt?

A new Espada was rumoured in 1999, but Lamborghini wanted to concentrate on a Diablo successor, and little came of it beyond some drawings. In 2006 Edmunds.com reported a plan to revive the Espada for 2009. The four-seat Estoque concept shown at the 2008 Paris Motor Show never led to a production model.

No production Espada followed the 1968 to 1978 cars, so the name stayed with the original run. The Estoque was the most visible attempt, but it went no further than the 2008 show stand. Its four-seat layout kept the original idea alive on paper.

Edmunds.com linked its 2006 report to a 2009 target, but no production Espada appeared in that year or afterwards. The Estoque showed that the company still considered a four-seat successor around 2008, even though none reached the road.

What was the Lamborghini Faena?

The Lamborghini Faena was a one-off four-door saloon built by coachbuilder Pietro Frua on a Series II Espada chassis. It appeared first at the 1978 Turin Motor Show, then at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show. The conversion took eight months and extended the wheelbase by 18 cm (7.1 in).

To fit rear doors the chassis was reinforced and stretched, which left the Faena weighing almost 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). The chassis number changed from 8224 to 18224 after the rebuild. Inside, white leather trimmed the cabin, and the rear lamps came from a Citroen SM.

Lambo-Motor AG in Basel sold the Faena after the Geneva show, and a Swiss collector owns it today. The name refers to the final stage of a bullfight, the same bullfighting theme that runs through the Espada name.

Because the Faena was sold through a Lamborghini dealer rather than remaining a factory car, its later history followed a different path from the production Espadas that the factory built and sold directly.

Where are the surviving prototypes and one-offs now?

The best-documented survivors are the early prototype, which sits in the Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini, and the Faena, which a Swiss collector owns today. Individual production cars are not traced here, so the one-offs give the clearest record of where the car ended up.

The prototype was constructed by Bertone and the Lamborghini factory after the 1967 debut of the Marzal. It used a wooden body buck first made for a Jaguar Pirana concept, and its engine, transmission and rear differential were all 400 GT units. After testing it was stored uncovered in a field behind the factory.

The prototype's history traces how the Espada moved from concept to road car, with the ideas of the Marzal carried forward into a body that could be built in quantity.

The Lancomatic prototype was a separate one-off with self-levelling rear suspension. It was shown at the 1968 Turin Auto Show and never entered production, so it stands apart from the prototype that later reached the museum.

What are the Lamborghini Espada specifications?

The table below lists the core figures for the Espada across its production run. Where a figure applies to only one series, the table says so, so the Series I and Series II values do not blend together. The Faena and prototypes are left out because they were not production cars.

Frequently asked questions

How many Espadas did Lamborghini build?

Lamborghini built 1,217 Espadas across the three series. The Series I total was 186 cars made before January 1970, and the Series II reached 575, making it the mass-produced variant of the car.

What was the Lancomatic suspension?

Lancomatic was a hydropneumatic self-levelling rear suspension fitted to a single Espada shown at the 1968 Turin Auto Show. Developed with the German company Langen, it stayed a one-off. Test driver Bob Wallace found it promising but costly, and it suffered seal failure caused by heat and friction.

Did the Espada have a sunroof?

Yes, but only on the later cars. A sunroof became an option on the Series III, which arrived in 1972 with its revised dashboard and wheels.

Was the Espada sold in the United States?

Yes. From 1975, Espadas for the United States gained large impact bumpers to meet safety rules, plus a secondary air injection pump to meet emissions rules.

Why is the first prototype in a museum?

The prototype now sits in the Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini. Because it was a development car rather than a production model, it falls outside the production figures given earlier.

How were the Espada's brakes set up?

Girling supplied four disc brakes, and every caliper had three pistons. The front calipers were the larger units, and the Series II switched from solid discs to vented ones.